"You know it's eleven at night, right? Old folks are sleeping."
Jerry opened the front door of his house in his pajamas to find a half-drunk Fitz on the front porch after banging on the door. Both him and Verna were fast asleep when the loud pounding happened, scaring both of them half to death.
"Sorry, guess I lost track of time. I can sleep in the car," Fitz muttered as he went to return to the car in the driveway.
"Hold it, let's get you inside to the guest room." Jerry grabbed the back of Fitz's shirt and pulled him inside the house. "Where's Livia? Does she know you're here?" Looking around the front property, he didn't see any sign of another person in the car or wandering around.
"I don't care."
Half stumbling up the steps to one of the second-floor guest rooms, Jerry followed close behind him. After helping him get in bed, Jerry went back to bed with Verna and sent Liv a quick text letting her know he was there.
Sitting at the dining room table working, Liv saw her phone light up with a message from Jerry and thought about not reading it until she saw Fitz's name on the text.
Fitz is here. Drunk but he's asleep now. How'd he end up here?
Giving him a thumbs up response, she went back to work for the night.
Getting up a couple hours later than normal in the morning, Fitz looked around the room trying to recognize where he was. Remembering back to some of the night before, he did remember ending up at Jerry's. Sitting up, he saw there was a set of clothes set on the dresser for him with a note on top. Get a shower and join us for breakfast.
"Well good morning, enjoying a headache today?" Verna smiled seeing him come down the steps to the kitchen and passed him a cup of coffee.
"Are you always this loud? Or just when you have guests?"
"Headache it is. And you aren't a guest, you're family. There's a difference. How'd you sleep?"
"Alright, thanks. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you guys up last night. I couldn't think of another place to go."
"Home might have been a good idea," Jerry told him coming into the room. "I'm sure you had Livia upset when she didn't hear from you. I texted her and let her know you were here. She doesn't need to be out roaming D.C. looking for you."
"What happened last night that you'd go out drinking like that?" Verna asked, taking the seat beside him.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Not an option, Fitz. You can't show up here drunk without giving us an explanation. Bad day at work? You and Livia get into a fight? What happened?"
Fitz took a few drinks from the cup and sat up looking at his dad. "I'm divorced."
"Congratulations!" Jerry nearly shouted, excited about the news. "About time that happened. But this doesn't seem like a celebration drinking. If it was, you'd have gone with Livia and then home to your place. So, what's with this? Not excited to be divorced?"
"I'm thrilled. But I've been divorced for three weeks and just found out yesterday. I called Richards yesterday to get an update on the hearings, but he said there weren't any more dates. He said I needed to talk to Olivia about it. I asked her last night and we got into a fight. It was pretty bad and then I left."
Confused, Verna looked between the two men and noticed Jerry wasn't saying anything. "Why did he tell you to talk to Olivia? What would she know about your divorce?"
Fitz explained why Richards wanted to see her but the agreement between them was that she would not get involved. Jerry sat quietly at the bar drinking his coffee, not saying a word.
"It sounds like Olivia was just trying to help you, Fitz. Can you blame her for wanting to help? It seems like Judge Richards wasn't going to get anywhere close to signing a divorce decree until he saw her. I'm sure if you go talk with her, you two can work it out," she told him, lightly rubbing his back. "She's probably worried about you right now. Did you tell her you're alright?"
"No, I don't want to talk to her right now. I think we need some time apart. Things were said last night that can't be taken back. Truth or not, that song can't be unsung."
Going for another cup, Jerry leaned back against the sink looking at them. "On whose part? I've known Livia longer than both of you and know that if she said something, she meant it."
"Mostly mine but she's said and done things too."
"Well, that's just great. Now she's pissed at all three of us."
"Jerry, she'll get over being mad. She can't hold a grudge for long. I mean, not against the three of us. Eventually, she will understand why we talked to her about her relationship with Fitz, but she'll know we were only looking out for her."
"I need to get to work. I have court in a few hours."
While Fitz was with Jerry and Verna, Olivia followed her morning routine and went into the office. Getting Fitz aspirin and coffee leaving it on his desk, several hours had gone by since she arrived and still no word from him. When it got to be about lunchtime, she sent him a message reminding him that he needed to be in court in just over an hour. No response came.
You have to come to the office to get these folders for court today. Please don't ignore me just because you're mad at me.
Seeing that he read the message, there was no reply to it. Gathering the files he would need, she put them on his desk and went back to her computer.
Another hour went by before he came up to the office. Fitz tried to step into his office and take the folders and leave, but Olivia blocked him.
"We need to talk about this, Fitz. You can't just run out of here and be mad at me for helping you."
"That's right, only you can run out of here when you're pissed off. I forgot about that."
"Fitz, please. Don't do this to us. I was only trying to help you."
"You think that's all I'm pissed about? You got me divorced, great, thanks. How did you do it? Why did you go behind my back and go to him?"
"I didn't go behind your back."
"Well, you sure as fuck didn't tell me you were going!"
Closing the door to their offices, Olivia crossed her arms in front of him. "Because you would have said no."
"But Olivia does what Olivia wants to do. No matter what anyone says. So, you didn't even have the courtesy to tell me that you were going to his office. You didn't tell me before, and you didn't tell me after. That's going behind my back, Olivia. I didn't think you were so messed up to not realize that."
Looking up at him, she could see the pure fire in his eyes locked on hers. The look she hated to see; the ones she was petrified with before they started their relationship that he would give her. "You knew long ago that I was messed up. You told me you didn't care. You said you didn't care that I was messed up."
"Then I guess that makes us two liars."
"I didn't lie to you."
"Withholding information and the truth is still a lie." Shaking his head, Fitz saw the time and moved to pass her. "I don't have time for this. I have to get to court. Do me a favor though?"
"Anything, what is it?"
"Don't be here when I get back. I don't want to talk to you. And I don't want to be around you for a while. Until you can explain why and how you got him to give me a divorce, and the truth, I don't want to see you."
"Fitz, come on! What does it matter how or why? You got what you wanted."
Seeing the look on her face, Fitz shook his head with a laugh. "I knew it. I just fucking knew it! Just come out and say it, Olivia. You opened your legs for him so you could get what you wanted."
"No, I would never!"
"You're such a good liar. You know what? Forget it. We're done. This relationship obviously isn't going to work. I'll be there tonight to get my things. I should have known better than to get involved with a twenty-five-year-old whore."
Before she could even say anything, Fitz was out the door with a slam behind him. Standing there in the office, Olivia was stunned into silence with his words. She could feel the tears pooling just behind her eyes. Willing herself not to cry, she gave herself an hour to calm down and finish her work for the day before she left.
Sitting at dinner together, Jerry and Verna quietly enjoyed their meal at home. Neither had heard anything from Fitz nor Olivia since Fitz left their house that morning. Both wondered what happened and tempted themselves not to call them.
"You didn't seem surprised Olivia went to Richards about his divorce," Verna mentioned between bites.
"I knew she was going to. She told me she was. I tried to tell her to take Fitz with her, but you know how stubborn she is."
"Why didn't you go with her then?"
"She told me the same day we were going to Washington to see Javi. Convincing her not to go at all would have been impossible but I thought maybe she'd take Fitz with her. Livia hates James, for good reason. But she never said she did go, and she didn't mention it to me again. I thought that meant she dropped it."
"Olivia can't drop anything. She'll follow through on it even if it damages her own wellbeing. You should know that, honey."
"Yes, but Livia can handle anything. She's not weak. She's been through so much already in her life. She can handle whatever anyone throws at her. But she shouldn't have to."
Getting back to the office, Fitz walked in and went right to his desk. Tossing the files down he hesitated to look and see if she was still there. Listening for any kind of noise, he didn't hear one and looked out. Her desk was cleared off and the computer was off. Good, she's gone for the day. Putting the files in the cabinet, he checked his emails and listened to the quiet for a bit before heading out for the night. Driving back to the apartment, Fitz pulled into the parking garage and saw the Roadster was missing from its spot. Great, she took me at my word. Heading up the elevator to the apartment, Fitz used his key to get in and went to the bedroom to get the suitcases. Deciding he'd stay at Jerry's until he found a place to live again.
Walking into the bedroom closet and turning the light on, he walked over to get the suitcases but stopped mid stride. All of her clothes were gone. The other side of the closet was bare; only hangers remained. Checking the bedroom, her phone cord was gone. Going to the bathroom, only his things sat on the counter or in the shower.
What the hell is she playing at?
"Olivia?" Fitz called her name, half expecting an answer. Nothing came through in the apartment as he wandered around it. Nothing looked to be missing from the living room or the kitchen. Stepping into the dining room, the three calendars that hung on the wall were now two missing. The dining room table was cleared off since the files were moved to the credenza on the side. Going towards the calendar, the red calendar was all that remained. Fitz recognized it as the one she kept for him. Turning to leave to the kitchen, he saw a piece of paper and a shine on the kitchen counter and went to see it. Picking it up, Fitz read through the hand wrote letter from Liv several times.
Fitz,
You're right. I am damaged goods, and I can see why you wouldn't want me. I get it now. There are things that I didn't tell you. But I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to put your job on the line. I knew you'd be upset if you found out about James. You can't risk your career for me because if you knew what happened, you'd go off in anger. I trust you. And if I thought you would be able to handle it, I'd tell you everything. But I know you better than that and I can't let you jeopardize what you've already spent a lifetime doing. So if you think I'm a whore or a slut then I can't change your mind. I guess it's good to know what you actually think of me. I knew all along I was a rebound after Mellie and we'd end up breaking up. I didn't want to think that. I honestly wanted to believe that you did love me. Because I love you. And I'm positive that I probably always will. I love you as much as I loved Stephen.
I want you to know that I've never cheated on anyone I've ever been with. Not Edison, not Stephen, and not you. I'd never do that. I would never cheat on you. I've never fucked or had sex or kissed anyone else if I was if someone.
This is your home. I screwed up when I went to see James. You shouldn't have to leave. I've signed off the deed to the apartment to you. It's yours. I left you my key to the apartment and to the office. I know you don't want to be around me or see me, I'll make it easier for you. If you don't want to live here, sell it. Do whatever you want with it.
I left you your schedule for the next couple of months. I did make arrangements with Abby to come back to D.C. She knows what you'll need and where to go for it. She can get ahold of me if she needs help. I'll help her get things done until she knows what needs to be done for everything. You won't need to talk to me at all.
No matter how damaged or what a slut or whore you think I am, I did love you. I do love you. I doubt anything could ever change that. Even if you hate me. I hope things work out for you and you find someone you love who loves you just as much.
Love
Liv
