Flashback - Their First Meeting ~ Eights Years Ago
The music pulsed through the crowded house, vibrating the floor beneath Olivia's feet as she squeezed her way through the throngs of dancing bodies. It was her first frat party at Columbia, and its energy buzzed through her veins, making her feel alive in a way she hadn't since she'd arrived on campus a few days ago. She had already been hit on by three drunk sophomores and one guy who kept insisting he was in a band, but she wasn't here for them. She just wanted to experience it—college life in all its messy, chaotic glory.
She made her way into the kitchen, reaching for one of the cheap beers in a cooler on the counter when she heard a low voice behind her. "Careful with that one, beautiful. I don't think you can handle it."
She turned, raising an eyebrow, and found herself staring up at a tall, well-built jock with a smirk that was all confidence and charm. He leaned against the counter like he owned the place, a red Solo cup in his hand, and he had the kind of effortless swagger that screamed trouble.
Olivia rolled her eyes and popped the top of the beer can, taking a defiant sip. "And what makes you think you know what I can handle?" she shot back, arching an eyebrow. "You think because you're some big, bad junior, you know everything?"
He laughed, low and rough, and she could tell he was sizing her up. "You're a freshman, right? I can always tell. You've got that wide-eyed, I'm-so-happy-to-be-here look. You'll grow out of it."
"Or maybe I'll just grow out of talking to arrogant assholes," she shot back, but there was a spark in her eyes as she said it, a challenge. She took another sip of her beer, refusing to let him rattle her.
His grin widened, and he stepped closer, leaning in so she could smell the faint hint of whiskey on his breath. "Fitz," he said like it was supposed to mean something. "Fitzgerald Grant, but everyone just calls me Fitz."
She tilted her head, pretending to think it over. "Fitz, huh? Sounds like the name of a guy who thinks he's way more important than he is."
"Damn, you've got a mouth on you," he said, looking genuinely amused. "Most girls around here just try to impress me. I kinda like that you don't."
She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Is this the part where you tell me how different I am from all the other girls, Fitz? Because I've heard that line before."
He smirked, taking a sip of his drink, eyes never leaving hers. "Nah. I think you're just like every other freshman who thinks she's too smart for the bullshit. But you'll learn."
"Oh, I'm sure you're just full of life lessons, right?" she said, rolling her eyes again, but she couldn't deny that there was something about him that drew her in, something magnetic in the way he carried himself like he didn't care about anything. "Let me guess, you're one of those guys who thinks he's God's gift to this campus, huh?"
Fitz leaned closer, so close she could feel the heat of him, his smirk never faltering. "And you're one of those girls who pretends she's not impressed, but here you are, talking to me instead of walking away."
Olivia felt a flush creep up her neck, but she refused to back down. "You're the one who came over here to bother me, Fitz. Don't flatter yourself."
"Trust me, sweetheart, if I wanted to flatter myself, I wouldn't need you to do it." He took another sip from his cup, his eyes never leaving hers, daring her to look away first.
Olivia let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable. You know that?"
He shrugged, that infuriating smirk still playing on his lips. "I've been told. So, what's your name, freshman? Since you've already got me pegged, I think it's only fair I know who I'm dealing with."
She hesitated for a moment, then decided to play along. "Olivia," she said, holding out her hand as if they were meeting at some formal event instead of a sticky-floored frat house.
Fitz took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he brought it up to his lips, brushing a mock kiss over her knuckles, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Well, Olivia, let's see if you can keep up."
She yanked her hand back, trying to ignore the way her pulse quickened at his touch. "Oh, I'm not worried about that. But you should be, Fitz. You might just find out you're not as smooth as you think you are."
He laughed a deep, genuine sound that made something twist in her chest. "Challenge accepted Olivia. But fair warning—I always play to win."
She took a long sip of her beer, meeting his gaze head-on, refusing to back down. "We'll see about that."
And as they stood there, the party raging on around them, neither of them realized just how much this moment would change their lives. They couldn't have known that they were about to start something that would be both the best and the worst thing that had ever happened to them—two people who would set each other on fire, but never quite learn how to stop the burning.
Present Day ~ Six months after they last saw each other at the engagement party
Olivia paced back and forth in her living room, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. Her engagement ring—the one Michael had so lovingly slipped onto her finger—glinted under the dim light, but she couldn't stop the lump that had settled in her throat. She glanced at the clock. It was past midnight, and she knew she shouldn't do this. She knew it would hurt both of them. But she couldn't help herself, just like she never could when it came to Fitz.
She pressed his contact and brought the phone to her ear, her heart racing as the ringing began. She half-hoped he wouldn't pick up, but when his groggy voice came through, she froze.
"Olivia? It's late. What's going on?" Fitz's voice was raspy, thick with sleep, and it sent a shiver down her spine.
She closed her eyes, steadying her breath. "I... I needed to tell you something," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, but the crack in it betrayed her.
He let out a sigh, and she could almost hear him running a hand through his hair, a habit she knew too well. "Why are you calling me, Liv? After everything?"
She swallowed hard, gripping the phone tighter. "I'm getting married, Fitz. To Michael."
There was a long silence on the other end, so long that she thought the line had gone dead. But then, he let out a bitter laugh, the sound cutting through her like a knife. "You're joking, right? After everything, you're calling me to tell me that?"
"Don't, Fitz," she warned, her voice sharp. "I'm trying to do the right thing. I'm trying to move on."
"Bullshit." His voice was cold now, all traces of sleep gone. "You don't want to move on, Olivia. You never did. That's why you're calling me at—what is it, 12:30 in the morning? If you were so sure about this, you wouldn't be talking to me right now."
Her hand shook, but she forced herself to stay calm. "I'm calling you because I thought you deserved to know. I'm starting a new life, and I need you to understand that. I need me to understand that."
"No, you don't," he shot back, his voice rising with frustration. "You don't need shit from me. You're calling me because you know deep down that marrying him is a mistake. He doesn't know you like I do, Liv. He never fucking will."
Olivia's eyes burned, and she blinked back tears. "Fitz, you need to stop. This isn't fair. You don't get to do this. You don't get to—"
"Why? Because I'm right?" He cut her off, his voice filled with an edge she hadn't heard in years. "Because you know you're going to wake up next to him every morning, pretending you're happy, but you'll be thinking about me?"
"That's not true," she hissed, but even she could hear the weakness in her own voice. "I love him. He's good for me. He's stable—"
"Oh, don't give me that stable shit, Olivia!" he snapped, and she flinched at the venom in his words. "You're lying to yourself. You don't want stable. You want... this. You want the way we make each other feel, even if it burns us both alive."
Olivia pressed a hand to her mouth, trying to steady her breathing, but the pain in his voice was twisting something inside her. "Fitz, I'm trying to have a real life. I'm trying to be... happy."
"And you think you'll find that with him?" he asked, his voice dropping to a pained whisper. "You really think you'll forget about me, about us, when you're lying next to him, pretending that he's enough?"
"Fuck you, Fitz," she spat, her voice breaking, the anger and hurt finally spilling over. "You don't get to judge my choices. You weren't there when I needed you. You didn't fight for us when things got hard. You left."
"Yeah? Well, you pushed me away," he shot back, and she could hear the rawness in his voice, the years of hurt and regret bubbling to the surface. "Every time I got too close, every time I tried to be what you needed, you shut me out. And now you're doing it again, hiding behind some picture-perfect life that you know damn well you don't want."
She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood, trying to hold back the sob that threatened to escape. "I can't keep doing this with you, Fitz. I can't keep letting you ruin me. You pushed me away too!"
"Ruin you?" His voice cracked, and for a moment, she thought he might break down too. "You ruined me, Liv. You were it for me, and you know that. But you're too scared to admit that you want me too. That you'll always want me."
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "You don't understand. You never understood. I have to do this, Fitz. I have to try and be happy without you."
"Why, Liv?" he demanded, desperation lacing his words. "Why can't you just admit that you still love me?"
Her breath hitched, and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Because loving you hurts, Fitz. It's always hurt."
There was a long pause, and when he spoke again, his voice was hollow, broken. "So what, you're just going to pretend you're happy with him? You're going to settle for someone who doesn't set your soul on fire because it's easier?"
She let out a choked sob, unable to keep it in any longer. "Yes. Maybe I am. Maybe I need easier. I can't live my life falling apart every time we're in the same room. I deserve better than that."
"You deserve better than me, is that it?" he asked, bitterness dripping from his voice. "Fine. Go ahead, marry him. Pretend like you don't hear my voice in the back of your mind every time he touches you."
"God, you're such an asshole, Fitz," she snapped, wiping angrily at her tears. "This is exactly why we never worked. You're so goddamn selfish. You never cared about what I needed, only about what you wanted."
"That's not true, and you fucking know it," he growled the anger and hurt boiling over. "I cared more than I should have, and that's why it kills me to hear you say this shit. Because I know you're lying to yourself, Olivia. You're lying to him. You'll never be able to love him like you love me."
She let out a shaky breath, trying to find some kind of strength, but she felt like she was crumbling. "I'm done, Fitz. I'm done letting you mess with my head. I'm marrying Michael, and I'm going to try to be happy. Even if it kills me."
There was a silence on the other end, a silence that stretched out like an eternity. When Fitz spoke again, his voice was barely a whisper, the fight drained from him. "You know what, Liv? Maybe it's better this way. Maybe you'll finally get your perfect little life. But don't come running back when you realize he'll never be me."
The words struck her like a physical blow, and she couldn't breathe for a moment. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him he was wrong, but instead, she hit the end call button with trembling hands, letting the phone drop to the floor as the sobs wracked through her.
And on the other end, Fitz sat in his empty apartment, staring at the screen of his phone, feeling like he'd just lost the only thing that had ever mattered. He knew he should let her go, let her find the peace she was searching for, but he also knew that a part of him would always be waiting for the moment she came back, just like she always did.
But this time, as the silence settled around them both, it felt different. It felt like an ending, even if neither of them was ready to accept it.
AN: I did not quite get 10 reviews last time but I will continue the story since I had started writing the chapter. I have one more chapter in the works so if you want to read it, leave a review. :)