Author's note: I would like to take a moment to say thank you for all of the amazing reviews. I wasn't yet sure which direction I wanted to take the story in, but everyone's reaction helped me decide. Please enjoy this next chapter. I look forward to hearing what everyone thinks.
Olivia wasn't sure what to feel. She had spent much of her life in loveless relationships. Her career was her family, and she didn't have time for anything more. This wasn't the first time she had found herself drinking alone, but it was certainly the most frustrating. Unfortunately, she knew it was her own fault. She was the one who had insisted their relationship not blossom too quickly, and in the process, she had only pushed Casey further away.
She was the one who had referred to their dinner plans as a date, and even bought the attorney flowers. If that didn't scream mixed signals, nothing did. At this point, Olivia was at a loss for words. She had picked up her phone and opened a text to Casey multiple times, wanting to apologize, to reassure her, or to just say something at all. Unable to choose the perfect string of words, the brunette sighed deeply, closing the text out each time before sending it.
As she finished her second beer, Olivia smiled softly at the young woman who had just sat down beside her. She had seen this girl here on multiple occasions. With long black hair and gorgeous hazel eyes, she was striking. Olivia knew she couldn't have been more than thirty. The girl had flirted with her on a few occasions, especially lately, but Olivia had been turning her down, claiming she was in love with someone else. It wasn't a total lie.
But tonight, desperate for a distraction, Olivia decided to give into the flirtation. Casey was probably doing the same thing somewhere, and they hadn't exactly agreed to be exclusive. She didn't owe anything to anyone. Before she could stop herself, Olivia had struck up a conversation with the younger woman; the conversation quickly turned into an invitation to her apartment.
But then, as quickly as she had lost her senses, Olivia regained them. She had just offered the other woman a glass of wine and shared a passionate kiss with her when a thousand thoughts assaulted her. She thought of Casey in bed, her long red hair splayed around the pillows, her normally pale skin flushed with orgasmic bliss. The beginnings of something she didn't quite understand tangled in Olivia's stomach, then yanked at her heart.
Suddenly, she realized what it was: guilt. She had basically used Casey under the guise that she was different than any other girl Olivia had ever been with. And yet, here she was, celebrating her conquest by finding another. After years of being stuck in the same casual sex loop, Olivia realized just how badly she wanted this time to be different. She didn't know if she was ready to have someone so dependent on her, but she also knew she couldn't lose Casey, at any cost. She really was different.
Olivia pulled back from the young woman before her. "Listen," she murmured, gently setting her glass on the coffee table. "I can't do this with you."
"What?" the girl cried. Olivia suddenly realized that she hadn't even bothered to get her name. God, what had happened to her? "You invited me over and whispered in my ear that you couldn't wait to have your way with me."
Olivia bit her lip in frustration. "I know," she admitted. She sighed deeply, exhaling slowly. She needed a way to get out of this without hurting the other girl. She had done enough damage for the day. "I have to go take care of something at work."
"Yeah, right," the girl scoffed, grabbing the bottle of wine and pouring a full glass. "It's almost nine o'clock. You don't have to go to work. You have to go to someone. Someone you didn't tell me existed."
"It's none of your business," Olivia growled. The girl's comments served to infuriate her and worsen the guilt she already felt. "Suffice to say, I made a mistake, and I need to fix it. Hooking up with a stranger from the bar is not going to fix it." She reached into her wallet and fished out a couple of twenties, handing them to the girl. "This should be enough to get you home. I'm sorry."
It took several more minutes of arguing and crying, but the girl finally accepted the money and left. Olivia sat back on the couch, her head in her hands. Usually she waited until after she slept with someone to kick them out, but this, somehow, felt just as dirty. Sighing, she picked up her phone to call Casey, then noticed she had a new voicemail and a few missed calls, all from Casey.
Olivia felt the guilt roil in her stomach all over again. She held her breath, deleting the missed calls and dialing into her voicemail service. She had never been so happy to hear Casey's voice. But as the voicemail continued to play, Olivia felt her heart fall to the floor.
"Please don't hurt me," Casey said on the voicemail. It sounded as if she were a million miles away. She must have been recording the voicemail without putting the phone on speaker.
A chilling laugh reverberated from the phone. "Hurt you? I wasn't planning on hurting you. I was going to love you and treat you well, but you decided to hurt me. I'm not the one who kicked a complete stranger in the crotch. Besides, I'm gentle. I've never intentionally hurt anyone."
Olivia held her breath as Casey let out a little whimper of fear. "I didn't mean to do that," she pleaded. "I may have overreacted, and I'm sorry." It was clear that she was bargaining for her safety. Olivia, of course, knew that it rarely worked, and that only stressed her out more.
"If you're truly sorry, you'll take me home and make it up to me. It's there or this alley. Your choice."
Casey remained silent for a few seconds, and Olivia worried that the recording may have dropped. But then she spoke again, her voice shaky. "Okay." There was the unmistakable sound of a car being unlocked, and two doors opening, then closing. "My place is not far from here..."
A recording played, alerting Olivia that the voicemail had ended. When it asked if she wanted to delete the message, the brunette quickly pressed seven for save, and jumped to her feet. She didn't have time to feel guilty for not answering her phone. She had a girl to rescue.
Twenty minutes later, Olivia parked near Casey's apartment and rushed upstairs. She knocked on the door at first, not wanting to ruin Casey's door if she didn't need to. She also didn't want to risk setting the mystery assailant off. She had called Amanda for back up, but she hadn't arrived yet. Olivia waited outside of the apartment, listening for any sounds of struggle, or any unfamiliar voices. Not hearing any, Olivia knocked on the door again. "Casey?" she called out. "Are you in there?"
Not hearing a response, Olivia felt the terror rise within her throat. If he had hurt her in any way, it was all her fault. The sergeant gently opened the door, surprised that it was unlocked. Gun out, Olivia searched the apartment. There were no signs of struggle anywhere, and the only sign that anyone had even been here was a plate on the counter. Casey always did dishes right away, so it couldn't be hers.
"Casey?" Olivia called out again. She tried desperately to calm herself. Part of being a cop was keeping a level head in any situation, but it was quite different when one had to save someone they loved. Noticing the bedroom door open a crack, Olivia stood outside, listening. She heard nothing- no movement, no sound.
Fearing what she may find on the other side, Olivia quietly pushed the door open, gun in hand. She nearly screamed with relief when she saw Casey sitting upright in bed. The bathroom door was wide open, as was the closet. There was no one else in the apartment. "Casey, you're alright!" Olivia exclaimed, before she could stop herself.
Casey didn't look at her. "Me? Oh, yeah, I'm great. I had a great night. I had some drinks, met some guy, broke a heel in the parking lot...I can't imagine a better way to spend my night than that."
Olivia slowly returned her gun to its holster. Noticing that Casey had changed into her robe, the brunette realized what had happened before she even asked. Casey never wore pajamas, especially not this early in the evening. "Casey, what happened?" she asked, gently sitting on the bed beside the younger woman.
Casey turned away, curling her legs beneath her. "Nothing," she mumbled. "Just go. Please. I'm really tired."
Olivia moved as if to embrace the attorney, then pulled back. After years of counseling victims, she could practically feel her training evaporating, leaving her completely unsure of what to do or say. "He raped you, didn't he?" she asked quietly.
Casey sniffed in response. "It doesn't matter. He's gone now, and it's all over. Now, if you would just leave, I could finally get some sleep. I am quite tired."
"Casey, I'm not going anywhere," Olivia answered firmly. "What happened?"
"Nothing!" Casey insisted. "Not everyone is a victim, Olivia. You have better things to worry about, anyway. I shouldn't have even called you. I sat there, thinking about how much I missed you, and I just wanted to hear your voice, no matter what you said. I thought maybe I over-reacted, you know? When it went to voicemail, I realized you were probably at work." She scoffed quietly. "But now that I can smell another woman's perfume on you, I know the truth. You were with someone else. I was feeling like crap for even thinking of being with someone else, and you actually did it!"
"I did not," Olivia replied, shocked by the calmness in her own voice. She sighed softly. "I almost did," she admitted. "But I couldn't go through with it. I rushed over here as soon as I got your voicemail. Casey, I'm so sorry." The brunette felt the tears sting her own eyes. Just looking at the way Casey was laying, her back purposely turned to her, broke Olivia's heart into a thousand pieces. Then, she took a deep breath and shook her head. "Tell me what happened, honey. And don't say nothing, because something clearly happened. And you're clearly not okay. I may not have been here in time to kill the bastard, but I'm here now, and nothing you say is going to convince me to leave. I couldn't bear the thought of being with someone else. I could only think of being here with you. Please, Casey. Please look at me. I..." Olivia took a deep breath. "I love you," she breathed out. She suddenly realized how true that was, and that made her feel worse all over again.
Still, Casey slowly turned to face her, but she buried herself under the blankets. Her piercing emerald gaze was soaked with tears, the pain of whatever had happened written across her face like words on paper. "I gave him what we wanted," she said simply. She looked down at the comforter, focusing on the pattern. "He gave me the option of going into the alley or here. I thought if we came here, and if I didn't fight, he would be happy and leave. And he did." She smiled wryly. "My plan worked, as you can see. They are gone and they are never coming back."
Author's note: Another chapter done. Let me know what you all think. The next chapter will be describing exactly what happened, and will be from Casey's point of view. If there's anything anyone would like to know, specifically, let me know in your review and I'll answer it in the story. Thanks for reading. :)