Hi Guys! I know, it has been 84 years since my last update. Well I don't have an excuse so I'm not going to give you one, you're all smart enough to know shit happens and one of those thing was me not updating... But I am truly sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. I also appreciate the reviews, they make me really happy. All of them.
So here we are, chapter 11. I hope yo enjoy! Xoxo
Scandal is NOT mine.
"Baby." She called from the doorway. She had been up for hours, her mind racing and her happiness keeping her from closing her eyes. She stared at his muscular body which was sprawled out on the bed with only a sheet covering him. Why is he so gorgeous? She thought to herself as she continued to stare at him. She needed to leave, she had to meet with Frankie for lunch and she had to tell her sister the news. She had to tell her that she and Fitz were engaged and that was going to be something. It was something. A smile crept to her lips. She was happy. Utterly and completely happy for the first time in a long time and she had him to thank.
Fitz was exhausted. They had stayed up for all night making love and talking about the future. He knew she was awake, he could hear her voice but he was too exhausted to respond. He wanted to nod or grunt his awareness of her but he physically couldn't. Then there was a slight dip in the bed, her body hovering above his before he could feel her legs on either side of him. Her hands found their way to his chest, playing with the hair that grows there and he could feel himself melt deeper into the bed. She then rested her body on his, chest to chest, her small frame covering his. Her scent was intoxicating, he couldn't help but breathe her in. Having he near, the feel of her skin, their hearts beating always in sync brought him the energy he lacked. His arms found their way around her waist and she relaxed farther into the love that is so distinctly Fitz.
"Hi." He mumbled into her hair, finally able to speak.
"Hi." She whispered. "I wanted to wake you before I left. I'm going to meet Frankie for lunch so I can talk to her about Harrison and tell her about us." She maneuvered her hands so they were gripping onto his shoulders as if she were holding on for dear life. Fitz chuckled at her.
"I take it you don't want to go?" He said as he smiled into her hair.
"No. I want to go, but I don't want to leave you. I want to stay wrapped up in your arms all day." She sighed heavily and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Fitz lovingly rubbed circles up and down her spine.
"We have the rest of our lives to spend in each other's arms." He said softly. She could only hum in agreement. They stayed like that a few moments longer, moments that could have lasted forever, and then she was kissing him. It was soft, gentle and full of love. She moved to deepen the kiss but Fitz pulled back. She looked at him questioningly and he laughed.
"You are not going to use me as an excuse to bail on your sister. No hanky panky till you get done being a good big sister and best friend." Olivia rolled her eyes and off of him in a huff.
"Fine." She moved to get up but his arm wrapped around her waist again, pulling her down onto the bed. She began to protest but his lips were on hers in an instant. He kissed her passionately, tongues dueling and soft moans escaping as hands roamed and caressed. She pulled away breathless and completely ablaze. She looked into his eyes and the mischief there made her want to wipe that cocky smile off of his face.
"You're an ass, you know that." She said in faux anger. Fitz shrugged his shoulders and helped her up.
"I just want you to know what's waiting for you when you get home. You know, just in case Frankie tries to talk you out of our engagement or some random young supermodel man comes out of the blue to ask you out on a date. You'll know that you have me, waiting, yearning for you at home." He said with a cheeky smile. He knew she didn't want anyone else, they were soul mates and as much as their age difference was something they constantly joked about it was never a factor in their love.
"Baby you know you're the only one for me. Even if there is some hot young supermodel man out there waiting to ask me out he'll never have my heart. Since the first time we met my heart has belonged to you and I intend for you to keep it."
Lunch time at their favorite restaurant was slow on this Monday. They sat at their usual table in the back near the bar and ordered their favorite bottle of wine. It was tradition that for girl talk there was always wine involved and today was no different. They ordered their food quickly, already knowing the menu. Frankie, once done ordering quickly grabbed her glass of wine and downed it knowing where the conversation was headed.
"Frankie?" Liv questioned as she watched her sister pour another glass.
"Hmmm?"
"Sweety what's wrong?" Liv grabbed her sister's hand, trying to prevent her from pouring the whole bottle in the glass. Frankie sighed heavily and placed a hand over her eyes. A small sob escaped her mouth as the tears began to fall. Liv knew that the only thing she could do was wait until she was ready to speak. She continued to rub her hand lightly, providing as much comfort as possible in this less than private place. After a few moments Frankie began to compose herself, slowing her breath and wiping away tears and slightly smudged mascara. Liv offered up a small smile and Frankie rolled her eyes in response.
"I know you know, Liv. You talked to Harrison, didn't you?" Frankie asked as she reached for her wine glass.
"I do know. But that's not the issue. The issue is why haven't you talked to your boyfriend about this situation, why haven't you told him how you're feeling?" Liv asked gently. Frankie shrugged her shoulders, she looked so much like a child in that moment.
"I don't know, Liv. I don't know how I feel! I love Harrison, I truly do. But marriage? Livia we've been dating for like a week!" Liv chuckled at her younger sister.
"You've been dating for three weeks and you've known him for upwards of ten years. It's not like he's a stranger. You both know so much about each other and yet you still wanted to give it a try and you fell in love. Harrison would give you the world if you asked him to."
"I know that. I just never thought about marriage. Ever since the whole thing with Marcello, I- You two were so in love and look how that turned out. What if that happens to us? You know Harrison's past and-"
"And so do you! You know he has changed and for the better at that. You also know that the only reason he was a cereal cheater was because he only wanted you. He didn't love any of those women, but he loves you. He wouldn't have asked me for help and I wouldn't have helped if I knew he wasn't serious." Frankie sighed heavily and another few tears escaped. She knew her sister was right and she couldn't deny her love for Harrison but she wasn't ready for marriage. They weren't ready. But she didn't want to break up with him, she wanted to be with him for as long as possible.
"Livia what do I do? I want to be with him, I love him with all I have but I'm not ready for that. I'm not ready for engagements and marriage and babies. How do I tell him that?" She looked to her sister, hoping she had the perfect answer.
"Frankie, you tell him the truth. Harrison has known you long enough and if he can't accept that you love him and want to be with him but you want to wait to take that step then he is not the man I thought he was. But if I know Harrison, and I do, he'll be upset but he won't stop loving you. He just wants you and he'll deal but you cannot string him along, Frankie. If you wind up not wanting this, not wanting him you need to be up front with him. We've been through too much together for shit to hit the fan now."
"But wh-"
"I'm going to tell him the same thing too. Don't worry about that." Liv smiled. Frankie returned it, not feeling 100% about everything but definitely feeling better. The waiter came with their food and they sat in semi silence as they ate their food and sipped on their wine. After they finished eating and their plates were taken away Frankie was prepared to pay but was confused when Liv ordered another bottle of wine. Frankie looked at her sister in confusion.
"Liv, what's up?" Frankie asked as she leaned her elbows on the table. Olivia fidgeted with the napkin in her hand and tried her hardest to seem calm about what she was going to say. The waiter promptly returned to the table with the wine and poured them both a glass full. Liv took a big swig of her wine and took a deep breath.
"Livia, you're acting weird. Everything okay with you and Fitz?" Liv smiled to herself thinking about last night and the events that occurred this morning, what was waiting for her when she got home.
"Everything with Fitz is great. Amazing even."
"Then what's up?
"Well after the gala last night Fitz and I were discussing some things. We stayed up all night going over the pros and cons of this decision but we knew the pros outweighed the cons, that the cons weren't anything that we can't handle if they come up." Frankie listened intently as she tried to gage where her sister was taking the conversation. Liv took another long sip of her of her wine before continuing.
"Frankie I- well, Fitz and I decided that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. We're engaged." Liv was hoping for a reaction from her sister, something other than her sitting back in her chair and then downing her third glass of wine. This wasn't what she was used to. Frankie was a reactor. She always had something to say and she wasn't saying anything.
"Frankie?" Nothing.
"Frankie, please…"
"You're engaged?" Olivia nodded her head in confirmation. "You're engaged and you've known Fitz for what? Two months? And now you're engaged. After everything with Marcello and how awful he treated you when you were engaged you want to attempt it again." Her tone was flat, something she'd never heard from her sister.
"I don't want to attempt, Frankie. I want this. We want this. Fr-"
"And you believe that he won't leave you? That he won't hurt you?" Frankie interrupted. Liv looked at her incredulously before responding.
"I do, Frankie. I believe it with all my heart." Olivia's blood pressure was rising. She knew that Frankie would be a little difficult about this but she was being insensitive. Questioning their love? Bringing up her horrible engagement to Marcello? Why? She downed the rest of her wine and poured another glass. Frankie watched her and Liv eyed Frankie. Minutes rolled by and neither said anything. Then a small smile played on Frankie's lips. It was barely noticeable to anyone who didn't know her but it was her giveaway, she was giving her a hard time.
"Frankie!" Liv nearly yelled and Frankie laughed fully.
"God you're so easy! C'mon Liv! You know I love Fitz like a brother, of course I'm happy for you." Frankie said as she took her sisters hand. Liv let out a shaky breath and let the tears that she'd been holding in fall slowly.
"I'm going to kill you." Liv said playfully as she wiped away the residual tears. Frankie shot her a thousand watt smile and Liv giggled. She let out a sigh of relief and took another sip of her wine. Lucky for the both of them the restaurant was in walking distance from Liv's loft so they could walk home. Fitz would have to just wait or come and get her because there was no way she'd be able to drive after the way they'd been drinking.
"Are you happy?" Frankie asked. It was a simple question but it was loaded. She'd been happy with Marcello, or so she thought. But this, her relationship and love with Fitz, was happiness.
"I am so happy Frankie. I haven't been this happy in an extremely long time and I have him to thank for that. He is my everything." Frankie smiled and nodded her head.
"Then finish up that glass so we can get out of here and you can tell me all about the amazing sex you had last night." Liv laughed whole heartedly at her sister, they were a pair and they'd been through everything together. This was no different. The dynamic duo would ride until the end, no matter what.
Fitz knew that Liv and Frankie would take a while, he knew their usual girl talks and with the things they were discussing today it would be no real surprise if he didn't see her until later that evening. So in true fashion he spent most of the afternoon writing. The book was more or less finished minus one chapter. It was a chapter that he'd been working on furiously, editing and re-editing it to make sure it was just right. He needed it to be perfect because it wasn't just any chapter, it was his profession of love, undying and all-consuming love.
"I had been half way around the world in search of something, anything that could bring me back to life. I'd been in darkness for so long, so bitter about life, about how my life had turned out. Single widowed man with a couple hundred million thanks to daddy and nothing to live for. Sure, my career was still on the up but my stories, my fiction was of no substance. Nothing seemed to feel real. Nothing seemed to make me want to change my life. I'd traveled half way around the world, I became less bitter meeting beautiful spirits and learning of different cultures, learning that not everything was about me, learning that it was okay to be in darkness but learning to accept the light that would eventually come. Because without light there can be no darkness.
In Spain, I found my light."
Fitz was brought out of his work mode when his cell phone chimed. Cyrus.
"What is it, Cy? I'm almost done with the book so you can tell-"
"Yeah yeah I know you've found inspiration and now you can't help but write chapters upon chapters of words. I got it. I was just calling to tell you that this is good kid. It's long as hell but nothing really needs to be chopped out, surprisingly. Maybe this girl is better for you than I thought." Cy said in a flat tone, trying his hardest to not show any real emotion. Fitz shook his head at his mentor.
"You have no idea. Speaking of Olivia, I have some news for you…"
"Oh dear lord don't tell me you knocked her up because Fitz your father-"
"I don't give a flying fuck what Big Jerry thinks or has to say about anything in regards to my life. And no, Olivia is not pregnant. Although I wouldn't mind in the least if she was." Cy sighed heavily.
"We're engaged Cy. I asked her to marry me last night and she accepted." Fitz said proudly. He wasn't ashamed of his love for Olivia and he could care less what anyone else thought either. His father would be a racist ass, which was nothing new for him, and Cy was…
"Are you kidding me? You're about to become one of the most popular authors in a few months with this piece of gold and you want to get married? You want to settle down with some woman you barely know? You're about to make millions of dollars and you're going to marry a woman who for all we know is a gold digger with a hidden agenda! Who the hell is this girl anyway? Is she some prostitute?"
"Enough Cyrus! I will not allow you to speak of Olivia that way. You will either shut the hell up or I will make sure this book never sees the light of day."
"Oh grow up, Fitz!"
"Fuck you Cy! Olivia is not a prostitute, far from it. If you don't believe me look her up. Olivia Carolyn Pope. You'll see what I'm talking about and I want nothing more than for you to eat your words. She's no gold digger. Olivia is very well established in Europe and probably has more pull in the states than you could ever dream of. Get some facts and then come back to me when you've learned to respect my fiancé." Fitz hung up the phone without allowing Cy to utter another word. Why was it that Cy and BJ were always able to get under his skin? He sighed heavily and pushed away from his computer. He needed to work out, to get rid of some stress. He quickly changed into some running shorts and a thin shirt opting to take a nice run along the trail that was located along the back of the property and led down to the beach about five miles away.
Running, his heart pounding and legs burning as his feet made contact with the pavement. The terrain was rugged and the trail was extremely hard, up the side of a cliff and then downhill towards the beach. The sand of the beach cushioning his joints but doing nothing to ease his anger. He pushed and pushed, running along the shore, watching the waves crash and taking in the scent of the sea. His lungs burning, begging him to rest but he wouldn't stop. Continuing along the beach, practically empty with only a few families enjoying the sun, Fitz finally allowed himself to let go of his anger. He allowed his mind to let go and allowed his surroundings to touch him. The smell of salt in the air reminded him of Olivia, of their many trips down to this beach and others, of them making love in the cove half a mile back. Of them walking along the beach in the moonlight and how he wanted to do that forever, how he was going to be able to do that forever, with her. No matter what Cy or his father said he was marrying Olivia. He knew his father, once he found out, would threaten to cut him off, to take him out of the will even, but he could care less. He'd been trying to get away from his father for decades and this time he might just get his wish. Fitz smiled to himself and started to slow his pace. Looking down at his watch he realized he'd run about seven miles in less than half an hour. He immediately turned around and headed back the way he came. His urge to write returning to him and his heart full of joy. It was only 3:40 in the afternoon and he figured he had at least another few hours to write before his Livvie came home. Perfect.
"So sex with Fitz?" Frankie asked as she and Olivia sat on the plush couch in the loft. Both sisters' still drinking wine and sitting with their knees in their chest. Liv giggled and placed her glass on the coffee table.
"You get to ask five questions, so make them good." Frankie squealed in delight and placed her glass down as well, shifting to make herself more comfortable. She took a deep breath and thought for a moment, making sure she could get the most out of her limit.
"Okay. First question. Is Fitz an oral man and is he any good?" Frankie had been wondering that since she met Fitz. The one thing that, in her book, could make or break a relationship. Olivia laughed loudly, her head thrown back and her mouth open. She knew her sister would ask that, she just didn't think that would be the first thing.
"Yes Fitz is an oral man and he is definitely good at it. Better than good." Frankie squealed again and fanned herself. "God, he has the biggest appetite. He could eat for days if I let him." Olivia said with a cheeky smile. Frankie nearly fell of the couch clutching her legs tightly together.
"Oh, my! Mr. Grant got skills then. Whew, okay. Next question. How big is he?"
"Big."
"Do I at least get a hint?"
"Smaller than that stripper we met when we went to that strip club a few years back," Frankie nodded her head in confirmation of knowing exactly who she was referring to, "and bigger than that guy you were dating in college who sent you all of those nude picks." Frankie's eyes went wide as she realized how big he was, damn. Olivia had definitely found a keeper.
"Wow. Okay, is he passive in bed?"
"No. God no. He's strong and dominant and aggressive and so gentle. Having sex with Fitz is an experience, full body. He leaves no stone unturned and he's more than generous…"
"Oh god. How many orgasms do you have, roughly, during a round with Fitz?"
"Minimum of two. If we're at it all night like last night, five." Olivia could still feel the delightful pain that rested between her thighs. Something she'd definitely become accustomed to. Frankie had to take a long sip of her wine to calm herself.
"Are you finished now?" Liv asked as she chuckled at her sister. Frankie shook her head no and quickly swallowed the remainder of her wine.
"I still have one more! Uh, is he into kinky things like handcuffs and blindfolds? Please say yes." Liv giggled and shook her head yes in confirmation.
"He's very much into that but most of the time we can't even wait." Frankie quickly poured herself another glass of wine and did the same for Liv.
"God you guys are so hot together! I don't understand." She said in a half dazed manner. "Damn it I meant to ask if he uses Viagra!" Frankie yelled and Olivia let out a yelp of laughter before covering her mouth. They were definitely drunk.
"No! How old do you think he is?" Olivia laughed harder at the thought Fitz using the little blue pill. She knew he didn't need it but she also didn't want to know what would happen if he did, she'd never be able to walk again. They both continued to laugh, asking random questions about their respective lovers and throwing popcorn at each other. The sound of Olivia's cell going off causing them to compose themselves slightly. Fitz.
"Hi Baby!" Liv said excitedly when she answered. Fitz took in her tone and chuckled.
"Hi to you too. Are you having a good time?"
"Oh yes. Frankie and I have been having a wonderful day. Loads of wine and laughter. What have you been up to today?" She asked as she moved off of the couch and up the stairs to her studio. Frankie making cat calls in the background the whole way.
"My day has been a day to say the least. I got a call from Cy." His tone was a little bitter.
"And what did Cy have to say? Did you tell him about the engagement?" She had a feeling that things didn't go as smoothly on his end as they did on hers.
"Let's just say that Cy and I aren't seeing eye to eye at the moment. But don't worry about that."
"Fitz-"
"No. Cy thought that he could be his usual angry and bitter self but I put him in his place. Don't worry about it." Liv sighed and conceded. She would let it go for now but they would have to discuss this in depth later. He and Cy were extremely close, she'd never met the man but the way Fitz talked about him, you could just tell.
"Okay babe. Did you at least get some writing done?" She asked lightly, opting to shift the conversation.
"Yes! That's why I called you. I need to know if you're coming home tonight or if you're too drunk to drive." She could hear him smiling through the phone. She smiled to herself and thought that if asked, Harrison could drive her home weather she be sober or not.
"I'll be home in half an hour if I blackmail Harrison." She said excitedly.
"Well get to work, woman! I have a surprise for you." He said and she giggled into the phone.
"Okay. Give me five minutes to call Harrison and beg then I'll be home in thirty."
"I love you."
"I love you too baby. See you soon."
Olivia quickly went to work finding Harrison, which hadn't been hard to do considering he was only outside on the back patio working on finding a job in Barcelona. He was more than happy to get Liv out of the house considering he hadn't had the chance to talk to Frankie when they got back from the restaurant that afternoon. Liv quickly said bye to her sister, promising to call her tomorrow, before she grabbed her stuff and made a b-line for the door with Harrison in tow.
Okay so that's chapter 11! I'm not a fan of it... but I hope it's at least somewhat enjoyable. I'm working on the next chapter as I type this so we'll see how long it takes me to update. Again, sorry for the extremely long wait and I'm so grateful for everyone who reviewed and kept hounding my ass for updates. It's more than welcome.
Please Review if you can! At least let me know if yo hated or loved it lol
