You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 730

Patricia hung up and flopped onto her bed, replaying the promise she’d made to herself at the start of the year. Six months, she’d said. Just six months. Now, both Tina and Emerson were taken care of. Only Ruby was left… and that was complicated.

Ever since the mess with Kent, Patricia found herself zoning out more than usual. She kept wondering if she’d gone too far, if she’d pushed things past the point of forgiveness. That nagging feeling was the only reason she hadn’t gone after Ruby with everything she had.

But now Atticus had confirmed he’d be moving back to Riverdale by the end of the year. Ruby was still out there, a ticking bomb. Maybe it was finally time to do something about her.

A sudden touch on her back made Patricia jolt. She spun around, her face going pale. Her elbow smacked into the wooden headboard with a loud thud.

“It’s me, it’s just me, don’t be scared. Did I freak you out?” Oliver’s arms wrapped around her, his voice low and gentle, trying to calm her. “It’s okay. Really, it’s just me.”

Patricia was still half lost in her thoughts, so she hadn’t expected anyone. Her heart was pounding, the scare had been real. She took a breath and reached for Oliver’s shirt, gripping it tightly.

“I thought you said you’d be back at eleven?”

“It is eleven,” he said with a small smile.

“I called you a few times but you didn’t answer. What were you thinking about?”

His hands were cool against her skin, probably from washing up downstairs. The chill on her back made her shiver.

“Just family stuff. I just finished a video call with my grandma and the others.”

“How did things go today?”

Oliver nodded, reassuring. “It’s nothing too hard. Depends on how you talk to Ann, that’s all.”

“Alright,” Patricia replied, feeling a little more at ease. She gave him a sideways glance. “Aren’t you going to shower?”

“Yeah, it’s their thing whenever the three of them are together.”

“But you can’t play with just three people.”

“There are tons of folks in the compound, and the guards join in too. They always find enough for a full game.”

When they got to the court, Patricia saw Oliver had taken off his shirt and was dribbling, sun shining on his pale skin.

“Have you ever seen Oliver play before?” Katie nudged her.

Patricia shook her head. “No, never.”

She’d always pictured Oliver as serious, always in control, maybe even a little intimidating. Seeing him out there, laughing and moving like a kid, she realized there was a whole other side to him. One she’d never known existed.