A/N: I forget just how much I love writing this story until I get y'alls comments + messages. I love this project. Thank you for your support.
Also, I'm still forcing myself through writer's block so please be patient with me!
-M
When Fitz spots the familiar white Chevy cruising down the camp, he smiles. He doesn't know Harrison well, but he's thankful the man agreed to drive down to Norfolk to get him. Norfolk isn't a short ride and its dangerous territory along the way, yet just as Marcus promised, here Harrison is. The car rolls to an abrupt stop.
Harrison pops his head out of the driver's window, "Well now ain't you a sight for sore eyes, soldier boy."
Fitz laughs. "I appreciate the ride, man. I was gonna hitch it or take a bus, but Marcus said you'd come through."
"I may be many things, but a liar is not one of them. Plus, I'm invested. I can't wait to see how this goes," Harrison says as he gets out of the car and walks around to the back, popping his trunk. "This'll be better than Frazier and Ali."
Fitz dumps his bag into the back of the trunk. He turns to look at Harrison, an eyebrow raised. "I don't think I'm following here."
"Well," Harrison shoves Fitz's muddy sack further into the trunk, "Olivia and her daddy – I swear that man is terrifying – have locked horns. It's like WWIII. She's been staying with Aunt Thea for the last couple of days."
"Why?" Fitz asks. He doesn't understand what's happened in the last six months – or rather the last month and a half he's been out of contact. Marcus never mentioned anything happening back home with her cousin and uncle.
"You." It's the only word Harrison offers up as he makes his way back around the car and slides into the driver seat. "Come on now, I'm not driving through the backwoods of Virginia in the dark. Get in the car."
Fitz does as Harrison says. He slides onto the leather bench seat and buckles up, though Harrison's words – or rather word – plays on repeat in his head. What does he mean that Olivia and her father have been arguing over him? "Why are they locking horns over me?"
"Well," Harrison starts, pulling the gear into drive, "I guess it started with a letter."
"A letter?" Still at a loss for words, Fitz shrugs.
"Yeah, I guess it was a letter you sent to Olivia. Eli read it."
Shit. Now it makes perfect sense. Fitz purses his lips, letting out a hot breath of air. The letter he'd sent Olivia, the one explaining to her that he'd be home in time for her birthday. The letter that put it all on the proverbial table. Not only had he asked Olivia out, wanting to take her somewhere special for her birthday, but he'd confessed that he might be falling in love with her. Everything he'd wanted to say the second he'd met her; he'd said it in that letter in hopes she'd see it and still want him like he wanted her.
"He never gave it to Olivia, did he?"
"Nope. He said he burnt it up, which sent Olivia into hysterics. She almost took his head off when he finally confessed to turning it into ash. Hell, the only two people she'll even speak to right now are Thea and Edison."
"Edison?" Fitz repeats the name. It doesn't taste right on his tongue. He looks out the windshield running back the many conversations he and Marcus had. He's trying to recall if they'd ever spoken about an Edison. "Who's Edison?"
Harrison looks over. "Black cat. Lawyer. He works for Eli; I know that much. I think he might just be in love with Olivia, the way he hangs onto her every word, but I think they're just friends."
The words hit Fitz like a forty-pound bag of potatoes. Someone else is in love with his girl? No. He shakes his head. "How'd she and Edison meet?"
"My guess would be Eli." Harrison shrugs. "Kinda a stiff cat if you ask me. Dull. Very cookie cutter and clean cut. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I don't think Olivia's looking for that. I think she's looking for…well, I'm not sure. Kinda not my business to tell. Though I'm interested in what you two have been talking about."
Marcus is right, Harrison can talk. "I know y'all have been mailing back and forth and what not. I guess it's safe to say there's a love jones going on here."
Fitz raises a brown, wondering how much he can tell Harrison and whether or not he should. It seems like Harrison can keep a secret. After all, Harrison had walked in on he and Olivia all those months back. Obviously, he'd kept it all a secret. "I like her. And I think she likes me."
"Oh yeah, I knew this would be good. You might have that curl swooping down your forehead, but I highly doubt you're bullet proof, Superman. Hope you know how to bob and weave."
/
Olivia holds up a handful of cards, eyeing each one with a keen eye. It's her turn to play a card and, despite the effort she's putting up to seem intrigued, she doesn't care. Across from her sits Edison. He's served as a calming distraction in the midst of everything with her father. Edison is s sweet, handsome, and trying hard. In another life, she knew he'd be the ideal man for her. Everything about him, on paper, is perfect; everything except the fact that he isn't Fitz.
She can't explain the attraction she has to the man who's uprooted in life in more ways than one. Six months ago, she wouldn't have even given Fitz another thought. He'd inserted himself into her life and she'd wanted to take his head off, at the time. She thought she had everything handled. But now? Now she's dying to hug him. Have him hold her; forehead kisses and strong arms.
"Come on, Liv, it's your move. What's it gonna be?" Edison grins at her over his cards.
"I think—" she doesn't get a chance to finish her sentence, to fold her losing hand when the kitchen lights suddenly go out. It's the end of September and the sun is starting to bid farewell earlier and earlier. Minus what little light trickles in through the parted kitchen curtains, the house is black.
Then her aunt appears, a glowing circle in her palms. Olivia squints, realizing that it's a birthday cake. Homemade, of course. Thea would have no store or bakery bought things in her house! Twenty-three candles rest around the outer edge of the small cake.
Edison and Thea break into a chorus of 'Happy birthday.'
A wide smile stretches across Olivia's face. She ducks her head and laughs. "My birthday is Saturday. It's Wednesday. What are you two doing?"
"Well, I can answer that one, Liv," Edison says.
Eyebrows bunching together, Olivia tilts her head. He's been going out of his way to make her smile and make her laugh. After everything with her father, Olivia's thankful, too. She still can't believe Eli opened her mail. "Huh?"
"Well," Edison says. "I managed to trade the Al Green tickets I bought for us for Saturday night tickets to see Diana Ross."
Olivia's mouth drops open. Her mind goes blanks as a giddiness rockets up her spine. She loves Diana Ross. "Are you serious?"
Edison laughs. He reaches into his blazer pockets and pulls out two strips of white paper. "Very."
Olivia's eyes search the tickets, looking for Diana Ross's name. Sure enough, this Saturday – her birthday – Diana Ross is going to be at the Howard Theater. "Oh, God, Edison. How'd you know?"
"You talk about her. A lot. I was surprised you didn't know she was going to be in town on your birthday."
"I – I haven't been paying much attention to music at all. I-I. This is…" Olivia tries to find the right words to relay her thankfulness, but none come to mind. She's had a shit time lately and is just realizing she's lost music in the midst of all of this. She can't remember the last time she's sang. Actually, she can. It'd been with Fitz, months ago. A pique of sadness sets in, though she tries to push it away. Now that she knows Fitz hasn't forgotten about her, she isn't certain how she feels. She doesn't even know what the letter said.
Althea clears her throat and speaks, "Can we talk about gifts later before all these candles burn my house down."
"Oh, right, sorry," Olivia speaks, her eyes watering just a bit, "I'm just…this is an amazing gift. Thank you, Edison."
Edison nods. "I just wanted to find a way to make you smile. You don't smile enough."
For some reason, his words hit her. Hard. She gives him a soft smile and stands. She stretches across the table and gives Edison a soft, chaste kiss. As she returns to her seat, she watches as his cheeks swell and he smiles.
"Uh, hello, cake…" Althea reminds them. She sets the cake down, on a stack of cards. "Take a deep breath, Livvie. You've got twenty-three candles to blow out."
Olivia nods.
"Don't forget to make a wish, too," Edison adds.
Again, Olivia nods. She sucks in a deep breath of air and closes her eyes. I wish – I wish that I knew how Fitz felt about me. She blows out the candles, almost in one gust of breath, but misses the last two. The sound of the screen door opening draws Olivia attention from the candles.
"Why are all the lights off?" Harrison shouts. "What's going on? Aunt Thea, Liv here?"
"We're in the kitchen!" Olivia yells back. Her ears catch the sound of approaching feet. There's two people in the house. Leave it to Harrison to bring one of a thousand of his girl-of-the-week to their aunt's home.
"Having cake. For Olivia's birthday," Althea explains.
With a final huff, Olivia blows out the last two candles as the kitchen lights turn on. She pulls a couple of candles out of the cake and licks the chocolate frosting from them.
"Why? Bug's birthday isn't until Saturday?" Harrison asks.
Olivia lifts her head, frosting stuck to the corners of her mouth, at Harrison's use of a nickname only her aunt could get away with. She's poised to cuss him out and risk the wrath of her aunt but stops short as Althea gasps. Confused, Olivia turns toward her aunt, watching as the woman's gaze points out, past the kitchen entry way, to the living room.
"What is it?" Olivia asks. She climbs to her feet and moves to stand next to her aunt. Immediately, Olivia gasps. Her jaw drops and she wonders if she's dreaming. Perhaps seeing things. It's the only explanation she has for the image in front of her. It's Fitz. His hair is sun dyed, from the murky blondish brown he sported before he left, to a brighter blond. He wears a white tank stretched over his chiseled chest and tan slacks.
"Hi," Fitz says before giving her a lopsided grin.
"H-hi…" Olivia repeats. Her heart beats erratically and before she knows what she's doing, she finds herself breaking from the kitchen. She runs for living room and throws herself into his arms.
A/N/N: I KNOW.