You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 351

“Mr. Lantz, it’s just some everyday stuff—nothing valuable.”

Brandon didn’t say a word.

Patricia didn’t wait for a response. “Thanks for taking care of it, Mr. Lantz.” She hung up right after.

Once you give something away, you don’t ask for it back. Otherwise, what was the point of coming all this way today?

“Mr. Lantz?” Oliver raised an eyebrow as she ended the call, curiosity all over his face.

Patricia nodded. “He’s the officer on the Newton family case.”

“You met him today?”

“I just popped in for a minute. With the holidays coming up, I’ll be out of town for a few days. I’m worried something might come up and I won’t be able to handle it in time.”

The second she mentioned being away, Oliver’s face visibly fell.

Holiday season, and she wanted to spend it apart?

“Aunt Patricia, you’re not coming with us to Golden Bay?” Sara poked her head out from the tea room, her big eyes blinking at Patricia.

And just like that, Sara got it. She finally understood why the three of them had been so tense lately.

“Aunt Patricia, Uncle Oliver’s been super grumpy these days. It’s because you’re not going to Golden Bay with him.”

Patricia shot Oliver a surprised look.

His jaw was tight, and he stayed silent.

Clearly, Sara had hit the mark.

Patricia couldn’t help but wonder—did he not have a mouth? Couldn’t he just say so himself?

She tilted her head at Oliver. “Is that really it?”

Sara jumped in before Oliver could get a word out. “Of course! Last time Uncle Oliver went home, he promised everyone he’d bring you back to Golden Bay. If you don’t go home with him for the holidays, Grandma’s definitely going to give him trouble.”

Sara rambled on, but kept sneaking glances at Oliver.

He didn’t say a word to stop her, so she kept going. “Aunt Patricia, Uncle Oliver’s so pitiful. He’s not getting any younger, and now he’s finally married. The whole family can’t wait to meet you! Please, have some mercy—just help him out. Even if you only come for New Year’s dinner and leave the next day, that’s enough!”

Sara replied with an OK emoji.

She was just gearing up to work on Patricia when she came back down.

But Patricia’s voice called from upstairs, asking Oliver to come up.

In the kitchen, Patricia leaned against the island with a glass of water in hand.

She looked at Oliver, her tone steady. “When I go home with you, I want to do it when I’m ready. Let me finish up things in Riverdale first.”

Oliver’s face darkened again. “How long is that going to take?”

“After New Year’s next year. Is that okay?”

She just didn’t want to be running around cleaning up her ex’s mess while also bending over backwards to win over her new in-laws.

It was exhausting.

Oliver’s face was stone cold, his voice low and tense. “Forget Toronto for a second. Since you came back to Riverdale, we’ve been married for two years. Do you really think it’s okay that you still haven’t come home with me?”