You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 433

Patricia shoved the box into Oliver’s hands, not even waiting for him to pay before she darted out to the car.

When Oliver sauntered over with a huge bag of snacks, she was already in the passenger seat, arms crossed and refusing to say a word.

“Hey, don’t be mad. I grabbed you some chocolate,” he said with a crooked grin, pressing it into her palm.

Patricia pushed it away without looking at him. “I don’t want it.”

“Aww, are you embarrassed?” Mr. Padilla teased from the front seat. “Come on, everyone uses this stuff. Birth control isn’t exactly scandalous.”

Patricia shot him a glare and slapped a hand over his mouth. “Can you please shut up? You’re so annoying.”

He just laughed, his dark eyes crinkling with amusement, then pulled her onto his lap, arm wrapped around her waist. He took her hand, gently rubbing her palm with his thumb.

When she let out a soft whine, he flicked on the overhead light and opened her hand to look at it.

Her fingers were covered with little cuts, fresh from another round of gardening and trimming flowers.

He’d mentioned it a few times already, and she always promised to be more careful, but nothing ever changed.

“Did you hurt yourself again?” he asked quietly.

Patricia pulled her hand back, nuzzling into his neck. “It’ll heal in a couple days. Stop worrying.”

Oliver just let out a long sigh, not arguing, just holding her hand and rubbing gentle circles into her skin.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Did you see Patricia? Who was that guy with her?” someone asked, way too interested.

Joseph rolled his eyes. “If you’re that curious, why didn’t you just ask her?”

Nina felt her anger start to boil. This was her own brother talking—her own flesh and blood—saying things about her that even a stranger would think twice before blurting out.

Joseph couldn’t wait to let the whole world know she was “damaged goods.” That’s just how he was—always playing the hero, always making sure everyone saw how righteous and perfect he was, using her as some sort of twisted badge of honor.

He’d built his whole image on dragging her down, tying her up with family guilt so that she could never break free, just another trophy for his collection.

What a nightmare of a family.

All it takes is one manipulative man who’s good at pretending to ruin a woman’s life. Her brother was living proof.

“Is that so? The worst thing I did was sleep with a guy. What about you?” Nina’s voice went cold as she glanced down at his lap.

Joseph flinched like she’d slapped him. He lost it, slamming Nina’s head against the window, not caring that she was driving.

Her grip on the steering wheel slipped.