Husband With Benefits
Chapter 435: Leaving

Chapter 435: Leaving

Seb frowned as he looked at the bag on the table and then at her," Why are you giving this to me? You could have kept it. You can take care of it."

Olivia looked away from his gaze, knowing that now might be the toughest part for her,"I know.But... I’m leaving, Seb. I’m leaving the country."

Seb felt as if he’d been punched in the gut, disbelief washing over him like a tidal wave. "Leaving?" he echoed, his voice hoarse with disbelief. "What do you mean leaving? Are you going on a vacation?"

Olivia shook her head, her hands trembling slightly as she clasped them together in her lap. "I need a fresh start, Seb. I’ve put all my things in storage, and I’m going to travel. Explore the world, you know? And... and then find a place to settle down. There is nothing here to keep me. With mom gone..."

Seb’s heart clenched at her words, the realization sinking in that he might not see her for a long time, if ever again. In the past, when his longing for her had been unbearable, he had at least been able to drive down to the cafe. He’d often hear news of her from his brothers. But if she went away and settled somewhere else, creating a family for herself... the feeling of loss seemed to be crushing him...He needed to make her stay.

Even as the thought came to his mind, he shook himself out of the notion. No! It was for the better if she went away. It might give him a chance to have a new beginning as well. All these years, he had been in a limbo...

"What about the cafe?" he asked carefully, glad that his voice came out normal.

Olivia smiled sadly, a wistful expression crossing her features. "I sold it," she admitted quietly.

"How could you do that? You’ve worked so hard all these years and it was doing so well. To sell it to someone else who might not take care of it..."

"I sold it to Nora." Olivia answered him, shocking him into going quiet. Oh.

"Nora has been looking for a place for her bookstore and she planned to add a cafe and library feature to the place. The cafe is doing well but the floor above mine is empty. So, I asked her to look into it. And she of course liked the place. Her plan is solid so we finalized a deal tonight. I’ve just returned from meeting her."

Seb sat in stunned silence, processing Olivia’s words as they sank in. Nora had indeed made a wise decision. Olivia’s cafe was in a good place and he had seen Nora’s plan for it so he knew that she would do well and not let Olivia’s hard work go down the drain. And yet, in this moment, he was tempted to go and risk wringing her neck!

"I see." He said finally, before continuing," So it seems you’ve come to say goodbye as well."

Olivia looked away and nodded. For a moment, she had hoped that he would stop her. Foolish of her.

"Its better than last time," Seb muttered bitterly, getting a surprised glance from her as she stiffened at the barb.

He grimaced. "I’m sorry. That was uncalled for..."

"Was it?" Olivia asked quietly. " You never did say anything about the way I left you in the past."

"And I shouldn’t have said anything now, Olivia. The past is better in the past. All the good and the bad parts of it."

Taking a deep breath, he pushed aside his pride and bitterness, focusing instead on the woman standing before him. She was leaving, embarking on a new Chapter of her life, and he couldn’t let their unresolved issues tarnish their final moments together.

"I’m sorry, Liv," he murmured, his voice soft with sincerity. "For everything."

Olivia met his gaze, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I’m sorry too, Seb," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

Without another word, Seb stood up and opened his arms, Olivia hesitated for a moment before stepping into his embrace, her body trembling with emotion as she wrapped her arms around him. They held each other tightly, clinging as if afraid to let go.

"Take care of yourself, Livi," Seb whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Thank you, Sebby. You take care of yourself as well. Be happy," Olivia replied softly, her voice muffled against his chest.

As they pulled away from each other, Seb offered her a small, sad smile. "Let me drop you home," he said gently. "It’s the least I can do."

The drive this time was quiet and peaceful, with each of their minds occupied with thoughts of the past.

Suddenly, a car swerved out of nowhere, cutting in front of them. Seb slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching against the pavement as he swerved to avoid a collision. Olivia instinctively grabbed onto the door handle, her breath catching in her throat as her heart pounded in her chest.

As the car came to a stop, Seb turned to Olivia, his eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.

Olivia nodded shakily; her hand pressed against her stomach. "I-I think so," she replied, her voice trembling slightly.

Seb reached out to touch her arm, his fingers gentle as he searched her face for any signs of pain. They’d been jolted pretty bad... "Let me take you to the hospital, just to be safe."

"No! I’m fine! Just take me home."

Reluctantly, Seb nodded, his heart still racing from the near miss. He shifted the car back into gear and continued driving, his grip on the steering wheel tight as they made their way to Olivia’s apartment.

When they finally arrived, Seb helped Olivia out of the car, his hand lingering on her arm for a moment longer than necessary."Goodbye, Livi."

As she disappeared into her apartment building, Seb watched her go, his heart heavy with regret and a feeling of something that he couldn’t name...

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m

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