A/N: I apologize that the chapter wasn't uploaded yesterday like I promised and that it's a little short but it serves a great purpose. Instead of picking up where I left off from the last chapter, you will get Olivia's POV of what her day was like leading up to the moment Fitz was at her door. Hope you enjoy it!
Olivia was having a trying day and she wanted nothing more for it to end. She'd hardly gotten any sleep before the whirlwind of activities started. After waking up around noon, she'd revisited Sarah at the hospital who was being discharged that day. No family had stepped up for her and she was being taken into a foster home, it broke Olivia's heart that no one came to the young girl's rescue. She hugged her tightly and told her that she would always be in her thoughts. Sarah simply nodded her head and squared her shoulder, Olivia knew that look, it was the look of a child transforming into an adult prematurely. It was a look when your childhood innocence was stolen from you and you couldn't get it back. You had to be strong from that point onwards and look out for yourself, because if you didn't, no one would look out for you. Olivia could identify herself with that look, because that was her 15 years ago.
Leaving the hospital after seeing Sarah for probably the last time, brought so many unwanted feelings to the surface. She remembered moving in with a tyrant grandmother who only belittled her daughter's choices after she'd died. Instead of being empathetic towards the loss of her daughter, Claris belittled her actions, saying that she deserved what happened to her because she married a man she disapproved of.
Many a nights, Olivia stayed up late, crying in her room, asking God why he had to take her mother so soon. She didn't so much care for her father as he was an absentee presence in her life. She never understood why a girl's mother would be ripped away from her at such a tender age. Who would teach her how to be a proper woman? A mother? A daughter? A wife? She had to rely on external resources that didn't come from her hypocritical grandmother. Some days Olivia even wondered if she would ever get the opportunity to be married and have a family. Sometimes she craves it while other times she thinks she's best on her own.
She didn't know how to fully surrender herself to love and would always hold back a great portion of herself, in attempt to protect herself from experiencing great loss again. She feels loving kindness for others but that overwhelming emotion that consumes your every being has yet to come. Unbeknownst to her that it was already on its way.
When Olivia had gotten back from the hospital after lunch, she was surprised to see Officer Daniels aka Michael from the bar at her front door.
She was confused as to why he would be at her apartment, because she'd already visited the police station to give them her official statement two days ago. George was actually Sarah's mother (Lisa) uncle and they'd recently started living with him because tough times befell them in Oklahoma. Apparently, George is indeed a diabetic but also have schizophrenia and days without his medicine would cause him to become physically abusive towards Lisa. Some days he thought she was his wife Phyllis who'd left him for another man. Unfortunately, before any of this could've been reported, Lisa was murdered by the hands of her uncle. Everyone knew that Sarah had a long road ahead of her and Olivia prayed that she would make it.
In small gratitude, she was thankful for that day George called to report feeling lightheaded so that they could've saved Sarah before it was also too late for her. It was the least that could've be done for her, who will no doubt suffer with the harsh memory of her mother's cold corpse on the ground.
Olivia physically pulled herself out of her despondent thoughts to inquire about Michael's visit to her apartment. What he had to say, came across as a major shock.
He told her that there was a report of disturbance placed against her from one of the neighbors. Olivia argued and said that's stupid because she'd been out for the past three hours. He asked if anyone else was in the apartment and that was when she remembered Abby.
Olivia had grown tired of Abby's whining and also her messiness. Living by yourself, you got used to the way you kept your place and where you put things. Abby was driving Olivia up the wall and she was this close to tell her to move out but she knew she had no place to stay. Olivia knew she was pushing it and her patience was running thin.
After telling Michael that one of her friends were staying with her, he asks to be let inside to take a look around. The neighbors reported that they heard loud screams and music.
Olivia almost got a heart attack when she opened her front door to see Abby and some strange man on her living room floor having wild sex on top her green afghan.
There was a bottle of vodka draining on the floor while another one looks like it's completely empty. Olivia became fully livid. Her blood boiled within her veins, she was not in the mood to have to deal with this shit right now. Abby had crossed the lines and she needed to go.
"ABBY!" Olivia yelled, halting their rabbit hopping movements.
Abby stilled and look up from underneath the guy at Liv with a sheepish smile. "Hey, Liv," she pants. "I didn't know you would've been back so soon."
Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose and counted to ten. She tried to stay calm, even though the situation did nothing but made her livid.
"I need you to get out of my apartment now!" She points to Abby's flavor of the day which wasn't even the Hispanic guy she'd seen her with at the bar. "And, I need to see you now! In my room!" Olivia barks before stomping out of her living room and into her bedroom.
She was visibly upset, ready to rip Abby a new one. How dare she defile my place? She couldn't believe Abby's blatant disrespect towards her.
Olivia paced in circles until she sees Abby entering her room with her clothes roughly put on.
"What the fuck, Abby?"
Abby instantly knew that Olivia was not playing. She would only resort to cursing at times when she was extremely angry, which wasn't common.
"I'm sorry," Abby replied, sobered up from the time she kicked a hurriedly dressed Tim out of her friend's apartment to walking to her bedroom to confront her.
"Sorry? Is that all I'm going to get. You fucking needed a place to crash and all you did since you came here was bitch and moan about everything. I kept my mouth shut and allowed you to wallow in your self-pity. But this," Olivia wags her index finger in the air to get her point across. "This, you have outdone yourself. I don't know where you're going to go but you're not staying in my apartment anymore. I'm sorry but I need you to pack your stuffs and leave," it broke her heart to have to throw her friend out but she was beyond tired of Abby and her recklessness. Never had the cops had to show up at her apartment. What would her neighbors think of her? She was sure the person who overheard them was already talking to another person. That's how rumors start, she'd been living in the building for three years and never encountered any issues with anyone and she would be damned if she did so by the hands of Abby.
Abby looked at her like she'd seen a ghost, her face deathly white. Olivia said nothing but watched as her countenance moved from shocked to anger.
"You're just going to put me out? Liv, I have no place to go and Stephen doesn't want me in our apartment."
"STOP SAYING THAT!" Olivia reached her limit with her whining. She points an accusing finger in her direction before saying, "You don't have an apartment because you decide to leave. Stephen never told you to move out, you did! You did all of that on your own! Not Stephen, not me, you! So if you have anybody to blame for your misery it would be you! And quite frankly, he probably dogged a major bullet by not seeing you because you're crazy, Abby! Crazyyyy!" Olivia saw the moment when she'd crossed the line and hurt her friend but she was too upset to care.
Abby quickly masked her hurt expression and retort, "Fine! I'm leaving and as a FYI, this measly thing that you called a friendship is over. If it's not work related don't talk to me!"
Olivia watched as her friend or ex-friend put an end to their relationship. It hurt her that this is what it came down to but she was too prideful to beg for friendship. If that's what she wants then that's exactly what she'll get.
Olivia wordlessly retreats out of her bedroom to head back to the living room, having forgotten all about Michael.
Returning to her the living room, she sees Michael closing the door with a smug smile on his face.
"Who was that and why did you open my door?" Olivia demanded. She didn't care if he was the police, no one opened her door unless she asked them to. She'd worked too damn hard to acquire her own living space to allow any and everybody to do as they pleased in it.
Michael was taken aback by her sudden attitude which he should've seen coming after overhearing her and Abby fight for the past ten minutes. He all of a sudden felt foolish at what he'd did.
When Fitz had shown up at the door, he opened it and made sure to make himself look as homey as possible, leaning against the door frame for good measures. He could've clearly seen the shock on the other man's face and took great delight in inflicting pain on him. He'd seen the way that the two secretly looked at each other the night they were all at Molly's and it made him jealous because he liked Olivia. So when the lieutenant had asked for Olivia, he simply smirked and said, "She's in the bedroom cleaning up her mess," which was truth to some degree. She was getting rid of the mess that was Abby.
He chuckled internally at the man's raised eyebrows and rigid jaw. He watched him in his eyes, letting him know that he wasn't scared by his tactics. Eventually, Mike stood the winner as he watched her supposed suitor hightailed out of her apartment building.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Michael replied to her question, "It was your fire lieutenant. Grant or whatever his name is."
Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose again because this day kept getting better and better. She could only imagine what Fitz thought when he'd showed up at her door only to see Michael.
"What did you tell him?" She demanded again.
His sheepish smile returned as he answered, "that you were in the bedroom cleaning up."
"Get out of my apartment now!"
Michael's eyes widen at her command.
"You can't tell me to leave your apartment, I'm on a disturbance call," he tried to intimidate her by using the law.
"You're going to leave my apartment now. I know the law and you will not intimidate me. You already got what you needed, so now get out before I have to call your boss's boss."
Olivia stood with her chin up in defiance, not backing down from him.
Michael opened his mouth several times to counteract her dismissal, but in the end he give her a warning about the noise limit that wasn't permitted in the area. When he was finished, he exited her apartment building. Not soon after he'd left that Abby stormed out through the door with her giant suitcase from five nights ago with a huff as she passed Olivia.
Olivia ignored her and watched as she left. Luckily she'd never been given a key so she never had to ask for it back. When the door was closed, she turned to see the green afghan on the floor, and it only served to make her furious. She grabbed a big plastic bag from one of her kitchen drawers and held it with both hands from the outside. She scooped up the afghan without letting it touch her hands. Still fully dressed in her winter gears, she took the soiled bag all the way to the dumpster where she tossed it in. Satisfied that she was no longer subject to the defiled fabric, she made her way back upstairs.
Returned to her bedroom, only to see Abby had purposely thrown down her jewelry holder, spilling all of her costume jewelry on the floor. She knew that it had to be intentional because her jewelry holder was a bag with many small pouches on it that hangs on the top of her closet door by a hook. Shaking her head at the sight, Olivia leaves the room. She needed to get out of her apartment for a while. Her normal place of peace and tranquility was turned into hostility.
Standing in the kitchen with a bottle of water to her head, she tries to call Fitz but his phone kept ringing out. She was on her fifth call and ready to give up when she finally hears his dejected tone answer.
"Hello."
Olivia sighs because she didn't know how to explain her whirlwind of a day. She just wanted to be held and told that everything is fine. She needed to draw strength from someone other than herself. She was tired and sad and alone.
Ignoring his tone, she pleads in a soft voice to him, "can you come for me? I don't want to be home alone."
Fitz was getting frustrated on the other end. He didn't understand what kind of games she was playing with him. How could she ask me to come for her after I'd seen Michael at her door? He thought.
"What about, Michael?" he asked against better judgments, his tone was devoid from all emotions.
Olivia could feel her eyes filling up with tears. Was I going to lose him before I even had him? She asked herself. Steeling herself against such thinking, she replies, "It's not what you think. I'll explain it all to you. Right now I need a friend. Can you be that for me please?" She was never one to beg but she needed him.
Fitz couldn't deny the hurt he hears in her voice. He knows in his heart that he could never turn his back on her even if she she'd chosen to be with Michael. She needed him as her friend and he would be there for her. Putting aside jealous potential boyfriend Fitz, he became just her friend.
"Ok, I'll be there in ten minutes," he finally answers.
"Thank you," he hears her small voice replied before the call had ended.
Fitz knew something was wrong with the way she sounded when he'd talked to her on the phone. As soon as he'd hung up, he grabbed the keys to his truck and head out to her apartment. Through the short drive he kept wondering why she'd sounded so sad on the phone. He prayed to God that it had nothing to do with Michael.
Before Fitz could've made his way to the elevator, he saw Olivia standing in the lobby with her arms wrapped around her body. Even her old man friend did nothing to cheer her up as he stood next to her.
Fitz walked tentatively up to her until she saw him, he saw the relief in her eyes when theirs made contact. She turned to the old man to tell him she had to go before joining Fitz.
Waking right up to him, standing in the middle of the lobby, she looks up and say, "Hi."
Fitz forever towering over her looks down at her petite frame and smiled, this was his Livvie and he felt a confidence settled in his heart that she'd chosen him, his body relaxed a bit from the thought, and then was he able to return her greeting. "Hi."
Surprising each other, they simultaneously reached out for the other's hand to hold, before making their way through the double doors to his awaiting truck.
Olivia sensing that he was uneasy, felt like she needed to do something to quell his anxious thoughts. She wanted him to know what she was serious when she'd told him that they had a chance.
Before she could've buckled up her seatbelt, without thinking too much, she turned towards him and grabbed his face forcibly in both of her hands, catching him by surprise. She lowers her mouth to his in a soft kiss that tells him that she's in this, whatever it was, with him. His lips was tight at first but slowly began to relax from the kiss; before Olivia was able to pull away her lips, Fitz held onto the back of her head and deepened the kiss.
At first it was a simple touch of two lips that morphed into a slipping of each other's lips between the other's, then it became opened mouth when Fitz' tongue pleaded for entry that was immediately afforded to him. Sitting in the truck in the parking lot, the two held onto each other's faces as their mouths engaged in its first ever kiss. The kiss was like a symphony that got better with each sound, with each duel of their tongues they felt the oxytocin rush that was released. It was heaven on earth and they both lapped up its presence.
Only when it had become necessary for air, then and only then did they end the kiss. Resting on each other's forehead they both breathe in deeply. Olivia smiled and thanked her lucky stars that she didn't listen to Abby and let this man be relegated as just a friend. He could always be her friend, along with the title of being more. She wanted more.
Three hours after they'd arrived at Fitz' house, he listened intently as Olivia talked about her whirlwind day as he cooked one of the few meals he was capable of preparing, spaghetti and meatball with a side of homemade garlic bread. He kept mostly silent except for the occasional mmms and yesses to let her know that he was still with her. She needed to vent and he was there to let her. He was shocked about the huge fight she and Abby had ensued but that was to be expected with what she did to her apartment.
Fitz watched over from the stove at the kitchen island where Olivia sat nursing the second glass of wine, luckily for him he had a spare bottle of the Clarendon Hills he'd gifted her, thanks to the buy one get one half off sale the store had when he'd purchased it. She looked at home in his mother's house, donned a pair of blue denim jeans, pink sweater top and brown snow boots. Unfortunately, her wild curls that he love so much were slightly tamed by a hair tie that allowed some to escape on top the middle of her head. One hand held the wine glass while the other was stroking the soft coat of his dog. He couldn't help but smile at how much she looked like she belonged here.
Olivia appreciated Fitz allowing her to vent. A few hours earlier she was ready to cry from the frustrations she felt but now she was ok; it felt so good having someone listen to you and allow you to express your feelings without judgments. When they'd first gotten to Fitz' house she couldn't help but marveled at the interior design. Surprisingly, the walls were also mostly white with a lot of pastel colored decors. The interior design reminded Olivia of some country homes, most of the furnishings look like it had been hand painted, giving off a rustic look. She loved it from the time she'd entered through the front door, but sadly didn't have much time to properly take it in before Fitz whisked her away to the kitchen area with a promise of a tour later.
Sitting on the barstool, Olivia was scared shitless when out of the blues his dog, Bubba jumped her. Fitz assured her that he won't harm her. She quickly found that to be true from Bubba's gentle disposition with her; he made it easy for her to not be afraid of him. He was slopping up her feet and hands with wet kisses. Fitz told her that he really likes her because he never warms up to people that fast unless it's him or Teddy. She took great delight in that information and made it her personal mission to shower the dog with affection, little did she know by doing so, would she also feel tranquility. His mere presence as she talked about everything from Sarah's situation, to Abby and Michael, even though the words were venomous she felt nothing but peace. She was already in love with his dog. What is this man doing to me?
When he'd finished cooking, Fitz simply saunters over to her and tilts her head up. He brought the wooden soon to her mouth for her to taste the sauce he'd made for their meatballs.
Olivia allowed the taste to settle on her tongue, it was good. It wasn't acidic like some tomato sauce products taste like but it had the perfect balance of sweet and salt. She could even taste a little heat in it.
"Not bad," she smiled at him once he'd removed the spoon.
He smirked at her in reciprocation, still holding onto her chin; he brings his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. "Your lips are so soft," he murmurs against her mouth.
Olivia smiles against his lips and couldn't help how happy she felt. Thankful that a shitty day had a positive end.
They were broken out of the moment when Bubba started jumping up and down to get into the kiss. They both laughed at his boldness.
"Down boy! She's mine," Fitz tells him in faux sternness.
Bubba simply ignores him and puts his front paws on Olivia's lap before resting his head also on it.
"I guess he's not afraid of some competition," Olivia teased.
Looking her seriously in the eyes, Fitz replied, "Neither am I."
Olivia smiles shyly at him, "lucky for you, you don't have to."
Fitz gives her his panty dropping smile before sauntering back over to the stove where he began to dish out dinner for the two of them. Olivia watched his movements and loved how domesticated he was.
Taking a chance from time to time, occasionally brings in good rewards; she had a feeling that this might be her best reward yet.
A/N: Thanks for not killing me last chapter. Lol. What a day Liv had! They made major progress in this chapter. They shared their first kiss. Woohoo! So... thoughts on Abby and Olivia? Was Olivia too harsh on her? What would you have done if a friend did that to you? Michael got read! How dare he dismiss Lt. Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III? He's nuts. Smh. And Fitz didn't behave "too" jealous, thank God!
Poor Sarah :(
Let me know what you think of Olivia's and Fitz' new progress. Thanks again for reading this story and leaving reviews, they're much appreciated.
Until next time,
Xoxo
