Chapter 20: The Aftermath of the Encounter

Olivia's trembling hand shook with her key as she tried to unlock her apartment door. The third time she managed to push it open, she fell, landing in a tumble, before closing the door softly behind her in silence. She propped herself against the door and closed her eyes. Her heart raced like she had just run a marathon, rather than just walking home some blocks. Nathan played over and over in her dreams, a cruel run of what-ifs and might-haves. His worried eyes, the soft touch on her elbow, that familiar smell of cologne—all mixed in a kind of dizzy cocktail of emotions she hadn't been ready to handle. "Stop it," Olivia muttered to herself as she pushed off from the door. "It's over. It has to be over." She went into the kitchen out of habit and set about making another cup of tea. The one from the coffee shop lay abandoned on the table by the front door, cold and untouched. As she stood waiting for the kettle to boil, Olivia saw her own reflection in the window: pale, drawn, with