Alex's phone rang as they were cleaning up the dinner mess. Alex dug through her purse and grabbed her phone.
"Cabot," Alex answered. Her face drained of color and she took a deep breath. Olivia noticed and watched Alex. "I…I'm not…Can I please say something?…no…Charlie, I wouldn't…" Then Alex looked at her phone and closed it.
Alex was looking down and Olivia dipped her head down to catch Alex's eyes, "Are you okay?"
Alex took a deep breath and nodded.
Olivia enveloped Alex in her arms and stroked Alex's hair, "You know what? I think ice cream is in order."
Alex nodded into Olivia's shoulder and pulled away.
"Before we get ice cream, can I ask you a huge favor?" Alex asked.
"Of course," Olivia said walking with Alex to the door.
"I want to go end it with Charlie," Alex replied, "And get my stuff back. Will you come with me?"
Olivia nodded, "Of course."
They put their jacket on and Olivia instructed Alex how to get to Charlie's apartment. When they were outside, Alex looked up at the building for a moment before looking over at Olivia, "Um…will you come up with me? You don't have to come inside. I just…would feel safer if you stood in the hallway?"
Olivia picked up Alex's hand and reassuringly squeezed it, "I'll do anything you need me to."
The inside of the building was very nice and elegantly done. Apparently Charlie had some money.
They got into the elevator and Alex closed her eyes and took deep breaths.
Olivia reached up and rubbed her shoulder, "Are you going to be okay?"
Alex nodded, "I just want to get this over with."
When the doors open, Alex confidently led the way out and knocked on the closest apartment to the elevator.
The door swung open and there stood a tall woman with long brown hair. Her skin was the kind of tan you get from laying on the beach for days. Her jeans were tight as was her shirt. She was definitely attractive.
"Who the hell is this?" she asked.
"This is Olivia," Alex replied, "She's a friend. She came to help me get my stuff."
"Get your stuff?" the woman raised her eyebrows.
"Yeah," Alex brushed past her and walked out of sight.
The woman sized up Olivia.
It finally clicked with Olivia, "You're Charlie?"
The woman nodded and crossed her arms. Charlie huffed and walked to where Alex walked off to. Olivia stepped in, but stuck close to the door. This wasn't her business. She was just there to make sure Alex was okay.
"What the hell are you doing?" Alex asked as Charlie started throwing Alex's stuff into the corner, a few things breaking.
Olivia rushed to the back. Charlie stopped throwing things when Olivia appeared.
"Get the hell out of my apartment!" Charlie yelled at Olivia.
Olivia looked at her, "I'm just here to make sure Alex is okay and stays that way. This will go a lot fast if you come into the living room with me."
Charlie followed Olivia to the living room and muttered, "That bitch better not take any of my shit."
Olivia whirled on Charlie, "How dare you talk about Alex like that. She is one of the most kind-hearted women I've ever met. She's sweet and brilliant and here you are treating her like shit." Olivia was completely disgusted with Charlie at this point and didn't hold any punches. "You can't just yell and throw shit and expect her to stay with you. She is a wonderful woman and you don't deserve any part of her."
Charlie crossed her arms, "You're in love with her aren't you?"
Olivia wasn't really thinking and answered quickly, "Yes, but I'm not going to tell her that because I do care about her and she doesn't need any more shit to deal with."
"How can you say I don't care?!" Charlie yelled, "You're don't fucking know me!"
"I've been here for two minutes and I already know that you don't deserve anyone, especially Alex!" Olivia let her temper get the best of her and yelled at the woman in front of her.
Alex could hear the entire conversation from Charlie's closet where she was getting the rest of her clothes. She was so touched that Olivia was defending her like that and was stunned when Olivia admitted that she was in love with her. It was definitely not something she expected. She wasn't really sure how she wanted to handle it at this point, but decided that it was best to contemplate the situation with Olivia somewhere were her now ex was living.
Alex threw her clothes in an empty box and walked to the living room where Olivia was just waiting for Charlie to swing at her so she could take her down hard.
"C'mon Liv," Alex stated and went for the door.
A hand on her wrist stopped her, "Alex, stay please." Charlie was starting to plead.
"Let go," Alex glared at Charlie.
Charlie wouldn't let go, "Let's just talk about this baby."
"Go to hell," Alex tried to yank her hand away, but Charlie's grip was tight.
Olivia took a step closer to Charlie and warned her, "Let. Go." By now Olivia was seething. One false move and Charlie would be on the ground in handcuffs within seconds.
Charlie raised her hand. Olivia wasn't sure who the swing was intended for, but she was going to make sure it never landed. Olivia tackled Charlie to the ground and had her on her stomach with her hands behind her back in no time flat.
Olivia twisted Charlie's arm higher until the woman whimpered, "If I ever catch you anywhere near Alex again, you will be arrested. Understand?"
Charlie gritted her teeth and nodded.
Olivia pushed off of Charlie and walked out the door with Alex behind her.
When they were in the car both were silent waiting for the other to speak.
"Thank you so much," Alex said quietly, "For everything you did and said."
Olivia gulped, "How much did you hear?"
Alex held Olivia's eyes, "Everything."
"Look, I…I don't want you to feel pressure to do anything with what I said," Olivia quickly added, "I'm perfectly happy being your friend. And after that nut job you probably need all the time you can get. So don't even think about it. In fact, forget you ever heard me say it."
Alex chuckled and took Olivia's hand, trying to stop her from babbling, "It's okay. I'm completely flattered and you're right, I do need some time to contemplate my unexplored feelings for you."
Olivia's eyebrows furrowed.
"So, ice cream?" Alex smiled.
Olivia smiled back and nodded.
They walked into an ice cream shop together, got their ice cream, and sat at a table for two near the front of the shop. Music floated through the speakers of a small radio on the counter.
Olivia couldn't have picked a more appropriate song for how she felt about Alex.
They read you Cinderella
You hoped it would come true
That one day your prince charming
Would come rescue you,
You like romantic movies
You never will forget
The way you felt when Romeo kissed Juliet
All this time that you've been waiting
You don't have to wait no more
Alex smiled at the amazing woman across the small table across from her. She couldn't think of anyone with a bigger heart than Olivia and it warmed Alex's entire body to know that she had a place in that heart. Olivia was definitely her Prince(ss) Charming. Her knight in shining armor.
I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move heaven and earth if you were my girl
I will give you my heart
Be all that you need
Show you you're everything that's precious to me
If you give me a chance
I can love you like that
It was safe for Alex to say that she did have feeling for Olivia that went beyond the realm of friendship, but she didn't want to say anything too soon at the risk of sounding insincere and on the rebound.
I never make a promise I don't intend to keep
So when I say forever, forever's what I mean
I'm no Casanova but I swear this much is true
I'll be holding nothin' back when it comes to you,
You dream of love that's everlasting
Well baby open up your eyes
Olivia was trying desperately to figure out what Alex was thinking about. She knew that if Alex let her, she'd hold nothing back. Alex was the first person that she trusted enough to give her heart to. After everything they'd been through together in the past few hours, she was amazed at how much more in love she'd fallen for the ADA in front of her. She knew she'd do anything for Alex.
I can love you like that