Husband With Benefits
Chapter 431: She Knows Me Better

Chapter 431: She Knows Me Better

Olivia rolled her eyes at Seb’s teasing, a mixture of annoyance and relief washing over her, even as she felt conscious of his arm around her. "You’re the one who wasn’t here when I woke up," she retorted, a playful edge to her tone.

Seb grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ah, but I returned just in time, didn’t I? I went to get you some breakfast and I came back to see you had disappeared. Mrs B... your daughter is going to take revenge for you and turn my hair grey!"

The complaint brought a small smile to Mrs. Brown’s lips as she watched them from her bed. "You two always were like this," she said softly, her voice filled with affection.

Olivia’s heart squeezed at the sight of her mother’s smile. Despite the circumstances, there was a sense of peace in this moment and she felt a pang in her heart. How long had it been since her mother had smiled like this? She’d even forgotten that. Would she have remembered this smile in the future? Or would she have remembered her mother as the frail and worried woman she’d turned into since she fell sick?

While she was on the verge of crying, Seb seemed to have sensed it as he squeezed her shoulders, without even needing to look at her.

Seb leaned closer to Mrs. Brown, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. "We’ll go grab some breakfast, Mrs. B. You rest up, okay? And then, I am going to come and read some of the recent news about those atrocious Frost brothers and their anecdotes these days."

Mrs. Brown nodded, her eyes twinkling with gratitude. "Thank you, Seb. The Frost brothers are the best entertainment for this old woman."

Outside the hospital room, Olivia stepped away from Seb hurriedly, feeling the weight of conflicting emotions pressing down on her. Her mother and her were a family unit. A complete family. Why then, did Seb have to fit into their family as if he was an important piece of a puzzle and seemed to complete them? He had no right to be like this when they had no future.

"I thought you’d gone," she said, her voice tight with suppressed anger. "You can go. I’ll let mom know that you’re busy... She will understand."

Seb’s jaw tightened, his own anger boiling to the surface, as he took a step closer to her. "You think you can explain my absence by using work as an excuse? Then you’re only fooling yourself, Liv. Your mom knows me better than you do. She knows that if I’ve let go of the past, then nothing can drag me away from you at a time like this."

The intensity of his words hit Olivia like a punch to the gut, her resolve faltering as she fought back tears. He was right and she hated him for it. He was there for her, supporting without saying a word and yet his presence was as painful as it was comforting. He wasn’t leaving her alone when she needed him, but he wasn’t ’with her’ as well.

"Seb..." she started, her voice wavering with uncertainty.

But before she could say anything more, Seb closed the distance between them, enveloping her in a tight embrace. Olivia’s breath caught in her throat as she felt his arms around her, the warmth of his embrace melting away her anger and doubt, if only for a moment.

"Stop thinking, Olivia. Just stop overthinking about the past. I am here for you as a friend. Just accept that as it is. Leave the other things for later. You need to stay strong for Mrs B."

He was right. She needed to let go. Now was not the time to cloud things with her own emotions. There were other things to take into consideration. Stepping away from him, she looked away," Lets have the breakfast you brought."

Quickly, they finished their croissant and coffee before Seb convinced her to go and get some clothes for herself as well as freshen up, assuring her that he would be here.

Even as Olivia agreed, under his and the nurse’s urging, she couldn’t help but stop at the door and turn back to see him holding her mother’s hand as she slept. This man was going to bury her under the mountain of his kindness and she would never have a chance to get out from it. This was going to be her punishment for life.

Hurriedly, she went back to her home, grabbing toileteries and change of clothes before she hurried back to the care centre, only to find Lucien waiting there for her. Seeing him, she almost broke down, prompting him to quickly embrace her as he repeated the words that everything would be alright. She knew of course it wouldn’t be but she wanted to believe him.

As she returned, she could only pause at the door again as she heard her mother laughing softly about something that Seb had said and she sighed, going inside.

Days passed, and their lives settled into a routine at the care centre with Olivia watching her mother’s declining health each day, and yet feeling her mother’s contentment.

It was on the seventh day since her mother’s scare that Olivia was woken up from her restless sleep against Seb’s shoulder by the nurse.

"Miss Olivia, I’m sorry to wake you," the nurse whispered softly, her eyes filled with sympathy. "Your mother... she passed away in her sleep."

Despite the inevitability of the situation, Olivia found herself feeling sucker-punched by the news of her mother’s passing.

She felt Seb stir beside her, his arm tightening around her as if to offer support, but the weight of her grief felt too heavy to bear. Numbness washed over her, enveloping her in a haze of disbelief as she struggled to process the enormity of the loss. Her mother, her rock, was gone.

As they stood by her bedside, Olivia reached out to gently stroke her mother’s hand, her heart breaking with every passing moment.

"Goodbye, Mom," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "Thank you for everything," while Seb watched with moist eyes...

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om