You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 561

Oliver leaned back in his chair, closed his laptop with a click, and said, “Meeting’s over.”

Patricia set a cold drink down next to him. She barely let go of the tray before turning to leave, but Oliver caught her by the waist, pulling her right into his lap and holding her there so she couldn’t get away.

“Still mad at me?” he asked, voice low.

“Am I not allowed to be?” Patricia shot back.

“Of course you are!” Oliver pressed his fingers to his forehead, already regretting how this had started. He’d just wanted a little comfort, but somehow he’d managed to dig himself into an even deeper hole.

“I was wrong. I’m sorry, okay? Be nice, please?” he pleaded, trying to sound sweet.

Patricia glanced over at him, clearly not buying it. She looked annoyed, eyes sharp as she said, “If Mr. Padilla is apologizing, shouldn’t you at least tell me what you did wrong?”

“I shouldn’t have picked a fight with you for no reason.” Oliver’s tone softened.

He knew what this was really about. To Patricia, Brandon was just a pawn—no feelings involved. But Brandon’s feelings for Patricia weren’t nearly so simple.

A man’s gaze can be hard to hide—holding back, fighting it, but still obvious. Oliver knew that look all too well.

Ever since Patricia came back from the police station, she’d been in a bad mood. He couldn’t help but overthink. Jealousy was always simmering just beneath the surface.

“You really hate Brandon, don’t you?”

“I hate any man who gets close to you,” Oliver said simply.

Patricia caught the dodge in his answer. She tried to wiggle out of his arms, then finally said, “There’s nothing between me and Brandon.”

“I know.”

“So why are you so anxious?”

Oliver let out a long breath. Love is its own kind of poison—you don’t get it until you’re in it.

Oliver heard her answer. He didn’t argue. Instead, he just let out a low laugh.

“Trust me, Pattie.”

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

Lately, Ruby was juggling two major productions at once. She was constantly shuttling between sets, keeping an eye on everything, and sometimes had to sit down for a drink with the directors after hours.

That night, after they’d wrapped up a late shoot, someone from the crew suggested they all go out to eat together.

Ruby made the reservation herself.

Halfway through dinner, she excused herself to go to the bathroom. When she came back, she paused just outside the private dining room, drying her hands with a napkin. She was about to push the door open when she heard voices from inside.

“Do you guys really think all of this could be Mrs. Martin’s mom’s doing?”