Page 4 of Olivia’s Only Pretending (Sweet River #3)

Three

T all trees with autumnal leaves freshly turning scattered the campus. We walked the sidewalk paths, weaving through the green lawns peppered with students hauling thick books and shouting across the way to one another. Red brick buildings surrounded us.

“Our campus is pretty small in comparison to big universities,” I said, leading him toward the history building where I taught. “But I love it.”

“I can see why. It’s charming.” He grinned. “You walk this way every day?”

“Every day.” I nodded. I tipped my chin toward the building ahead. “That’s where my office is and where I lecture.”

“I want to sit in on one of your lectures,” Victor said, pushing back his hood and running a hand through his hair. “What if I crashed one of your classes one day?”

“Please don’t. I can only imagine the chaos you’d cause.”

“Like interrupting class to confess my undying love?”

I elbowed him. “Shut up.”

We passed the fountain in the center of campus, weaving right toward a patch of grass shaded by a big oak tree. Its leaves were just starting to crisp, the colors fading. I came to a halt in front of it.

“This is my favorite tree.” I patted the trunk fondly.

“It’s a mighty fine tree,” Victor said, giving it a once-over.

“It’s where I come to work sometimes. I eat my lunch here. Sometimes, I read. My book club meets under it.”

“The cartoon book club?” Victor asked, crossing his arms.

“My romance book club, yes,” I corrected him. A few students and I had bonded over our affinity for romance novels, so we started meeting to talk about them. Word got out, and the club kept growing.

Now, it was a big book club that met once a month outside the history building by the oak tree.

It had become a respite for all of us during the ups and downs of tough semesters and dense reading assignments.

I even had a couple of students write me a thank-you letter for starting it, even though it was kind of an accident.

“I like that you share your favorite tree.” He reached up and rubbed a leaf between his fingers.

“I’m happy to share it. You can come sit by my tree anytime, you know.” For a moment, I imagined how nice it would be to have Victor invade all the areas of my life—not just renovations and friendly hangouts, but getting to have him everywhere.

His eyes landed on mine, making me feel like the sun was shining directly on me.

“Oh, next you have to see my coffee stand!” I grabbed his hand and pulled him down the sidewalk to the little coffee cart outside the steps of the history building.

“Today is fun,” he said, trailing behind me.

We chatted in line waiting for coffee, and I told him more of the school’s history than he’d probably wanted to hear. Eventually, it was our turn to order.

A new barista stood behind the counter—someone I’d never seen before. “Hi,” I greeted her, but her big green eyes weren’t on me.

“Victor?” she squealed, tucking a long strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

“Hey there,” Victor said, all friendly. He paused, just for a second, scanning her, and only I could tell he was trying to remember her name. “ Annie !”

“What are you doing here?” she demanded flirtatiously. “What got you out of Sweet River?”

“I’m here with Olivia.” He slung an arm around my shoulder. “She’s a professor here.”

Her face fell. He made us sound like a couple. Before I could clarify or say something about how we were just good friends, Victor blew right past it, asking her how long she’d worked here and how she’d been. They chit-chatted while we ordered, typical small talk.

I smiled along, but inside, I felt like a balloon with all the air sucked out of it. Totally deflated.

My sisters were always asking why I didn’t date Victor. There was an evident attraction between us. I’d never pretend there wasn’t. We obviously got along.

He’s younger , I’d say, like that explained everything.

But there was also the fact that I’d sworn off guys like him.

I’d been a notorious sucker for the boys who made you feel like the sun was shining on you when they looked your way …

but then left you asking where he’d been when you ran into him at the coffee stand while he tried to remember your name.

I’d been the girl whose name was forgotten.

Not anymore, though. I was too old for that now. I’d learned to spot the signs and head in the other direction.

Victor was playful, flirty, achingly gorgeous … and had a reputation in Sweet River for breaking hearts. So, I safely kept him in the friend zone.

I enjoyed him, adored him, but all from a safe emotional distance, where he couldn’t wreck my heart.

Victor grabbed his wallet and paid for both our coffees before I could even unlatch my tote. I thanked him, and he shot me a wink.

“I’m this way.” I jogged up the steps toward my office, my nude ankle boots clicking.

Victor reached around me to pull the heavy door open, his scent of sawdust and strong coffee whirling around me. I let it envelop me as I walked through the door with him right on my heels.

I glanced up to see someone in front of me who stopped right in my tracks. I took an immediate step back, crashing into Victor’s chest.

“You good, baby girl?” Victor asked teasingly, oblivious to my internal meltdown.

I looked up at him with what must’ve been a look of despair, because his smile faded into furrowed brows of concern, and he opened his mouth to say something.

“Olivia?” a voice I knew all too well said.

Ryan Callas. Tall, dark, and handsome. Standing just a few feet away was the man I’d once thought I was going to marry.

“Ryan,” I choked out, then awkwardly, as almost a question, “ Hi ?”

Ryan was supposed to be across the country right now.

Victor stayed pressed against my back, thankfully. I burrowed into him for moral support.

“You look surprised. I should’ve called or emailed. I was a late addition to the Fall Seminar. I’m attending as a guest lecturer for the next six weeks,” he said in a fast tumble of words.

I was trying to keep up.

Six weeks. He’d be here for six weeks.

“Someone fell through?” I wondered aloud, my voice a tone of clear disappointment. I felt Victor’s warm hands rest against my shoulders.

Ryan nodded, then cleared his throat. “Dr. Morris. She had some family matter come up. I was called only a few days ago.”

But he loved his job at his new school. How could he take off for six weeks?

His eyes kept skittering toward Victor behind me, and Victor’s hands on my shoulders. “Oh, um, this is Victor.” I patted Victor’s hand. “Victor, this is Ryan.” He knew who Ryan was. I’d told him the story.

“Nice to meet you.” Ryan scratched at his chin.

Victor nodded toward him. “Yeah, man.” Then he dropped his voice, putting his lips against the side of my head above my ear. “Ready to finish the tour?”

W e stumbled into my office. I felt confused and slightly nauseous.

Ryan is back for the fall.

We had only spoken a few times since our breakup, mostly emails about things he needed me to mail him, and each time left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Things I’d ignored for the sake of our relationship were now blatant and annoying in hindsight.

Plus, there was my favorite pumpkin-shaped mug that he’d “accidentally” taken with him to Minnesota and never mailed back to me, even after I’d asked him to.

Anger swelled in my chest every time I thought of that mug and all the warm cups of coffee I could’ve drunk out of it over the past two years. Coffee I’d had to sip out of far lesser mugs.

“This is so you.” Victor chuckled, picking up a framed photo of me and my sisters in matching sweatpants from my desk, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“The last stop on the campus tour: my office.” I waved around my cramped office.

The walls were lined with stuffed bookshelves, there was a dark walnut desk with notebooks and framed photos littered across it, one of me and my late nana arm in arm at our lake house front and center, and an old desktop computer.

He pointed toward the large poster maps on my walls. “What are these?” He squinted, peering closer. “Paris. Greece. London. Ireland.”

“Maps of places I want to visit.” I walked behind my desk for a closer look. “I got them years ago as sort of inspiration. I’ve been saving for a while, but I’ve yet to get the gumption to buy a ticket.”

He nodded.

“Plus, distractions arise. Like beautiful old houses that need renovating,” I said, when my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from one of my fellow history professors and closest friends, Gabby.

Gabby

Office rumor is that you have a new BF you’re prancing around campus right now

Do you have a man with you? I know you don’t have a BF (right??)

I gasped and quickly shot back a message.

Me

It’s just Victor! My car broke down, so he gave me a ride and was Victoring and demanded a tour. Don’t know why anyone thinks he’s my bf??

I put my phone down and tried to put my focus back on Victor, who was rummaging through all my stuff and asking questions about everything he picked up.

A few seconds later, Gabby poked her head into my office, with her black, braided hair falling over her shoulders. “Hey.”

“Gabby is here!” Victor called from his spot by the shelves, flipping through my books.

“Vic,” Gabby said, giving him a quick side hug. “You’ve got the office talking.”

“Do I?” There was no missing the pleased grin that spread across Victor’s face at this news. “How so?”

I leaned back against my desk. “Yes, how so? I just gave the guy a brief walk around the campus.”

“ The guy ?” Victor slapped a hand against his chest. “That’s all I am to you?”

Gabby bit her lip. “I think Ryan started the rumor. He’s told a few different people in the last, like, half hour that he met your new boyfriend. People were like ‘oh, that explains why she gave him a tour and why they were all giggly.’”

Victor snorted. “ All giggly .”

I shook my head. “Did you set them straight?”

“No, I mean, I was wondering if I’d missed something. Someone said they’d heard him call you baby girl , and he’d bought you a coffee. It just?—”

“Baby girl is true, but it’s a joke,” I said, shooting an accusatory glance toward Victor. “I told you that nickname was too messy.”

Gabby raised a brow to Victor. “You trying to manifest?”

His cheeks blazed red.

“Well, go back to your office and set people straight, please?” I clasped my hands together.

“Don’t worry about it, Liv. It’ll blow over, anyway. No reason to stress,” she said on her way out.

Victor set the book back on the shelf and turned to me. “Sorry I started rumors,” he said, raising his shoulders in a sheepish shrug that made my insides melt a little.

Of course people were talking. Bringing my alarmingly handsome and far-too-flirty friend was bound to start rumors. If they weren’t whispering about him, people would probably be asking me if he was single and trying to snag his Instagram handle.

“It’ll pass,” I said, waving a hand as if it didn’t matter. “By the way, Lucy said she’d pick me up after work, so I’m all set.”

He tapped my desk as he turned to go. “Let me know if that changes. I’ll come get you.”

And just like that, he was gone. And I hated the fact I could feel his absence after only a few moments.