The drive to my dad's family party was quieter than I had expected. I kept stealing glances at Olivia, her fingers pressed nervously against the window as we cruised through the streets. She was trying to seem calm, but I knew her too well. The tension in the car was thick, suffocating, and every word I had said to her earlier felt like it was hanging in the air between us.

I had hoped that meeting my parents at dinner would've been a smooth start, but it hadn't gone exactly as I had imagined. My dad's comment about me being "picky" had left its mark, and Olivia's reaction had been... complicated. I knew she had her walls up, but I had never realized just how high they were.

"Are you okay?" I finally asked, breaking the silence.

She turned toward me, her gaze momentarily lost, before she gave a half-hearted smile. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just... not really sure about this whole family thing."

I could feel her hesitation. She wasn't fine, not really. I could tell by the way her fingers twitched nervously in her lap. My dad's bluntness had hit her hard, and I hadn't helped much by trying to downplay everything. I hadn't meant to make her feel like an outsider, but I'd done exactly that.

"I know it's not easy," I said, my voice low, trying to soften the mood. "But they're not as bad as they seem. My dad's just... well, he's got a dry sense of humor. It's his way of getting to know someone."

Olivia glanced at me, her eyes soft but still wary. "It's not just your dad. It's... all of it. I don't know how to fit into your world, Max. Your family, your life—it feels like I'm not supposed to be here."

My heart clenched at her words. I wanted to say all the right things to make her feel like she belonged, like this wasn't a big deal. But nothing I said seemed to reach her. I knew she wasn't used to being in a family environment like this—hell, I wasn't sure I was, either. But I had to try, for her.

"You belong here, Liv. I wouldn't have brought you if I didn't want you here. I—" I stopped myself, not sure how to continue. I could tell she didn't want to hear me sugarcoat it, so I kept it real. "Look, I get it. It's a lot. But you don't have to prove anything to them, to me, or to anyone. Just... be yourself."

She didn't respond right away, but I could see the tension slowly easing from her shoulders, just a little. "Okay," she finally said, but it wasn't a promise. It was just a word, thrown out there to keep the conversation moving.

When we finally arrived at the house, I could already hear the music and the murmur of voices from outside. The lights inside flickered through the windows, casting a warm glow onto the porch. I parked the car, and the moment we stepped out, I could smell the familiar mix of grilled meat and fresh-cut grass, the scent of a family gathering.

I wanted Olivia to feel comfortable here, but the truth was, I was just as nervous as she was. I wasn't sure how to navigate this, how to balance the guy I was with her and the son I was with my family. My dad had already given me his usual probing questions, like he was checking off a list of things he didn't trust about me. The whole situation had made everything feel... off.

I gave Olivia a quick glance, trying to catch her eye, but she was already staring at the door like it was a portal to another world. She wasn't looking at me—she was already bracing herself. "Ready?" I asked, even though I already knew she wasn't.

"Do I have a choice?" she asked, her tone more dry than I had expected.

I chuckled, despite the nerves. "Guess not."

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, and we walked inside. The moment we stepped in, the noise of the party swallowed us whole. Laughter echoed off the walls, a mix of people talking, music playing, kids running around in a chaotic blur. This was my family at its most alive—loud, messy, and real. And for a moment, I wondered if Olivia could handle this whirlwind of energy.

Max's voice broke through my thoughts. "Hey, everyone, this is Olivia." He said my name like it was the most normal thing in the world, though I knew how far from normal this situation felt for both of us.

The room fell a little quieter, and I could feel the weight of the eyes on me, their curiosity flicking from me to Olivia. She smiled, but it was small, tight at the corners, like she was already retreating into herself.

I forced a smile, trying to make this as easy as possible. "Hi," I said softly, my voice blending into the buzz of conversation. My dad, thankfully, was nowhere to be seen, but I could already feel the invisible weight of his judgment, like he was waiting for something to go wrong.

"Max, who's this?" My aunt Cindy came over, a glass of wine in her hand, her expression bright and open. She looked genuinely interested, but I could tell she was trying to assess Olivia, sizing her up with the curiosity only a family member could get away with.

"This is Olivia," I said again, a little more firmly. "My... girlfriend." The words were strange, as if saying them out loud made them real.

Olivia stiffened slightly at the mention of the word "girlfriend." I noticed it immediately—the way her posture tightened, the way she seemed to retreat inward. She wasn't used to being labeled, to being in the spotlight. And I understood that.

Cindy raised an eyebrow, glancing at me for a split second before turning her focus back to Olivia. "It's nice to meet you," she said, her smile still kind, though I could tell there was a slight undertone of skepticism in her eyes. "You're brave for coming to one of our parties."

"Thanks," Olivia said, her voice soft but steady, like she was trying to hold it together. But I could see her struggling, like she didn't quite know how to play the part.

The conversation moved on, but I could tell Olivia was already uncomfortable, her body tense, her eyes scanning the room for an escape. I stayed close to her, hovering like a shield, even though I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep pretending everything was fine. The tension between us—between her and my family—felt like it was suffocating us.

I wanted to pull her away, to tell her we could leave and go somewhere quiet, just the two of us. But I didn't want to be the kind of guy who ran from his family just to protect her. She needed to find a way to navigate this herself, just like I had learned to do.

"Let's get you a drink," I suggested, trying to distract her, trying to get her to relax.

She gave me a small, grateful smile and nodded. "Yeah. I think I need one."

But as we made our way to the drinks table, I couldn't shake the feeling that this night was going to be harder than either of us anticipated.