You Looked Down on Me Once, Now You Look Up. novel Chapter 274

Patricia couldn’t help thinking, Was he really offering her support? No, what he really wanted was for her to just do as he said. To everyone else, that kind of obedience probably looked like control. But to her, it never felt quite like that. He was—well, he was like a dad, a real one, always hovering, always in charge.

With a sigh, she pressed her face into his neck. “You know, it’s always just been me. Besides Jackson and Marian, I haven’t had anyone else to count on. My uncle and grandma tried to help, but I was too stubborn for that. I pushed them away and fought through everything on my own. I’ve gotten used to it.”

“I know you mean well, but…” She tried her best to sound firm. “Just give me some time, okay?”

“You know, if a vegetarian suddenly starts eating meat, it’s bound to mess them up.” She couldn’t just flip a switch and start relying on someone else overnight. That would mess her up too.

Oliver tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re just saying all this so I’ll back off, aren’t you, Pattie?” His voice was gentle, but his eyes were sharp. “You’re smart. You always know what to say to get what you want. Right now, you just want me to stay out of your business.”

Her palm was sweaty where she held his hand. No wonder Sara was always saying, “Forget it, you can’t win against Uncle Oliver. Might as well not try.” Sometimes, throwing in the towel really was the smartest choice. Right now, Patricia wanted nothing more than that.

They were locked in a silent standoff, the tension thick enough to make her head spin. Oliver just watched her, calm and steady, waiting her out like he always did. He wasn’t giving her any space to escape.

She was cornered.

“I told you when we decided to get married—this is my problem, and you promised not to get involved. So why did you change your mind as soon as we got to Riverdale?”

“What went wrong?” she asked, finally letting her frustration show. “It’s not like I’m here to get back together with him. I just want to make sure he’s really gone, for good.”

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