Chapter 7
Olivia had to get away from all that had happened. It was all too much. Fitz had been about to lose the election and it was all her fault. She hadn't been paying attention. She wasn't doing her job. Being back with Fitz had clouded her mind. She loved him so much she had missed something. Because of her Jerry was dead. Her mother had murdered him. Fitz had said it wasn't her fault; he didn't blame her for her momma's black soul. But in her heart of hearts she knew he had to.
Mellie, the bane of her existence, was on her mind too. She had confided to Olivia bout her rape by Fitz' father Big Jerry. She had promptly told Fitz. He needed to know. She left out the part that Jerry might be his brother instead of his son. Mellie asked her not to tell Fitz, but they had promised no more lies between. This was too big she had to tell him. She told him about the rape and he had promptly gone to Mellie, as she knew he would.
Even though she had done the right thing she harbored an unreasonable feeling about it. She didn't want Fitz to comfort Mellie or see her through it. This unusual development would put yet another wedge between them. Mellie would use the guilt Fitz felt to manipulate him for the next decade! Would she never be free of that woman? Somehow she felt she never would be.
So she was running. She was going to give Fitz this time to what, heal his wife, heal himself? She wasn't sure what the hell she was doing. But she knew she didn't want to see hate in Fitz' eyes where love used to be. She couldn't bear it. It would literally kill her!
After over a week under the care of a psychiatrist Fitz had gone back to the Oval Office. Both doctor Kendricks had advised against it. But Fitz had known he had to go back or he would truly lose his mind again. Tom had said they had everyone at their disposal looking for Olivia, but so far they had turned up empty-handed. Where in the hell was she? If someone had harmed a hair on her head they would pay. She had to be somewhere being held against her will. She had said she had to leave. But he didn't buy it. She would never leave him and Jerry had just been murdered. She wouldn't. She didn't often admit it, but he knew she loved him too. He ran his hand through his hair frustrated as hell. He was the most powerful man on the planet and he couldn't find his woman? What the hell was going on?
Beyond all the shit that was going on he had to get back on track. Sally and her chief of staff were due any minute, where was Cyrus? He had to get back to being the President. He could get through this somehow. But it wasn't going to be easy. His head was filled with all types of scenarios, none of them pleasant. "Breathe Fitzgerald, you are going to find her," he muttered to himself. He shook his head and began again reading the prep Sally had send ahead of their meeting.
Meanwhile Olivia Pope had reached her destination and she had settled in. It was an island paradise just as her father had said. She had everything at her disposal; a maid, cook, housekeeper, and grounds person. She didn't have to lift a finger. Clothing in her size, the foods she liked to eat and that entire white sunny beach were at her disposal. She was in paradise. Then why were her eyes rimmed red from crying herself to sleep every night? Why did she feel like her entire world was over? Why was she on a deserted island instead of with the man she loved? He needed her. Jerry was dead. She should never have left him, but she had. And she put the barrier up in her head so he couldn't contact her anymore. She couldn't take the pleas he was making. It had decimated her listening to him begging her to come back. So here she was miserable on an island with a man that mostly made her skin crawl.
Jake. What was she thinking to allow him to come with her? He was a distraction from her problems but she didn't need him along right now. He was needy and he wanted her. The problem was she didn't want him in any form or fashion. She had told him so and yet he came anyway. She wondered how much her father had to do with him being here. She had called her father and said she needed that plane out of DC he was always offering her. She had to get away from the upheaval she brought to Fitzgerald Grant's life. The love that they had for each other was destroying too many lives. So she had run. It was cowardly but she had run. And then there had been Jake showing up out of the blue, asking to run with her. And she had let him.
Jake wasn't a happy camper. It had been over a week. They slept in the same bungalow, she in the master suite and he was in the guest room. They ate their meals together. They swam together. They walked the beach together. But she had told him upfront she wasn't sleeping with him. It wasn't what he wanted or was expecting. He wanted back in. She left the President hadn't she? This was his chance. Sure they had started out all wrong but he wanted to right all of that. He just had to convince her he was sincere. Fitzgerald Grant was a married man. But he Jake Ballard was free, free to love her!