1I own no one but my own people.
A/N Thank you SOOOOOOOOO much for all of your reviews! I finally broke 300 for a single story and I could not have done it without my amazing readers and fans. And with only 11 chapters posted I consider that EXCEEDINGLY good and with about 99 percent of them positive that makes it even better. Thank you SO much again, and keep it up. There may be only a handful of chapters left in this saga but it isn't over yet so I hope you continue to enjoy the story, and leave your incredibly awesome and encouraging reviews. Thank you and I hope you enjoy :)
October 20 , Max and Lila's house, Albany, 8:22 PM
James sighed heavily as he pulled into the driveway, his mind whirling with the guilt he had felt ever since he had called up Olivia earlier in the night and told her what he had seen between Chris and Alex.
He had been given the task of picking up the weekly groceries and while he was searching for a parking spot he had spotted a young blonde girl no more than the age of five walking with what he presumed to be her nanny and he felt his heart break into an uncountable number of pieces.
He had raised Alex. He had thought he had taught her well regarding her morals, he had thought him and Max had managed to curve her away from Lila's distorted preaching that you should judge a being by the money in their bank account instead of the generosity in their heart.
Alex was the closest thing to a child he had, having had no children of his own in his long life, and when Lila and Max had came back from spending Christmas in Manhattan years and years ago he heard her ranting nonstop for weeks about how Alex was, according to Lila, throwing everything away just to get married to some lowly butch cop she claimed to love, James couldn't have been prouder of Alex.
He thought Alex had risen above what Lila had tried to teach her, thought that she had found someone Alex loved for themselves instead of the amount of credit cards, someone who he could tell just by the look in her eyes loved Alex back.
For the first time in a long time he took an immense pride in what he had been doing for so many years. He had sent off the woman he considered a daughter into the world looking past dollar signs and family names and influences... And then he saw that snake Chris and Alex in the living room that first night, saw the look in both of their eyes, heard the words that Alex had spoken to him.
She wanted him. Badly. It disgusted him when she had the perfect woman waiting for her up the stairs who had been with her through everything and he knew would stand by her no matter what happened to the election she was falling over herself for this man who wanted only one thing from her. Then he had seen them kiss in her car and his worst fears were confirmed. Alex didn't love Olivia. Maybe at one point she did but not anymore. How could you even begin to claim you loved someone when you were sneaking around and lying with another, much less a man who couldn't even begin to compare to the amount of feelings that Olivia held for Alex.
He knew there was no possible way he could hurt Olivia like that by telling her so he decided to let Olivia live a lie, let her pretend that the woman she loved, loved her back.
But after seeing that young child who reminded him so much of Alex when she was still young and innocent, when she pretended to listen to him about seeing beyond people's pocket books, and he knew he had to do it. He may have let Alex let Olivia down, but he wouldn't. Olivia didn't deserve to be lied to, not after everything she had been through regarding her marriage...
He called Olivia and told her what he had seen.
Afterwards though, instead of feeling relieved or even satisfied with himself; all he felt with a heart wrenching guilt. He knew he should have waited until after the dinner or at least until after the election was over but he couldn't stand the fact that at the moment while Olivia was giving Alex all of her devotion and love, Alex was sleeping with some good for nothing parasite who only cared about her money and family name.
James shook his head as he turned off the car and sighed once more. He leaned his head against the leather seat for a brief moment before he popped the trunk and got out from the car. He had just begun to walk towards the back when a fire red expensive sports car came squealing into the driveway.
He cast his eyes over to it and raised his brow as the car came to sudden stop just inches away from the old butler. Once he saw who was the driver responsible for it he narrowed his eyes at the careless man who all but kicked open the door and slammed the door shut behind him, clenching a touch screen phone tight in his fist.
"Where the hell is she?" Chris snarled as he stormed up to him. "Tell me NOW!"
James didn't even attempt to hide his contempt for the man standing before him. "Who?"
"Alex! You know, the idiot who's going to lose this election for her cunty wife and psycho ass kid!"
James snarled at the man as he held up a finger to silence him. "Do NOT insult any one of them again, do you understand me?"
"What the hell else am I supposed to call the people who ruined my reputation? Do you realize what they're saying about me? That I took on a candidate with no hope of winning just to get myself in the spotlight!"
"Did you?"
"Yeah but I thought she'd be a bit more subtle about it!"
James rolled his eyes to the heavens before he turned back to a still irate Chris. "Well I don't know where Alex is at the moment. She and her family are staying in a hotel room somewhere in Albany by themselves and I'm not sure which one."
"Oh yeah I know she's staying at a hotel!" he shouted as he held up his phone, "the whole damn world know she's staying in a hotel because the reports are saying that Alex assaulted a reporter outside of hers!"
James narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"
" `Numerous reports are claiming that Alexandra Cabot," Chris spat as he began to read from his phone, " `a runner in the New York Senate race, assaulted a reporter outside her hotel room after being confronted with questions not only about her failing marriage as well as the supposed firing of her campaign manager but the fact that her daughter Lillian Benson had been committed to the psych ward of St Eves hospital for several days where sources say she was admitted with severe life threatening cuts on both wrists before being diagnosed with depression.
The reporter, Jeff Zesters for New York Enquirer, stated he confronted Alexandra about her wife, NYPD SVU detective Olivia Benson, who had stormed out of the hotel in a fit of anger minutes before. Cabot had no comment about her marriage or about the current situation with her manager Chris Winters but when Zesters asked about her daughters medical scare, Alexandra, `freaked out', as Zesters called it. `She screamed at me before she just wailed off and attacked me! I'm lucky to be alive!'
When asked about the tape proving the incident, Zesters refused to comment and said that he had other affairs to attend to and stormed away from his fellow reporters.
Alexandra's rep returned our call saying when she finally did get a hold of her client after several failed attempts, Alexandra `sounded EXTREMELY distressed when I got in touch with her,' her rep commented. `The only comment she made was `check the tape' before she hung up.' And believe me, Alexandra, we plan to...'."
Chris shoved his phone back into his pocket before turning his attention to James. "Do you realize what this will do to her? Do you realize she's throwing away her election?"
"Well at the moment I'm more concerned as to who leaked the medical records of a thirteen year old girl," snapped James with a disapproving glare.
Chris scoffed in disbelief. "Don't look at me I didn't even know Lily was in the hospital much less that she was psycho!"
"Don't call her that!" James snarled. "She's a depressed thirteen year old girl who's been through more crap then most girls her age, don't you EVER insult her because of this!"
"Whatever but I didn't leak anything. Like I said I didn't know she was in the hospital!"
"Bull shit, I'm sure Alex called you up and told you the second she heard about it!"
"Wrong but nice try! Alex sort of fired me actually so no she didn't call me up and tell me!"
"What's wrong?" said James crossly. "She didn't wanna mix business and pleasure?"
"Business and pleasure? What the hell are you talking about?"
James's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I know Alex is cheating on Olivia with you!"
Chris let out a chuckle of disbelief. "You've got one hell of an imagination, old man! I couldn't get that bitch to put out for the life of me, and believe me, I've tried! Hell that's WHY she tried to fire me! I was sick of it, I wanted to do something about it, she kneed me in my stones and walked out and I haven't seen her since."
"Bull shit!" he shouted. "I saw the two of you in her car! I saw the two of you kissing! So just drop the act, alright?"
"Whatever the hell you're smoking I want some! We were about to but then she pulled a tease move and backed out! We never kissed or slept together!"
James's mouth fell open and he took a step away from the younger man. "But I saw you... in the car, I-."
"We were about to but then she pulled out because she pulled that `oh I'm in love with my bitch of a wife' crap she's been throwing at me every time I get within a twenty foot radius of her. `She's perfect! She's my everything! I'd rather lose the election then her'," said Chris with a high mocking tone. "Alex is nothing but a cock blocking tease that got pissed at me when I tried to fix it!"
"Why the hell should I believe you?"
"Why the hell would I lie about getting some from her? If anything I'd be bragging all over the place!"
"Oh Christ," James muttered as he turned and ran towards the house with Chris following. He quickly unlocked the front door and hurried inside, slightly taken aback when he saw no sign of Lila or Max.
He raced over to the phone and grabbed the receiver and quickly dialed Olivia's number, praying that she would pick up.
October 20th , Elliot's House, Queens, 8:22 PM
Olivia sighed heavily as she pulled into Elliot's drive and shut off the car. The night silence of the suburbs threatened to overtake her as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the soft leather seat.
She had ignored when Alex had called that first time only after calling Elliot and telling him dinner was cancelled. She had caught him just before he, Kathy, and, to both Olivia's annoyance and disappointment, Eli had gotten on the highway to head up to Albany. Olivia willed her heavy lids open as she took a deep breath and headed out the door. As she walked up the drive she felt her phone vibrate but after a quick glance signifying it was Alex again, she decided to let it go to voice mail like the other numerous calls she had received from her wife.
She had just reached up to knock when the door swung open and Elliot stood in front of her.
"What the hell did she do?" he demanded.
"Can I come in first?" she asked with a raised brow as she looked over her oldest friend
He had changed just as much as Olivia had over these long years. His hair was still cut brutally short. Although every day they could see it receding more and more and heavy wrinkles were engraved in his features he could still intimidate and scare the hell out of a suspect and his eyes still burned with the familiar intensity Olivia had always loved.
Elliot nodded wordlessly and moved out of the way for her to come in to his home.
It was a simple upper middle class home with dark blue paint covering the walls and most of the walls itself were covered up with pictures, cop memorabilia, and several degrees that had been earned by both Elliot and Kathy. Expensive leather furniture was placed periodically around the room while a large plasma screen hung against the far wall with a large booming sound and theater system surrounding it.
It had a happy homey feeling to it, one that Olivia wished she could experience on a daily basis.
As Olivia walked in with Elliot shutting the door behind her, she was greeted with the familiar pictures that almost seemed to tell a story of his family and for the first time in a while she actually stopped to examine them.
They all looked so happy and carefree. They all looked so proud of their various accomplishments and were all surrounded by friends... Where did she and Alex go wrong? They loved Lily just as much as Elliot and Kathy loved their children, they knew Lily was just as smart and talented as all of them, they knew Lily was kind enough to have just as many friends as they did... Why did their daughter have to be cursed with having what was supposed to be the best years of her life ruined?
Because, Olivia thought bitterly, hating the jealously she felt when she looked at how happy her best friend's children were, they had `normal' parents. She would give anything to have her daughter that happy but she knew that wouldn't happen when she and Alex got divorced.
Elliot noticed her looking at the various pictures and swore he saw the makings of tears in her eyes.
"Liv, what happened?" he asked again, this time much more softly.
Olivia turned to him and opened her mouth to speak but just then she heard footsteps descend from the stairs.
"Hi, Olivia," came the cheerful voice of her fourteen year old god son Eli as he jumped the last few steps and hurried over to her.
Olivia hastily wiped away any making of tears in her eyes and turned to him and forced a smile at the young boy giving him a quick glance over...
His baby blue eyes the exact same as Elliot's shone brightly and his usually messy dark blonde hair actually looked styled and presentable, like he was trying to make an impression on someone.
His black T-shirt that bore the album cover of a band Olivia had never even heard of showed off what muscles he had gained from his years of playing sports and a pair of loose fitting jeans hung low on his waist while a simple cross on a silver chain Elliot had given him when he had taken his first communion hung low around his neck.
"Hey, Eli," she greeted as he seemed to be looking around her.
"Hey um... is Lily here?" he asked casually as he looked back at Olivia looking almost hopeful.
Olivia shook her head. "No, she's with Alex right now."
A look of disappointment came over his face and Olivia wanted to glare at it but couldn't find it in her heart to do so.
"Oh. Um, that's cool..." he said with a careless shrug, "hey is she doing okay? Dad wouldn't let me visit her in the hospital; he said what she had was too contagious."
Olivia turned to Elliot and gave him a soft smile. He hadn't told his son the reason the real reason why Lily had to be in the hospital... He had kept her secret.
Elliot gave her a brief smile back before they both turned towards Eli. "She's fine. She's completely over what she had. She was..." Olivia swallowed hard and withheld a cringe that came from these words. "She was actually really excited to see you tonight."
Eli's face seemed to light up. "Really? I mean, that's cool... Um... could you maybe tell her that uh, foot ball season is kind of ending soon and I'd really like her to, you know, come to one of my games? If it's okay with you!" he added hastily as he saw Olivia raise a brow at his request.
She saw Elliot bit his lip to hold back a smile as he turned towards Olivia who held back a cross look before turning back to Eli. "I don't know, Eli, the last time she went to one of your games-"
"I gave Erik a fat lip and a bloody nose and said if he ever made fun of her again I'd kick his ass even harder. I got suspended for three days," beamed Eli as he glowed with pride and a smirk that reminded Olivia way too much of Elliot's own smugness grew on his face. Olivia chuckled despite all that had happened to her in the last several days. "Congratulations. And... of course I'll tell her."
Eli grinned happily before he turned to Elliot. "Dad, are you sure the dinners been cancelled?"
Elliot turned to Olivia who swallowed hard and nodded, feeling as if a large hole had just been punched through her chest again. Elliot looked at her not unkindly for a moment before he turned back to Eli who too had noticed the change in Olivia's demeanor. "Yeah, bud, it's been cancelled."
"Then is it okay if I spend the night with Jake and Shawn and catch a ride to practice with Jake's mom?"
"Yeah that's fine. Call me when you need me to pick you up tomorrow," Elliot said as he turned his attention back to his partner.
"Cool thanks. See ya, Olivia."
"Bye, Eli," she said with a half ass attempt at a grin.
He gave her a polite grin before he turned and headed up the stairs to his room.
The moment he was out of ear shot Elliot turned back to Olivia who looked like she had tears in her eyes. "She's gonna hate me, El... I ruined this night for her."
"No she won't," Elliot said reassuringly as he rubbed her back. "Lily will bounce back from this."
"After what she did last week I don't think she can. And now I'm just gonna go and screw up her life even more when me and Alex get divorced and she-.
He held a hand up to stop her. "Whoa whoa wait." His wide eyes looked over her face for a moment trying to find any indication that she was joking. He found none. "What the hell do you mean you and Alex are getting a divorce? What the hell did she do?" he snarled as his eyes narrowed into angry slits and his hands balled into fists.
For a moment Olivia considered not even telling Elliot what Alex had done, still remembering that night long ago when she had to physically stop him from going after her after she told him Alex had slapped her.
"Olivia," Elliot demanded. "Tell me what she did to make you consider this and tell me now."
A heavy groan escaped her as Olivia closed her eyes in annoyance. "She cheated on me with Chris."
Elliot stood there stunned for a moment before he nodded looking surprisingly calm. "I'll kill her."
"Elliot, stop," said Olivia as she quickly stood in front of him and put her hands on his chest to prevent him from leaving.
"She thinks she can treat you like trash and get away with it? Screw that, move out of my way."
"And if you really think I'm gonna let you hurt her because of this?"
"Oh so it's perfectly fine for her to cheat on you, treat you like shit for the past god knows how many months, but the moment anyone wants to do anything to make Alex pay you step up and defend her! If you aren't man enough to stand up to her shit for yourself then I'll be!"
"I'm not gonna let you hurt her!" Olivia snarled furiously as she pushed Elliot away from her.
"And the MOMENT you walk out of this house I'm calling the cops!"
"We ARE the cops, Liv!" he shouted as he took a step towards her once more. Olivia once again got right in front of him, ready to fight him if needs be.
"I'm married to a politician; I know a hell of a lot more higher ups then you and do not think for a moment I won't sic them on your ass if you go after her!"
The two partners stood head to head for a moment before Elliot shook his head. "I can't believe you, Liv. You're actually gonna let her get away with this."
"No I'm not," Olivia snapped. "I'm gonna go see a lawyer tomorrow and draw up papers, see what... see what he can do about custody."
"You realize the chances of you getting custody of Lily are slim to none, right?" Elliot muttered softly. "I mean... you're not her `real' parent, Liv."
"I have legal certified adoption papers saying otherwise! Alright I take care of her, I give her clothes, food, a warm bed, a roof over her head, and I love her more than anything else in this world! Hell sometimes even I forget that I'm not Lily's `real' parent! I am just as much her parent as Alex is and don't you EVER say I'm not!"
"Yeah but the courts aren't gonna see it that way. Alex is the birth mother, Alex is richer then a dog, Alex is a Senior DA who's going into politics, Alex has a shit load of family support, Alex is eight years younger than you. You are an underpaid grade 1 detective with no physical relation to Lily who makes fewer than 100 a year who is a few years away from retirement with only your brother to offer family support.
I'm sorry but it's true and I'm only saying this because I don't want you going into this thinking you're gonna get to see her every day and then being heartbroken when you only get to see her every other weekend!"
"I can't forgive her for this, Elliot." Olivia reached up and roughly wiped the tears that appeared away. "I'm not gonna stay with someone who cheats just for my child's sake. I won't do that to Lily. That may have worked out with you and that idiot but-."
"First off Kathy and I never cheated on one another. The only reason we broke up was because of the job and you know this! We got back together mainly for the kids, yes, and we're still... we're still very much in love with one another. Second, I'm getting sick of you insulting her very time you talk about her!"
"Sorry but when she makes a better idiot then a nurse I'm gonna call her what she's best at," Olivia said crossly.
Elliot narrowed his eyes at his partner but offered no remark in defense of his wife. As much as it annoyed him to hear Olivia hate on Kathy, she had, in her own point of view, a legitimate reason to hate her.
Kathy was one of the nurses helping Alex when Simon had died.
"Look, Liv," he sighed trying to change the subject. "I'm not telling you not to get a divorce. Hell I've wanted you to break up with her ever since she slapped you. But what I am saying is it isn't gonna be easy. For anyone..."
"I know," said Olivia softly. "But, El, I'm not gonna be one of those white collar wives who looks the other way every time a new rumor pops up or who think it's okay for their spouse to go off and do whatever they want with anybody just because they're in politics."
Elliot curled his hands into fists as tears filled her eyes and she looked up at him. "Why did she do this to me?"
Without another word Elliot wrapped his arms around her, embracing her tightly. She threw her arms around him unable to help the cries that escaped her.
He knew his words offered little comfort but he had nothing else to offer his best friend. "Its okay, Liv. It's gonna be okay, I promise."
"No it won't," Olivia sobbed. "I love her so much and she just threw it away!"
Elliot sighed as he tightened his hold and buried his face in her hair. "Baby, I'm sorry," he muttered. "You deserve better than this..."
Their brief moment was interrupted by the soft buzz of Olivia's phone.
"Why can't she just leave me alone?" Olivia shouted as she wrenched away from Elliot's grasp and grabbed her phone. She went to press ignore but the number displayed on the home screen stopped her.
"Why the hell is Lila calling me?" Olivia asked out loud as she pressed the tiny green phone on the screen.
"Hello?" she answered with an air of curiosity as she hastily tried to make it sound like she hadn't of been crying and failing miserably.
"It's James," came the answer on the other end. "Olivia, I NEED to know what Alex told you when you confronted her about the kiss! What did she say?"
"What do you mean?"
"What did she say when you asked about the kiss? Please, Olivia, I have to know!"
"She said that they were about to but she pulled away. Why?"
Olivia heard a long groan emit from the older man and she looked at the phone in confusion.
"James, what's going on?"
"I'm sorry, I made a terrible mistake!"
"It's not your fault, James," Olivia reassured him, "I... I wanted to tell you thank you for telling me actually."
"That's just it, Olivia, I lied! Alex wasn't cheating, it was all a misunderstanding!"
Olivia's head swirled with disbelief and she clutched Elliot's broad shoulder as she willed herself to remain upright. "Wha- what the hell do you mean? You told me you saw them kiss!"
"I... I sort of did. I saw them lean in for a kiss and then I turned my back. But Chris here just told me that same story. Olivia, I'm really starting to think they're telling the truth."
Olivia swallowed hard and she closed her eyes as new tears made their way down her face. She heard Elliot cry out to her but she could barely comprehend his words. So now Alex may have been telling the truth?
After a long moment of silence she finally found her voice. "I... James, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."
Without another word Olivia hung up and turned to a puzzled Elliot. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Olivia just shook her head as she quickly pressed the `1' on her speed dial and held the phone up to her ear and waited for Alex to pick up.
After three rings a voice she didn't expect to answer picked up. "Mama where are you?" Lily's voice answered.
"I'm at Elliot's, baby. Can you put your mom on the phone?"
Lily sniffed and Olivia bit her bottom lip as her next words filled the detective with her own tears. "Mom's talking to someone right now and she and grandpa are really upset. But no one will tell me what's wrong with grandma and they won't let me see her and-."
"Wait, Lily, back up. What do you mean `what's wrong with grandma'? Did something happen?"
"After you left grandpa called mom and said grandma was really sick and that we had to go to the hospital now."
Olivia gasped softly as she put her hand to her mouth. That was what the calls must have been about. Lila was in the hospital and Alex had tried to tell her.
"Oh Christ... alright, baby, what hospital you guys at?"
"Sacred Heart in Albany."
"Okay I'll be there as soon as I can, alright? I love you."
"I love you too, mama. Please hurry."
Olivia hung up the phone and turned to Elliot once more, a million different reasons as to why Lila was in the hospital racing through her mind with none of them ending on a positive note.
"Liv, what the hell is going on?" Elliot demanded as he grabbed her by the shoulders incase she collapsed.
"I gotta go," Olivia whispered softly, "I don't know what but something's wrong with Lila, I don't know what. But I got- I gotta go. I'll see you later, Elliot."
Without wasting another moment Olivia raced out of the home only being able to form one solid thought.
"Please let her be alright..."
Sacred Heart Hospital, Albany, 11:30 PM
"Did Lillian express any wishes for her body to be donated to science or to the greater good?" the man who had been in charge of the hospitals final preparation's asked Max and Alex as they sat in the waiting room together with tears flooding both of their eyes.
"No," Max muttered softly as he bowed his head, twisting his wedding band on his finger. "She didn't... she didn't want to look bad at her funeral."
"Sir, what she donates won't even be visible if you have an open casket funeral. Now if-."
"I said no," he snapped far harsher then what Alex had heard in recent years. She glanced up at him and saw him look far more tired and older then she had seen him in years.
He sighed and rubbed his temple and looked down at the tile floor. His voice was so soft it came out nothing more than a whisper. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."
"Sir, I understand this is a very difficult time for you, you don't have to apologize. Did she have any sort of plan or final wishes?"
"She wants a protestant burial and yes. She already had everything planned out down to a T, actually."
He let out a laugh choked with a sob. "Lila... Lila didn't trust anyone else with anything regarding her social affairs or parties even back when she was younger."
Max took a shuddering breath and Alex reached over and rubbed his back gently unable to hide her own tears.
The man gave a kind smile before he turned back to his clip board and scanned over it. "Okay, I think that about does it apart from one thing."
He turned towards Alex and gave her a shy smile. "You know I know you're only a politician, but you're like the closest thing to a celebrity I'll probably ever meet so could I, you know, maybe have your autograph?"
Alex turned from Max looking absolutely and completely stunned. Her tears momentarily ceased. "My mother just died and you have the nerve to ask me for a damn autograph? What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I- I'm sorry it's just."
"Alex!"
Both Alex and Max turned towards the voice and Alex gasped softly when she saw her wife rushing over to her. Alex stood up as fast as she could and rushed over to her, newly formed tears flooding her eyes.
Olivia raced over to her and within moments had her arms wrapped tight around her.
Alex remained the slightest bit composed for half a moment before she let out a sob and buried her face in Olivia's hair and embraced her as tight as she could. As if there was nothing else in the world holding her down but the brunette standing in front of her.
"It's okay," Olivia said softly a she stroked her silky blonde hair, "It's okay..."
"She's gone," cried Alex. "Liv, she's gone!"
Olivia closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip in a desperate attempt to contain her own tears. "I'm sorry. Alex, I'm so sorry."
Alex sniffed and didn't even bother to hide the tears that were brooding in her eyes
"I wanted you here. I needed you here, Liv."
"I'm sorry," she repeated, "I didn't... I didn't know anything had happened. You know if I did I would have been here with you. I came the moment Lily told me."
"I haven't- I haven't even told her yet, Liv."
"I'll take care of it," Olivia assured her. "I have a lot of experience breaking this kind of news, okay? Don't worry about it."
Alex sniffed once more before she pulled away and looked up at her as more tears fell from her icy blue eyes.
The two women looked at one another before Olivia opened her mouth to speak. Her voice quivered unmercifully. "How's Max doing?"
Alex shrugged and turned to look at the older man who was failing at holding back his tears.
"I don't know... How can you have your wife of over fifty years with you one day and not have her the next? I don't know what I'm gonna do if I lose you like that."
Olivia remained silent as she swallowed the painful lump in her throat, forcing the words from her mouth. "Why don't... why don't you go be with your dad right now? I'm gonna go talk to Lily, okay?"
Olivia dropped her hands from around her and took a step away from the blonde whose eyes filled with more tears.
"I know you didn't cheat," Olivia muttered softly. "James called me, he said he made a mistake and I realized how stupid I was not to believe you."
Alex's face broke out into a teary smile as she reached out and went to grab Olivia's hand but Olivia pulled back once more.
"Liv, wha-."
"But I can't forgive you for everything else. There's just been too many lies, Alex."
"You can't leave me," Alex sobbed, "not now! Liv, please not now I need you!"
"And I'll be there for you as much as I can," said Olivia softly, "but after this it's over."
Alex shook her head, "no... Olivia, please!"
"I'm sorry," Olivia whispered, "where's Lily?"
"Olivia!"
"Where's Lily?" she repeated just as softly.
"I- in the cafeteria, but, Liv-!"
"Go be with your father."
With another quick hug Olivia turned and walked away.
"Olivia, I'm sorry!" Alex cried as she watched Olivia walk away, unable to get her feet to move. "Please! I can't deal with this without you! Olivia! Olivia..!
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