Olivia's POV
I kept turning and tossing in bed, thinking about what happened between Neal and Diane. I had never seen Neal this affected by a woman before.
However, I was certain that he wouldn't let Diane off easily for causing him pain. The fear of what he might do to her made my heart sink.
Considering that he's not one to commit to any woman and that he was willing to take that chance with her only to be betrayed... I didn't even want to imagine what he would do. He never lets bygones be bygones.
Given how he is, I've been trying hard not to read too much into the things he says to me or how affectionate he acts around me.
As a woman, I can tell he has feelings for me, but I wouldn't dare confront him. What if he denies it? It might affect our relationship, and I wouldn't want that.
"What if you weren't my sister?" he would always ask.
I shook my head vigorously, trying to eliminate the thought. But then, I wondered if it would make any difference if he was right... because I was still a child when our mother died.
Sadness overshadowed my thoughts because I would have had a mother to confide in. Tears began to form in my eyes, and I reached out to grab a pillow, placing it over my face before screaming my lungs out.
Maybe once we're at the aquarium, I'll take the chance to ask him what he meant by saying I wasn't his sister. I kept repeating the question to myself and didn't realize when I finally dozed off.
Neal had important business to take care of at his company, according to him, so I was left having lunch with only Sofia.
Later, when I got to the aquarium, the excitement was overwhelming. I didn't wait for Neal because he had already asked me to go ahead without him, saying he would join me later. I thought about waiting for him but, out of excitement, decided against it.
Being here will put him in a good mood, and then I'll take advantage of it and throw the question at him. Just thinking about it made me feel some type of way, but I ignored the feeling.
I waited in line until I heard the announcement that the aquarium was officially open for visitors. I rushed in without minding the onlookers.
I stood still, trying to behold the beauty in front of me. The thrill was killing me, and I was gasping with excitement—it was a colorful sight to behold.
Each section of the aquarium was filled with a different type of sea creature. I couldn't contain my excitement.
The aquarium was larger than any I had seen before and elaborately decorated, with a large selection of expensive and exotic tropical species in aquascapes illuminated by aqua-colored lighting.
I was startled by a hand placed on my shoulder, and I jolted at the touch, thinking it was Neal. But when I turned to look at the figure, to my surprise, it was the stranger I met the other day.
"Goodness... is it you?" I gasped.
"Don't tell me I scared you. My apologies," he said.
"Yeah, a little. I didn't think I'd be seeing you again," I said, smiling at him.
"Are you dissatisfied then?" he asked.
"Not at all. It's good to see you again," I said, which made him smile.
"So, are you here by yourself?" he asked.
"At the moment, yes, but I'm still waiting for my brother to show up," I told him.
"Oh, okay... cool. Since he's not here yet, do you mind looking around with me?" he asked.
I was too excited, especially seeing him again.
"Yes, please... I'm totally okay with it," I added.
I could clearly see the cheerful look on his face.
"By the way, I'm Sean. I wasn't sure if you caught my name that day," he said, introducing himself.
"I'm Olivia," I said, extending my hand to shake his.
He smiled at me before shaking my hand. Goodness, how did I not notice his killer smile before? I was captivated.
"I remembered your name, Olivia," he said.
Heavens, my name had never sounded so right in my entire life. The way it rolled off his tongue gave me shivers.
I didn't realize I was staring at him too much.
"Are you okay? You seem lost," he said, bringing me back to reality.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to space out," I apologized.
He smiled again, and now I was beginning to think he was doing it on purpose. If only he knew what being close to him was doing to me.
"Shall we?" he said, offering his hand, which I took. As we started walking around, instead of looking at the aquarium, I was busy stealing glances at him. His etiquette was evident.
He would point out a fish and explain it the way a tour guide would.
"This is a tiger barb, and these are fancy guppies. Look at this goldfish… and these are mollies," he kept going on and on. I never knew a man could be so cute and adorable at the same time just by looking at him.
I had never seen a man of his caliber so overly excited about seeing fish. Judging from the way he carried himself, he gave off an air of wealth. I was so engrossed in his company that I had forgotten about Neal.
"Look at this," he said, dragging me towards a different section.
"This particular fish is a Betta. They're often kept by themselves in a small aquarium because male bettas are fiercely territorial, and it's nearly impossible to keep males together in the same tank," he explained.
"And why is that?" I asked him.
"Well, that's because they don't even get along with females most of the time," he explained.
"That's so disappointing. No wonder it's alone and they're all separated," I said.
"C'mon now, don't be like that... it's mostly because their natural instincts make them best kept by themselves," he added.
I sighed. "Well, I don't want to be alone," I mumbled, knowing I could be left alone if Neal got upset about the question I was going to ask him.
He took my hand in his before brushing away a strand of hair from my face. His gentle touch gave me shivers, and my heart was racing.
As our eyes locked, I felt my face burn with embarrassment.
He held my jaw in his palm, and we were just inches apart. I was burning up with desire inside, and I swallowed hard.
My phone vibrated, snapping us back to reality.
"Excuse me," I said to him, and he nodded.
I checked my phone and saw it was a text from Neal informing me that he wouldn't be able to make it but that he would make it up to me later.
A part of me was happy because I was really having a good time with Sean, while another part of me wanted to strangle Neal for not coming.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, just that my brother ditched me," I said to him.
"Oh, it's a good thing at least I get to spend more time with you... that is if you don't mind?"
"I'm totally fine with the idea," I said, flashing a smile at him.
He reciprocated, and we looked around some more before I spotted some dolphins. They were in an open section of the aquarium.
I rushed over to see them, forgetting I was in a public place because of the way I ran towards them.
"Be careful not to hurt yourself," he called out before coming over to meet me.
His protective tone made me giggle—he sounded like Neal. The thought alone made my cheeks blush.
I didn't think it would be so much fun being around someone, and it kind of felt safe.
"A penny for your thoughts?" he asked.
I only smiled, not trusting my voice because it might betray me.
"Are you hungry?" I asked him, trying to change the topic.
"Definitely. How did you know?"
"A lucky guess, I believe," I said to him.
"C'mon, there's a restaurant around the corner. If you don't mind, we could go there," he said.
"Okay," I said, nodding my head.
We left the aquarium and made our way to the restaurant. The place was filled up, so I guessed the food there must be nice.
There were no free tables, so he ordered takeout.
We got our food and made our way to his car. We both ate in his car, and the food was really tasty—maybe because of the person I shared it with.
After we finished eating, I thanked him for the meal, and he offered to give me a ride.
I had to decline because I had already called for my driver.
"Thanks for the meal again, and also for showing me around the aquarium," I said to him once more.
"You're welcome," he said with a dazzling smile on his face.
I got into the car as soon as the driver arrived and bid him farewell before we drove off.
I watched him through the side mirror until his image faded, and I wished the day didn't have to come to an end.
When I got home, I realized we never exchanged contact information, which made my heart ache a little. I just lay in bed, reminiscing about what could have been.
Even though I never imagined seeing him again, although I had hoped, but not so soon, I was really satisfied. Maybe I'll see him again.