Well, hello! I'll start off by saying that I am so sorry to my readers for abandoning this story! I lost my mojo, and just completely gave up on it. However, I'm back now with some ideas and the hope to finish the story that I've started!
Anyway, so that there isn't any confusion about what's happening, this chapter is all in the present time. However, the beginning portion is the morning after Olivia left Curtis. I do suggest rereading chapter one before this one.
And I do hope you enjoy!
———
Present time:
"Livie?" Fitz called walking into the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed next to Olivia and tried handing her a plate of waffles, eggs, bacon with a fruit salad that he'd just prepared.
Olivia shook her head. "Honey, I can't eat that right now, and those eggs are making my stomach churn. Please." She pushed the plate away as her face held a disgusted expression once she got a whiff of the scrambled eggs. Fitz chuckled and placed the plate of food on the nightstand. "Baby, You need to eat something."
"I just want to sleep. I'm exhausted, Fitz," Olivia whined turning away from him. Fitz chuckled and shook his head. His Livie was something else.
Last night was one of the wildest nights of Olivia's life. She had begged Fitz to take her to an NBA player's mansion party, and after her pleading, he gave in.
X
The night before:
"Don't drink or take anything from anyone, Olivia." He warned right before they stepped out of his black GT.
The atmosphere was electrifying and thrilling from the moment they walked in. Most people were drunk, high, both or on the borderline of being there. A few people were in clusters as they stood around talking, and others danced to the loud R / HipHop music. Olivia had a death grip around Fitz's arm as they made their way around. This was not a scene she was used to. So many celebrities were just being themselves and having fun. "You sure you want to be here, Liv?" Fitz had asked. He wasn't fazed but any of it. He was used to seeing the wild side of these people.
Olivia looked up at him and nodded. "Yes. I just need a drink. I need to loosen up."
"Oh yeah? Well, I could've loosened you up back at home, baby," Fitz smirked. Olivia laughed and swatted his arm as she felt her skin heating up from his comment and wandering hand. "Fitz, no! Stop! Not here."
"Yo, Fitz!" A guy shouted over the music gaining his and Olivia's attention. "Mike!" Fitz smiled as he dapped his friend. "What's up, my brother?"
"It's all good man. Can't believe I'm seeing you here. Who's the lady," he asked eyeing Olivia up and down. Olivia's white linen gown with thigh-grazing slits of desire, topped with a naked midriff seen by cutouts that had been knotted on the prime and backside in a diamond formation was drawing male and female attention.
Liv's entire look was inspired by the actress, Lela Rochon. The famous white dress she wore in the Grammy nominated film Waiting to Exhale. And Olivia looked fucking good.
"This is my lady, Olivia, and if you want to keep your eyes in their sockets I suggest you stop gawking at her like I'm not standing right here." Fitz said making Mike throw his hands up. Mike knew Fitz wasn't joking.
"Fuck off, Fitz. I was just wondering how a ugly motherfucker like you bagged this beauty. It's nice to meet you, Olivia, and I apologize if I gawked at you," Mike said eyeing Fitz, then holding out his hand.
Olivia laughed as she shook Mike's hand. She could tell that he was a sweet guy and had a good sense of humor. Fitz was just protective and sometimes an asshole, but she wasn't complaining though. She found it sexy. "It's nice to meet you too, Mike. And Fitz is gonna play nice. Aren't you, sweetheart," she asked. Fitz flexed his jaw as he gave her a "please don't make me do this in front of this asshole" look but Olivia was persistent and asked again, "Aren't you, sweetie?"
"Yes, sweetheart. I am. I will," he mumbled and Mike tossed his head back in laughter. "Oh man, she's got you by the balls. I can't believe this shit. Liv- I can call you that right? Keep this guy by the balls. He needs your structure and guidance."
"Stop kissing her ass man," Fitz said with a chuckle as he sipped on his scotch. "She's mine." He tossed an arm over Olivia's shoulders and she smiled up at him and pecked his lips tasting the alcohol on his mouth. True.
As the night progressed and a few rounds of tequila shots for his lady, Olivia, had definitely loosened up. She had had the time of life with a few of Fitz's friends other partygoers, and Fitz was just happy to witness it all. Seeing her happy and free definitely had an effect on him, he wanted it to always be this way.
It was nearly three in the morning when Olivia and Fitz finally said their goodbyes. The people were still partying! Olivia was drunk and Fitz was just ready to get home. Partying really wasn't his thing, but he was glad that he'd let Liv convince him to come out. He really did have a good time with her and his old friends. They loved her. She fitted right in. "Thank you for tonight, baby." She sang pecking his lips as they stood waiting for valet to bring his car around.
Fitz stood behind her and he could feel her swaying in his arms. He chuckled quietly and kissed the side of her exposed neck. His poor baby was so drunk. "You're welcome, beautiful. I'm glad you had a good time."
In the car, they rode in a comfortable silent; no music, no talking, just their thoughts. Fitz thought about how they had been "sneaking around" for months and how he was ready to fully commit to her, but he knew she had things she had to handled first, like her marriage. He wasn't going to rush her decision, besides she had brought up divorcing her husband a few times before so he knew it was on the horizon, he just had to be patient, supportive and hope she choose them in the end. He smiled thinking about their future together as he pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it.
"Fitz, I'm leaving Curtis. I want to be with you. I'm tired of hiding what we have," Olivia blurted out. It almost spooked Fitz how they had thinking about the same thing at the very same moment, yet it was also comforting in a way. They really were connected on so many levels.
"Livie, don't get me wrong, I'm happy to hear you say this, baby, but I think we should talk about this when you have a clear head. You've been drinking and-"
"I know that! I know that, Fitz! But Fitz…Baby, my mind has never been more clear. I don't want to be without you any longer, baby. I can't go any longer. I am so tired of the pretending. Because of you, I now know what real love feels like and I don't want to go another day without being able to express that to anyone who listens. You've made my life so much better, Fitzy. I love you. I am madly in love with you."
Fitz had his car pulled over to the side of the road and gave all his attention to Olivia, her words made him swell up on the inside and made him laugh. She loved him. And she'd called him Fitzy, that god awful nickname he disliked until now. Fitz had never felt this way about anyone else before so he was certain that he was in love with her. He knew he was.
"Six months ago when I saw you and Abby at that park, I fell in love with you then. I tried hard not to bother you, but I couldn't resist myself and I'm so glad I didn't. I love you, Olivia. I know that the way we started things out isn't ideal for anyone, but I don't regret it. I can't regret it. You've become my world and I'll do anything to make you happy."
Olivia sat in silence allowing his words to soak in. Her heart was so full because of him. Her soul had finally found its mate. She couldn't let him go. "I love you," she softly said as her doe eyes fluttered opened and locked with his ocean blue ones. Fitz couldn't keep the smile off his face as he whispered back. "I love you too."
Back on the road. Olivia sighed. Making another shocking statement, "I want to leave Curtis tonight, Fitz. Isaiah isn't home. He's with my mom and I want to do this when he isn't present."
Fitz thought about it for a while and shook his head with a deep exhaled. He believed everything she had just said about loving him- being in love with him, but she had consumed a lot of alcohol and had been breathing in secondhand marijuana smoke. She could've gotten contact high. Right just now wasn't the right time for this. "Liv, baby, you shouldn't do this tonight. You need to rest and really think about things. I don't want you to regret anything in the morning."
"Fitz, the only thing I will regret is waking up in someone's arms that aren't yours. Please, take me home and let me do this."
X
Present time:
"Do you remember anything from last night, Liv?"
Olivia smiled as she rolled over to face him. Clearly he wasn't letting her go back to sleep. "If you're asking me if I remember confessing that I love you then hearing you say it too, then yes. If you're asking if I remember begging you to take me home where I ended things with Curtis, then yes. If you're asking if I remember coming here and fucking you for hours, then oh yess. I can feel it too. And if you're asking me if I regret any of it, then your answer is no. Last night might've been influenced by alcohol, but it gave me the courage I needed to put things in motion. I could've handled things with Curtis more maturely, but what's done is done, and I'm happy."
Fitz smiled before leaning down and kissing her lips. He had prayed all morning that Olivia wouldn't regret last night, and to know that she didn't was like weight off his shoulders. "God, I love you, woman. I plan on making you very, very happy."
"You already make me so happy, Fitz. Before you came into my life I thought I would be stuck with him forever. It's like I couldn't grow with him. Here I am, twenty-three years old but I still felt like a sixteen year old girl, but with you, I flourish and grow, and can just be my own person. I can't thank you enough for being the friend, and the lover that I needed."
"Loving you is so easy, Olivia. I promise to never hinder you from growing or to stop you from being the badass woman that you're meant to be. You're free to make your own decisions, and when you fall, because sometimes you will, I'll be there to help you carry on and out your dreams. The world's yours, baby."
Her eyes filled with happy tears as she tossed her arms around Fitz's neck and climbed onto his lap. She was so happy! But was she nuts? She'd just ended her seven year marriage and was in the arms of another man- her boyfriend!
"Thank you, Fitz." She blabbered into his neck. Fitz kissed her hair and rubbed her back. He told her that everything was going to be alright and held her tight as she released her emotions.
"God, I'm so sorry," she apologized wiping her face with the back of her hand and sniffling. Fitz smiled at her pretty, tear-stained face. "I understand why you're crying, baby. This is new. It's ok."
"I'm not crying over him, Fitz. I'm not sad about that at all. I am thinking about my son though. I don't want to hurt him, but I know- I know this will."
"When he's older, he'll understand, Livie. And he might even understand right now, you just never know. Just give him time to adjust. I know I was happy when my mom left my shitty father. Not saying that Curtis is a shitty father, but as a kid, seeing my mom happy, it really made me happy."
Olivia smiled. Her man was sweet, and a mama's boy. "I need to call my mom to make sure they're home before going over there, then I'm going to have to see go Curtis too. There's so much I have to do," she sighed placing her forehead against his. "I don't even know where to begin."
Fitz gently grabbed her by the face and lifted her head so they could make eye contact. "Don't stress, Olivia. There's only so much you can do. Worry about handling one thing at a time. Whatever you need, I'm here to help you with. Baby, you're not doing this alone. I'm here."
Liv nodded at the advice. Fitz kissed her lips then reached for the plate of food making Olivia roll her eyes. He feed her some, but ended up eating most of the cold food himself before they showered together and got dressed.
Olivia held her phone in her hand with her mother's name on the screen. Fitz was in his home office giving her the space she needed to make the call. "Here we go," she exhaled tapping the call button.
"Hi, Livia!" Maya chirped after the third ring.
"Hey, mama," she greeted back. She could hear the smile in her mother's voice. "Are you home with Isaiah? I just wanted to be sure before I drove all the way there."
"Well, I am home. Curtis picked Isaiah up last night around nine though."
Olivia's heart dropped to her stomach at this information. Isaiah had been home last night?! Oh god! Did he hear her? Did he see her? Did he see Fitz? Shit! Shit! Shit!
"-What? Why," she asked trying to keep her voice from alarming her mother.
"I'm not sure, honey. I didn't ask questions. Why don't know you this, Olivia? Were you not at home last night? Are things ok between you and Curtis," Maya asked.
Olivia shook her head. "I- no, we're fine. Abby and I went out and l just stayed the night with her."
Maya frowned. "And you still haven't gone home yet? Liv, you need to call him."
"Yeah! Yeah, of course, I was going to. I just wanted to pick Isaiah up first before heading home but- but since he's already there, I'll just head there now. I'll talk to you later, mom. Ok?"
Maya hesitated. Even through the phone she knew something was off. "Ok, baby. We'll talk later, and remember you can talk to me about anything. I love you."
"I know, and I love you too, ma. Bye-bye," she said, rushing to end the call.
Olivia paced in circles as she felt a panic attack coming on and her mind raced. "Fuck," she shouted and hurled her phone across the room. "Fitz! Fitz!"
— A.