Chapter 4-Colors
Two Days Later
"Are we just going to pretend the kiss didn't happen?" Fitz was much stronger now, able to sit up on his own, the dizziness subsided. Liv had come in, as she had the past two days, to deliver his breakfast and she turned to leave when he asked her the question.
"You haven't said a word to me in two days, Liv, I am sorry, I know that was sudden, but I don't regret it, and it just felt so."
"Right". She turned and looked at him, finally. "It felt right, and I am having trouble understanding that. Look Fitz, I came here for the colors of Autumn. I came here to get my life back on track. I know you have no idea what I am talking about, but I just want to focus on painting."
Fitz nodded. He was determined and although he felt defeated now, he wasn't going down without a fight. He felt such a connection to her and there was nothing he wouldn't do to make her happy, if only he could get to the bottom of that ring, the guy. She was just so stubborn and secluded, he never met someone like her.
"After you eat, you can go. Your blood pressure is stabilized, your vitals look good, and you have no more signs of the concussion. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to be surrounded by gold, red, orange, and yellow, not the amazing blue of your eyes." Liv walked out the door and found a spot near the oak tree outside.
She leaned up against the tree, sitting with her back against it. She looked up and saw an umbrella of the most magnificent colors. If it rained, she imagined the colors being leaked into the raindrops. It was a premise to a remarkable picture she could paint. Raindrops with the colors of fall within them, the trees almost mirrored in the drops. Her eyes were closed as she thought of gray sky in the background, and that brought her to the grayness of his eyes when they kissed.
Her right hand was circling the ring on her left ring finger around and around. He had asked about it. It was the first time she had been asked about it since Derek died. Abby wouldn't ask, she knew, and her parents wanted her to be rid of it already. She was just so startled between the kiss and the question, this after a sign from Derek with the pictured falling.
She didn't come here for this. She wasn't supposed to meet someone like Fitz. She was just supposed to paint. The painting would bring her back to life, but did it? When she saw Fitz needed medical help, she didn't' hesitate.
"Brilliant." That's what Adam told the paramedics when they arrived. "I thought he was in rough shape, but Ms. Pope was brilliant, and he seems fine now."
The rush of adrenaline that overtook her when she saw the open wounds, the near perfection of stitching them up after stopping the bleeding, and the ease of starting an IV without a glitch, it just all brought meaning back to her. Why then couldn't she let go? It wasn't Fitz's fault, but she treated him as though it was and that wasn't fair.
In fairness, she returned the kiss, she didn't deny it or back from it, because she wanted it, but what about all the other women? She could've asked, after he asked his question, but she just needed air, and she walked out of the room, only returning to remove the IV and give him his food several hours later.
She needed to get back in there to her canvass. She hadn't painted now in two days, fearing all she would paint was their lips locked, but she couldn't let this fall rain picture leave her mind. She couldn't lose the colors while she had them. But he was in there and until he left, she wasn't going to be able to concentrate.
Fitz quickly washed up and looked around the room after he got dressed. He looked at the pictures that fell over while they were kissing. He picked up the frame and got a closer look. The happiness in her smile, the gleam in her eyes, she truly loved whomever this man was. Fitz felt a wave of jealousy, anger, anger and jealousy, rush through his body.
The thought that she could never be his hit him hard. He placed the frame back down. She wanted fall colors all around her, fall colors she would get. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
He ordered dozens of fall wreaths from his florist located in town. Wreaths covered with leaves and magnolia flowers. He ordered the works and added extra money to have them delivered ASAP. Having been a customer for years, the florist had no problem dropping everything and he would have it there within the hour, as he had a few wreaths already completed for sale.
He watched contently from the window as she sat under the big oak tree. He looked up and saw the colors and he realized he was looking at a tree, at its leaves in a different perspective. He never noticed that tree, no matter how many times he walked past it, but now it swallowed him. He understood her love of the colors it bore.
That tree was changing, the leaves making its change look beautiful, only to become bare in a few weeks and look completely different in several months. This tree was explaining his life to him, and he understood the need Olivia had to feel and embrace the change she needed.
He called Adam, told him about the floral delivery and told him to come let them set it up. He would keep Liv distracted outside and to text him when it was finished. He had no idea how he would talk her up, she barely said two words to him for two days, but he was going to give it his best.
She heard him approaching. Leaves are good for that. No one could ever sneak up on you when leaves are on the ground. They crunch beneath your feet, and there is no silencing that sound from nature. She heard the crunch of the leaves, and she felt his presence, she didn't have to look to see if it was him, she just knew. This man did things to her body, things Derek never did.
"He's dead." She said it without even looking at him. She felt the tears in her eyes, and she looked back up at the umbrella of colors. "Derek, I got the ring from Derek, but he's dead." She mustered up the strength to finish the sentence and she buried her face in her hands.
She heard him take a deep breath, pause, and then continue to towards her. His shoulder brushed against hers as he sat next to her. He didn't speak, but she heard him breathing and if she listened carefully, she could hear his heartbeat, or was that hers? Either way, she didn't want him to see her water-soaked eyes, so she kept her hands over her eyes.
"Livvie." He said the name she loved to hear come out his mouth. "I am so sorry; do you want to talk about it? I understand if you don't, but I am here if you do." He picked up a leaf and began looking at it trying to see it from her perspective and impress her with a description.
"Who is Elaine?" Liv calmed enough to speak and that was her first question. He was busy looking at the leaf, he hadn't noticed that she was now facing him. He turned slowly shocked by her question, and their eyes met, hers filled now with demand, wanting an answer.
Before he could speak, she continued. "And Samantha? And what did you tell all the women you had lined up on the islands?"
His eyebrows rose up, he was almost on the verge of laughter because how the hell did she know? He controlled himself trying to find the words to come out. So, she did care, and she did know things about him.
He bowed his head, a bit shameful, and nodded. "Touché, Ms. Pope, seems someone did some research."
"Well," he began, and he suddenly felt like he was in the principal's office having to explain why he was caught skipping school. He looked at the leaf he had picked up and little did he know the epic fail he would have trying to compare his life to it. He was no Olivia when it came to describing leaves.
"Well, you see the golden color of this leaf, it's the color of the whole leaf. There isn't any other color on here and well, sometimes that's me, I feel like I have one color and I…." then he stopped. Liv was looking at him sadly as if she felt sorry for him.
"Look, I don't know how you found out about the women and the trip I canceled, but that's not me anymore. I vowed to change my lifestyle a few months ago, and then I sealed the deal by canceling the trip all together."
"Why did you cancel the trip?"
He looked directly at her now, their eyes focused on one another, and in the lowest baritone voice that sent chills up Liv's spine, he said "because of you.", and continued to stare at her without even blinking.
She took a hard swallow and had to look away. "Because of me? You didn't even know me."
"I know that, but you walked in the lobby and my plane was being fueled to leave within the hour, but I couldn't go knowing someone as beautiful as you were on property. I forgot all the other women, didn't even remember their names until you just mentioned two of them, but it was you, I wanted to know you. So, I let Jennifer, one of my associates, fly to get her husband and kids and continue using the plane to get to her dying mother in Washington State." Fitz shrugged as if it was no big deal.
Liv realized that's who he led out of the lobby when she had seen the crying woman. She wasn't hurt at all by Fitz, she was comforted by him, and Liv felt so low. Why did she listen to an asshole like Jake?
"But you Livvie, I saw you and I didn't care what you wanted, I wanted to be the one to give it you, to get it for you, to just get to know you."
"You can't give me everything I want Fitz; it doesn't work like that. That's how I lost Derek. He was getting something for me that I wanted. He was shot in an armed robbery. He was in a store I had him go in and he never came out, he died, and he took a huge piece of me when he did. Now, I am here trying to get me back, but I can't because all I think about when I think about me, is you."
Fitz didn't know what to say to that. They were finally talking, and he didn't want this to stop so he had to find the words, and fast. His phone buzzed and the text from Adam said he was there with the delivery, and they were setting up the wreaths.
"I don't remember much about my fall, when I got hurt, but I remember falling into darkness and seeing your smile brighten the way. I followed that smile, and I didn't feel much pain."
Liv looked down, blushing. "You see, Fitz, Derek's death hurt me in a way that I could never explain. I secluded myself. I shut down the outside world and I didn't let anyone in. It was unhealthy, I knew that, but I still did it, because I was afraid to live."
Fitz nodded, just listening at this point. "What brought you to Vermont then? How did you wind up here?"
Liv took a deep breath. "About two months ago, I finally ventured out, heading to a few stores. I passed a travel agency and there was a poster in the window. Vermont, come witness its beauty. I didn't think much of it, but every time I walked by it just drew me closer, like I had a connection."
"It does have a certain feel. I just love Vermont, even though I am from California, and I can't stand the east coast weather, I just have a place called home here. I don't consider this a business; I consider it more of a home."
"Well anyway, I stopped one day to truly examine the poster and there were the most gorgeous green mountains, beautiful snowy hills for skiing, and in the top right corner there was an overhead view of the trees in Autumn. It was breathtaking, and I got a thought in my head that I wanted to paint again. I went into the travel agency and I got the brochure to this place."
"Were you not able to get a reservation, I run a great resort, you know?" Fitz smirked and it brought a smile to Liv.
"No, actually I went home and started doodling and soon, I had the overhead picture drawn but, in the picture, my face was looking down at it from above. Of course, it was with a pencil, so no color and I decided I needed to book a trip to see the fall colors of the Autumn leaves."
"And here you are." Fitz said it as he boldly reached for her hand. She didn't pull away and he felt her thumb rub around his palm. It was the gentlest thing he had ever felt.
"Well, I told myself, like I told you, the leaves change and accept it, and I had to think long and hard about that. Their change brings beauty to the world around us. I came here knowing I would paint, just paint, get a perfect picture, store Derek in my heart and go back to my life once Autumn leaves, so yeah, here I am."
Fitz's phone buzzed again. All done boss, enjoy.
"Liv, would you mind," he looked down, struggled to get the words out, "could I take you out to dinner tonight? Nothing fancy, a burger, some fries, maybe a lobster roll?"
She side eyed him, nodded her head in agreement, and said "I would very much like that." She looked at his forehead, the stitches were settling fine and would come out in a few days. "How is your leg?"
"Feels good, come on, I will even walk you to the door. I need to head over to the office then I'll be by to pick you up around seven?" Fitz stood up and reached his hands out for her to grab and pull herself up.
"Yeah, sounds good." She reached her hands up and he pulled her from the sitting position with just a bit too much pull and she fell against him, but he held her, tight and close to his chest. This time, she put her arms around him. "Thank you for listening Fitz." She took a step back and headed towards the door.
He was right behind her. "I am always here if you just need me to listen. Maybe one day I can watch you paint. I got to see the ending of a masterpiece, and you were spectacular."
"Thank you, I just wish the colors would stay brightened, darkness comes so fast during the fall that I don't have the colors around me anymore…" Liv just stopped as she opened her door to a sea of fall wreaths in every room.
"Oh my, Fitz, what is this?" She had her mouth covered with one hand as her eyes moved from wreath to wreath, each one sculpted so differently.
"You wanted to be surrounded by fall colors, here you have it. I'll see you at seven Livvie." With that, he turned and walked away towards the path back to the office.
She heard the knock on the door several hours later and her stomach filled with anticipation. She hadn't felt this in a long time. She had spent the hours leading up to that knock painting and doing the hardest thing she had to do, take her engagement ring off.
They sat in a small burger place that raved itself on being Vermont's best comfort food. They had both ordered and ate with little to say, but Fitz watched Olivia devour her burger and he thinks that concealed his love for her.
This woman clearly did not care about being a fake etiquette lady like person, and Fitz loved it. He had been in the presence of so many fake women just wanting to impress but not Liv, she didn't care. At one point she stopped chewing, moved her food to the side of her mouth, bulging her cute cheek and said "what?' as she shrugged with a fry about to go into her mouth.
Fitz just smiled. "Nothing, you are beautiful when you eat."
"Freak", she said smiling. She swallowed her mouthful. "Who says something like that?" She began to laugh. It wasn't that funny, but it was, and it was the medicine she needed.
They had been caught up in eating and small talk that Fitz hadn't noticed the ring was off her yet. As they approached her place and he walked her to the door they stopped and faced each other. Liv looked directly into his eyes. "I have something for you."
"You do?" he was pleasantly surprised.
"I do, wait here." Liv went into the art room and grabbed the canvass of the picture she had made after their talk earlier.
"Close your eyes." And Fitz did as she asked. She stood in the doorway now and held the canvass in front of her. "Ok, open them."
Fitz looked down at the picture she was holding. "Wow." And that is really all he could say. He was looking at the tall oak tree, the colors perfected, and leaned up against the trunk were the two of them. Fitz's hand was interlocked with hers in the picture and he could just stare, because the capture of the colors so perfectly took his breath away.
As she handed the canvass to him, that's when he noticed she had taken the ring off her finger, and it sent a rush up his body that he never before felt in his life. Dear God, he loved the leaves now, because this is how it must feel to change in a way you could not prepare for in life.
Liv watched as he took the painting. She had watched him examine the picture and she could tell it did something to him, melted him just a little, and that was all the comfort she needed to know she could move forward with this man, if he would let her.
Watching him smile as he held the picture, she reached up, placed her hand on those soft curls and pulled him down to her lips. She gave him a soft kiss, that he returned just as soft.
"Thank you for an amazing time today and tonight, Fitz. Will I see you tomorrow?"
"I sure hope so, and the day after that, and the day after that, but I won't push it, it's on your terms Livvie."
"Tomorrow it is, seven a.m.? We can take a morning walk through all the foliage."
"I can't think of another way to spend the morning. See you tomorrow Livvie."
She watched as he gently placed the painting on the passenger seat and drove away. Once she closed the door, she reached for her burner phone and dialed her mother.
"Baby, you ok? It's late."
"I know, mom, I am sorry, I am fine." She took a deep breath. "I think I am falling in love." She heard a squeal of happiness come from the woman she called mom and braced herself for a few hours of talking, all about Fitzgerald Grant.
Fitz glanced at the painting as he parked outside his cabin. It was amazing, what a talent she had. He picked up the painting, smiling all the way into his cabin, where he set it down just in front of his bed. He was hoping, by doing that he would dream of her tonight.
She had taken off the ring. Did that mean he could move forward with her? He hoped so, but he needed to take it slow.
His phone buzzed and he was surprised to see his dad's number on the display.
"Dad. Everything alright?"
"Just fine, son, calling to see what is going on with you. I haven't heard from you, and I had to hear from Adam you canceled a women filled Caribbean vacation? What prompted that? So, is everything alright with you?"
Fitz set himself upright on his bed. He looked at the painting and took a deep breath. "Brace yourself dad, I am going to tell you all about a beautiful woman named Olivia Pope."