CHAPTER 32

'You and Mickey, you were close?' asked Olivia, sympathetically. They were seated on a bench outside the house, bundled against the cold.

'Very close. He and Maggie adopted my Mum and... Well, I don't know my Dad at all, so Grandpa filled that gap. I don't know what I'll do without him now.' He sighed.

'I only met him once, when he and Maggie came to the house; Ma told me a lot about him though- how he helped her and Dad and what a brilliant lawyer he was.'

Nathan winced at her use of past tense. Only yesterday Mickey was enthusiastically talking about the cruise, so looking forward it. Fate was simply so cruel.

Olivia said quietly. 'You know, the only experience I've had similar to this was when my brother died. Nicky was killed in Iraq.'

Nathan shook his head.

Olivia continued. 'He was hardly at home enough for us to be really close, but I loved him; I'd hoped eventually he would stick around long enough for us to forge a relationship but... I just never thought he would die so suddenly and he was so young.'

Nathan squeezed her hand.

Olivia looked up at him, her eyes solemn. 'But one thing I do know and I hope it helps, Nathan- Nicky's always in my heart... and Ma's. He'll always be a part of us as long as we live. Just like Mickey will always be a part of you.'

Nathan smiled at her tenderly. 'It does help.'

Olivia shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. 'Yeah well, Ma's a lot better at this stuff...'

'I mean it, it does. I'm really glad you're here.' Nathan said softly, touching Olivia's hair. The tangled mass of curls was longer now, falling well past her shoulders. She was so beautiful, she took his breath away every time he looked at her. She stared back at him for the longest moment, her green eyes unwavering, not answering; not sure why she was so drawn to Nathan Horton. She was generally wary of men outside the family, promising herself not to date for a while. But Nathan... he was exceptional for some reason, maybe because of the genuine warm look in his eyes. Having no words to say, she smiled faintly.

Nathan leaned forward, savouring the fragrance coming from her. This wasn't the time or place to do what he's longed to do for a long time now. But he could no longer hold back his need for her. Slipping his arm round the girl he loved, Nathan's lips touched hers. Instinctively, Olivia's lips parted under his like a flower opening to the sun; as she received her very first kiss.

::::::::::::::::::

The whole room was suddenly quiet, everyone stunned at Hope's outburst but not as stunned as Carly. She recognized Bo's wife immediately. 'Hope? I don't understand...'

'You slept with my husband and now you have the nerve to set foot in this house,' Hope shouted, her eyes glinting with rage, 'and pretend you don't know what I'm talking about!'

'Hope!' Maggie rose from her seat, shocked. 'You can't talk that way to Carly!'

'Why the hell should I show any courtesy to this home wrecker; Bo's divorcing me because of her... I owe her nothing!' Hope yelled, thoroughly infuriated at Carly's presence, her hands balled into fists. No one noticed Will slipping away.

Carly shook her head, shocked at the accusation. 'You've got it all wrong... Bo and I aren't having an affair, I promise you...'

'A liar as well as a thieving whore and slut, using that little bastard of yours to take Bo away from me!' Hope shoved her violently. 'I've already told you to get out... GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE!' she screamed.

Olivia suddenly appeared from behind, her face very white as she faced Hope.

'How dare you call my mother names!' she hissed.

'Olivia, no.' Carly pleaded.

Hope glared back at the girl she loathed as well. 'You want to defend your mummy, be my guest! If she didn't want to be called a whore she shouldn't have fucked my husband in the first place!'

Carly clearly saw what was coming next and tried to prevent it but Olivia was quicker.

WHAM!

Everyone gasped as Olivia's ringed fist made contact with Hope's jaw, causing her to stagger.

'Oh shit...' Will murmured.

'Call my mother a whore or put your fingers on her EVER AGAIN, I will slit your bloody throat; you hear me?' Olivia snarled, her green eyes glinting as she let loose the temper she'd inherited from Bo.

'You little hellion; how dare you!' cried Julie, shocked.

Doug grabbed Hope's arms before she could pounce on Olivia. 'You get out, before I arrest you for assault!' she shouted.

'You want a piece of me- then let's take it outside instead of hiding behind Daddy Dearest!' was the angry answer.

The two women were separated before they could come to blows- Hope was pulled away by Doug, Maggie and Julie; Olivia- with some difficulty- by Nathan and Carly.

'Get out!' Hope screamed.

'UP YOURS, you first class bitch!' Olivia snarled back.

'That's enough!' Maggie cried, truly distressed. 'Hope, upstairs now!'

Hope's parents led her away. Maggie turned to Carly helplessly as she was leading her simmering daughter out, 'I'm so sorry about this...'

Carly shook her head, her face white but wearing cold dignity. 'Please Maggie, don't. I've caused enough trouble already. Let's go home, honey.'

The crowd parted as Carly and Olivia made their exit. Nathan tried to follow but Will stopped him. 'I don't think she would want you hovering around just now. Give her time to cool off.'

'I still can't believe Hope said all that to Carly.' Nathan said, appalled. Hope was a totally different person all of a sudden, yelling insults at the innocent woman like a freaking banshee. What the hell was she thinking? And what the hell was Bo going to say when he arrived?

A thought suddenly occurred to him and he slapped his head. It's my fault! He scolded himself, remembering his words Hope had overhead... I saw Bo kissing Carly in her kitchen and trust me, the way they were at it, I don't think he was thinking about Hope at all... those fatal words had made Hope, already jealous of Carly, to assume the worse and trash her in public. If Olivia found out he partly caused her mother's humiliation, she'll never forgive him!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A few hours later, Olivia opened the door and Bo entered, gathering her in his arms and held her for a long while. 'Are you okay?' he asked, letting her go.

Olivia nodded. 'I take it you heard what happened,' she said gruffly. 'You're probably disappointed in me but I couldn't sit back and hear Mum being called a...'

Bo held her face. 'I'm not angry, nor disappointed.'

'She made me see red!' Olivia burst out, anger resurfacing. 'If only you'd been there to hear her...!'

Bo shook his head. 'Nathan, Lucas and Will told me the whole story.'

After hearing it, he'd been both incredulous and furious, demanding to know where Hope was to give her a piece of his mind but Doug and Julie had refused to let him see her. And Maggie was more than upset, so after paying her his respects had left the house immediately; Carly and Olivia foremost in his mind.

'Where's your Mum?'

'Taking a walk on the beach, she hasn't said a word since we got back.' Olivia shook her head. 'She's trying hard to hide it, but I know she's really upset and freaked out by everything Hope said to her.'

Bo let her go. 'I'll go find her and explain things.'

Olivia hesitated. 'Are you also going to...'

'Tell her I love her?' Bo said calmly. 'Watch me.' Inwardly he longed to shake Hope until her teeth rattled for her terrible behaviour. There'll be hell to pay to pay if Carly decided to leave Salem because of the mess his ex-wife has caused.

Ex-wife. The divorce was now final and he was free at last. And now, he was more than ready to claim his princess.

Opening the patio doors, he walked down the path way leading to the private beach.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A lot of thoughts were running through Carly's mind as she pulled her coat closer to her. Shock, anger, confusion, helplessness. Lexie assuming the role of Hope's advocate was bad enough but for the woman herself to slander her in public was way too much to ignore.

What the hell am I supposed to do now? She thought miserably. Leave Salem? She couldn't take Olivia away from Bo. Yet again, how the hell could she live with this humiliation or watch Bo's marriage crumble because of her? Bo's divorcing me because of her! Hope's angry words rang in her ears repeatedly.

'Carly!'

She turned as Bo hurried to her, his anxious eyes on her face. 'Are you okay?' he asked.

Carly stared back at him, arms folded, not answering him.

Bo sighed. 'I guess I have a lot of explaining to do...'

'Bo, you said you and Hope weren't having problems because of Olivia and me.' Carly said quietly. 'But now I find out you were lying to me.'

'It's not like that, Carly!' Bo protested. 'I didn't lie! And I'll never forgive Hope for what she said to you, she was way out of line.'

'Maybe. But angry wives don't really see that line- not when they're fighting for what's theirs. If you were trying to spare my feelings, it didn't work. We have to make new arrangements now.'

'What do you mean by that?' Bo snapped.

It was the most heartrending decision she's ever had to make but Carly had no other choice. 'I'm taking Olivia and we're leaving Salem...'

'Over my dead body!' Bo said, his voice shaking. 'You're not going anywhere and you're sure as hell NOT taking my daughter away!'

'But what do you want me to do?' Carly cried. 'We can't avoid each other all together... and you and Hope stand a better chance of reconciling if I'm not there...'

'Hope is no longer my wife.'

'What?' Carly wasn't sure she'd heard right. 'What was that?'

'The divorce is now final; I'm no longer married to her.'

Carly shook her head in disbelief, filled with shock.

'Bo, what have you done? You did this because of me?' she backed away only for strong arms to pull her back.

'Carly,' Bo held her firmly. 'Hope and I already had problems, long before Naveen came to me.'

'But... but Jennifer said...'

'Jennifer?' Bo said sharply. 'What the hell did she say to you?'

Carly didn't look at him. 'She said you and Hope have had many rough patches but no matter how serious they were, you two always found your way back to each other.'

'I don't believe it!'

'Bo, please don't get angry with her; Jennifer would never say something like that just to hurt me. I guess, she was just trying to...'

'I don't give a damn what Jennifer thought!' Bo snapped, furious at Jennifer's big mouth. 'She had no right to say that to you; especially since it was Hope who filed for a divorce in the first place!'

'What?' Carly gasped. 'Hope did that? But why? How did things get that bad?'

Bo told her the whole story of Ciara's kidnap and the aftermath. Carly was shaking in disbelief when he added, 'She told me I was a bad father, a lousy husband and was sick of me ruining her life and hurting her children.'

'Like you would put your children's lives in danger!' she said angrily. 'Zach's death wasn't your fault! And your methods GOT Ciara back; why she of all people would question that, it's beyond me.'

Bo stroked her hair. 'You would never have done that.'

'She and I are different.'

'Exactly.' Bo looked deep in her eyes. Blushing, Carly lowered her glance.

'Bo, I... damn it, it's difficult to put words together!' she burst out in frustration.

'Why?'

'Because of the way you're looking at me right now,' Carly muttered, 'and I really wish you wouldn't.'

Bo raised her chin, moving his face close to hers but Carly turned away at the last minute. 'Carly...' he said, hurt.

'I'm sorry, Bo. I just think we're too caught up with emotion... you suddenly find out I'm not dead, you just got divorced...'

'Carly, I'm not a kid; I know exactly how I feel about you.' Bo raised her chin again, his brown eyes blazing. 'I love you, princess.'

She stared at him, still not daring to believe what he was saying. 'You love me?'

'I never stopped loving you!' Bo said passionately. 'Do you have any idea what I went through when you supposedly died? How I had to block the memories because it hurt so badly? Carly,' he held her face between his large hands, ' you were taken from me. Now, I want us to pick up from where we left off.'

Carly's green eyes looked back at him solemnly, before asking the question she'd long dreaded to ask, 'And... If Hope had returned when we were married?' at the same time thinking about Billie Reed.

Bo shook his head firmly. 'I wouldn't have left you, never. I loved Hope very much; she was the love of my youth. But you and I... we're different. We're each other's port in the storm, princess- always rescuing each other. You're my mature love, to put it plainly.'

He stroked her lower lip with the tip of his thumb. 'years ago, when I finally admitted to myself I'd made a huge mistake pushing you away, I said to myself and I'm saying it to you now; you are the one I want for the rest of my life.' his eyes bored into hers, filled with love and sincerity. 'I love you so much, princess. You coming back during another dark period of my life more than proves we're meant to be together, always.'

Carly's eyes filled with tears at his words. 'I... don't know what to say.' she murmured.

Bo wiped away her tears with the back of his thumbs and held her head, brown eyes fixed fiercely on hers. 'Say you believe everything I said.'

Carly bit her lip, struggling not to cry again. 'Every word.' Her hands went up to touch his cheeks; thinking she'd never loved the man standing before her more than she did right now.

'You're the most wonderful man I've ever known,' she whispered. 'I tried so hard to hide just how much I love you... I just kept thinking about how so much time's passed and a lot of things have changed...'

Bo's lips captured hers, murmuring against them, 'you stupid... stubborn... beautiful... adorable... precious woman...'

Carly clung to him as he kissed her long and hard, his arms wrapped closely round her.

'I love you Carly Manning, with all my heart and soul. I'm not going to lose you again; I won't let anyone take you from me again, never.'

They held each other tightly, their lips merged in a passionate, almost brutal kiss. Leaving her mouth, Bo trailed his lips down her neck, his breath warm against her skin; kissing her cheeks, her eyes, the tip of her nose before capturing her mouth again. Carly kissed him back fiercely, matching his passion with hers, fingers running through his hair. She wouldn't have interfered in his marriage- even if Jennifer hadn't given her the well-meant warning. But she'd turned out to be wrong; so very wrong.

They kissed for a long time, completely lost in a world of their own.