Chapter 16

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Olivia's POV

"Yes mum everything is alright, I'm just a bit stressed, that's all"

I check both ways before crossing the street, walking quickly over to the other side.

"You have to remember to take care of yourself sweetheart, we don't want you to over work yourself"

My mother's voice is firm yet lined with love as she keeps going on about the importance of self-care, something that she still thinks doesn't exist in my vocabulary.

"I'm fine mum, it'll calm down eventually"

It's not that I really believe that myself but at least it'd calm her down and stop her from worrying about my very much hectic work schedule.

"I'll believe it when I see it darling. Anyway, anything else you haven't told me? No secret boyfriend coming to visit anytime soon?"

I roll my eyes even though she can't see me, entering the Bond Street tube station.

"I'm too busy mum, nothing's going to change in the next like five years"

She'd always been looking forward to me settling down to have a family. She'd had me as a teen and I'm therefore already seven years behind her when it comes to having kids.

"I know, I know. Richard and I were just talking about how fun it'd be to have little kiddos running around the garden and you're the oldest, Mai and Jayden won't settle down in the upcoming ten years, or at least not until they both finish with school"

Mai and Jayden are my half siblings, mum marrying Richard when I'd just started high school. My real dad left the picture before I was even born and I'd had a single mum for the majority of my upbringing.

"You'll have to wait longer than that mum, Mai isn't even ten yet"

I chuckle, tapping my oyster card to get through the barriers.

"When are you coming down to see us next time? We are thinking of doing a barbecue next weekend if you fancy joining"

Moving to London had meant to move away from my family, something that had seemed new and exciting at the age of 18 yet only got harder the older I get.

Jayden had only been three when I moved away from home and now he's about to turn eight.

"I'll have to check my calendar, the girls were saying something about a launch party, you know the new brand Chloe and Kayla launched last year?"

Chloe and Kayla had always dreamt of launching their own fashion brand and last year that had come true. They are still only a small business but things are looking good for them.

"Oh yeah, of course, I understand"

She sounded a bit upset and it instantly made me feel bad for not seeing my family enough. Last time I'd traveled down was for Mai's birthday and that's over two months ago now.

"I'll check, okay. I'm not a hundred percent sure, I could've just gotten the dates mixed up"

My attention drifts over to a group of guys further up the platform, watching them interact with one another. They're probably around my age, good looking and with a decent amount of money in their bank accounts, judging from the shiny Rolex watches I'd managed to spot from the short distance.

"It's okay Olivia, just send me a text so that I know. In here Rich, I'm talking to Livvy on the phone!"

The sound of shuffling could be heard as my mother most likely stands up from the sofa she'd been sat on to find her husband.

"I'll have to go Sweetie, Rich's just told me dinner's ready"

I check the time quickly, noticing it's well past seven o'clock already, time had really flown by today, but then it usually did on shoot days.

"Better go and join them at the table then or he won't be happy with you"

That makes her laugh and I smile for myself, feeling very sentimental all of a sudden. Why do you always want what you can't have?

"Alright, love you darlin', and don't forget to text me about your plans when it comes to the weekend, we'd love to have you over"

"I promise, love you mu-"

She hangs up before I manage to get the last of my sentence out, something that was my mum in a nutshell. Always on the go, stressed about anything and everything.

I look back to the group of guys muddled together further down the platform, their loud laughs bouncing off the walls in the almost empty station.

It makes me think think of Conor, something I haven't really done lately. It's a while since he last called me to be honest, us both most likely having been busy in our own ways.

But I still can't stop myself from worrying about him, asking myself why he hasn't asked me to come over in almost two weeks.

He can't possibly have forgotten about the anxiety and depression in less than fourteen days, can he?

I sigh, tapping my way into our latest conversation. Not that we speak much over text, the small chat bubbles often not longer than a couple of words, a few sentences at max.

You free tonight?

You up?

Back in a couple of hours, wanna come over?

It's almost embarrassing reading through it, counting the times I'd dropped everything just to drive the twenty minutes to his for no-one but him and his own pleasure.

Was it really worth it?

I shake my head, of course it was. Conor Maynard is special and if I was to risk it all for someone it was definitely worth it risking it for him.

He has this special aura around him, a way of always turning something negative into something positive. He could make me smile on days where nothing else could and never failed to make me laugh.

Oh how I hope he's alright. How I hope he isn't worse than he was the last time I saw him. How I hope he knows how much people love and appreciate him.

I lock my phone but quickly unlock it only seconds later, deciding to type out a message despite my brain telling me that I should leave it behind me. Somehow my heart has won this time and I just about manage to hit send as the tube train rolls into the station, it's finally time to go home.

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