Page 83 of Before the Night Falls

Her gaze met his. “I thought I was beginning to heal. I really did. But, obviously, I was wrong.”

“It’s a process.”

“Lyle says I need to be right with myself before I should be in any type of relationship.”

Tyson frowned. “I can understand where he’s coming from. But?—”

“Maybe . . . maybe we should slow down. I don’t want to jump into something before I’m ready. And all of this proves that I may not be ready.”

He didn’t bother to hide the disappointment in his gaze. But understanding also lingered there. “If you need time, then I’ll give you time. There’s no rush.”

She forced a smile. “Thank you.”

Tyson stared at her another moment, words somehow failing him. He wanted to reassure her, but he didn’t want to pressure her.

“What about the gala tonight?” he asked. “Would you like to cancel?”

“No, I’ll go,” she rushed. “I mean, we’re still friends, right?”

His throat ached as he echoed, “Friends.”

Maybe this was for the best.

Maybe he’d jumped in too quickly also.

Besides, his to-do list was a mile long. How would he ever get everything done if he added a relationship into the mix?

Maybe this had all worked out for the best.

But if that was the truth, why did Tyson feel such heaviness in his chest?

CHAPTERFORTY-FOUR

That evening,Olivia dressed in a simple red dress that fell straight to her ankles. She pulled her hair back into a twist and wore silver teardrop earrings that dangled from her ears. A touch of perfume at her wrists and neck completed the transformation from fitness participant to elegant attendee.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, pleased with what she saw.

Physically, at least.

But her eyes still looked haunted.

More than anything, she wanted to relax and enjoy herself. She just wasn’t sure that was truly possible.

At least she and Tyson had talked. She felt foolish for jumping to conclusions—but those conclusions had shown her something about herself.

They’d shown her just how broken she still was. It wasn’t fair to Tyson to start a relationship when she still had these kinds of issues. But her time with Tyson . . . it had felt so healing.

She’d even talked to Lyle about it, and he’d agreed that she should take a step back.

She could put on a show in front of the camera. But when it came to her relationships, she needed to keep things real.

And the truth was, she was a mess. An absolute mess.

She’d be lying if she didn’t admit she was disappointed. Her bliss had been so short-lived.

Despite that, she would make the most of tonight.

As she descended the stairs, she spotted Tyson waiting in the foyer.