The weight of everything that had happened with Ryan had been crushing me for days, but now, sitting with Olivia in the quiet of the bookstore, I knew I had to tell her. She deserved the truth, just like I needed to face it myself. I wasn't sure why I hadn't told her sooner, but every time I thought about Ryan, I felt the raw, messy emotions of betrayal I'd been holding back for years.

"Olivia," I started, my voice quieter than usual, drawing her attention from the book she was flipping through. She looked up, her eyes soft, expectant, as if she knew I had something important to say.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, placing the book down beside her and sitting forward, her hands folded in her lap. She always had this way of making me feel like I could say anything to her, even things that scared me.

I took a deep breath, trying to gather the right words. "I spoke to Ryan," I said, each word heavy, but necessary. "I found out why he walked away from our friendship. And why he's been such a damn ghost in my life."

Olivia's face softened in sympathy, but I could see the curiosity in her eyes as she waited for me to explain. "What did he say?"

I ran a hand through my hair, the old anger flaring up again. "It wasn't as simple as I thought. I mean, yeah, I've always blamed him for leaving me hanging. But... I found out his family was in deep shit financially. His dad had gotten sick, and they were barely making ends meet. Ryan didn't have a choice. He had to prioritize his family over me. And that's why he cut me out. He couldn't deal with the guilt of not being there for me the way he thought I needed."

I paused, feeling the weight of it all in my chest. I hadn't known any of that. All this time, I'd just assumed he'd been selfish. But the truth was so much more complicated.

"So, what does that mean for you and him?" Olivia asked gently, her voice like a balm on my raw nerves. "Does that change things?"

I shook my head, the frustration still there, though muted. "It should, right? It's not his fault, not entirely. But it doesn't change the fact that he abandoned me without a word. He let me think I was the problem. And I'm still pissed about that. It's hard not to be."

Olivia's gaze softened, her hand reaching out to cover mine on the counter. "It sounds like you're carrying a lot, Max."

"I am." I admitted, my voice thick. "But it's not just about Ryan anymore. It's about everything that's happened since. About the people I let into my life, and the people I pushed away. I've never really known how to deal with that—letting people close, letting them hurt me. And then, there's you."

Her hand tightened around mine, her thumb gently rubbing the back of my knuckles, and I felt something shift. The pain was still there, but the warmth of her presence, of her touch, was slowly healing it.

"Max," Olivia whispered, her eyes searching mine, her gaze soft yet intense, "I don't want you to carry all this alone. You don't have to."

I looked at her, and for the first time, I realized that maybe—just maybe—I didn't have to. Olivia had been my rock for so long, even if I'd been too stubborn to fully accept it. She was here, she was steady, and she cared in ways I didn't think I deserved.

I exhaled a shaky breath and looked down at our intertwined hands. "I didn't know how to let myself care, Liv. Not about anyone—least of all you." I looked up at her, my voice barely above a whisper, "But now I do. I care about you. More than I've ever cared about anything."

Her eyes widened for a split second, and I could feel the air between us shift. She opened her mouth to say something, but I gently placed a finger over her lips, stopping her words. I wasn't done. Not yet.

"I didn't expect this, Olivia," I continued, my heart pounding in my chest. "I didn't expect you to make me want to be a better person. To make me believe that I could feel things without destroying them. That maybe... maybe I don't have to keep running from everything I'm afraid of."

Her eyes glistened, and I could feel the way her pulse quickened in our touch. I wasn't sure if she was surprised or overwhelmed, but all I knew was that I had to tell her now, while I had the courage. "I love you," I said softly, my voice thick with emotion. "I love you, Olivia. And I don't know how we got here or why it happened, but I can't keep pretending it doesn't matter. You matter. More than anyone ever has."

There was a beat of silence. Just a moment where everything felt suspended in time. My heart was racing, and the fear of rejection bubbled in my chest, but I held my ground. I had to be honest with her, even if it scared the hell out of me.

She blinked, her breath catching, and then, slowly, she smiled. That beautiful, soft smile that always made my chest tighten. "I love you too, Max," she whispered, the words like music to my ears. "I've loved you for a while now, even when I didn't want to admit it."

I leaned in, my hand cupping her cheek, and in that moment, the world outside of this tiny bookstore disappeared. All the worries, all the doubts—everything faded into nothing. It was just us.

I kissed her, slow and deep, as if the kiss itself was a promise. A promise that no matter what came next, we'd face it together. That we didn't have to be perfect, that we didn't have to fix everything right away. All we needed was each other, and in that moment, it felt like everything had fallen into place.

Her hands slid up to my neck, pulling me closer, and I deepened the kiss, pouring everything I felt into it—the love, the relief, the happiness that had been building between us since the first day we met. It was all here, in this kiss.

When we finally pulled away, our foreheads resting together, I could feel the smile tugging at my lips. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks flushed, and I knew then that everything had changed. I wasn't the same person I had been before. I wasn't the guy who pushed people away, who kept everyone at arm's length. With Olivia, I was learning to open up, to trust, and to love in a way I had never thought possible.

"I don't ever want to let you go, Liv," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.

She opened her eyes, locking with mine, and there was no hesitation in her gaze. "You won't have to, Max," she replied, her voice soft, but filled with certainty. "I'm not going anywhere."

And in that moment, I realized that no matter what happened with Ryan, no matter the future, I had everything I needed right here. I had Olivia, and that was enough. More than enough.

"I love you," I repeated, as if saying it over and over would make it real, would make it last forever.

"I love you too," she whispered, her hands resting on my chest, her heart beating in time with mine.

And that was all that mattered.