Chapter 44: Olivia

Olivia jumped as a child’s scream shattered the morning calmness—and her sleep. She squinted her eyes, peering out of her barely cracked lids as the morning sun beamed its cheery disposition at her. For a moment, she was lost as to where she was and how she wound up there. Then the child’s scream turned into a cannonball splash as water erupted into the air, his rotund body breaking the calm surface. She remembered where she was but wasn’t sure why she was still there. Stretching her eyes into wide circles in hopes of getting the sleep cleared away, she tried to take in her surroundings. She must have fallen asleep by the pool, but why hadn’t hotel security woke her up when the pool closed and sent her on her way?

“Good morning,” Patrick said from beside her. “I brought you some coffee.”