Olivia folded her arms across her chest and started pacing. This would be the first time she told someone outside of her family what happened to her. She didn't know what it was about Fitz that made her want to do so. Maybe it was the fact that her feelings for him were stronger than she wanted to admit. Or maybe it was because he made her feel safe. She knew with his level of possessiveness that he'd never let anyone hurt her. Not if he could help it.
"I have a restraining order against my ex, Jake, because he was stalking me," she began.
"He was what?" Fitz asked. Surely he'd heard her wrong. And if she said 'what' then that must mean he wasn't any longer. At least, he prayed that's what it meant. He was never one for sharing. His younger brother, Michael, could attest to that fact.
"He was stalking me," she repeated. She stopped pacing and turned to face him, trying to gauge his reaction. "I met him my freshman year. He was a student in my English class. He seemed like a nice guy, at first, so when he asked me out I considered it."
She'd started pacing again. Fitz watched her intently. She was beautiful, fascinatingly so, even when she wasn't trying to be. He could kind of see what might have driven Jake's behavior. The first time he laid eyes on her he knew he had to have her. But he wasn't the type of man to stalk or harass a woman. He understood what 'I'm not interested' meant. Thankfully, Olivia hadn't expressed disinterest.
"My biggest mistake was agreeing to go out with him." She grew quiet, reflecting on that decision. "Jake expressed his desire for us to become serious, but I really wasn't that into him. Then for fall break when I went home to visit my parents he showed up. I didn't invite him, I didn't even tell him where I lived. I tried to let it slide. I wasn't even going to tell my parents anything was wrong, but somehow they knew. They warned me to be careful and keep my guard up around Jake before I left." She laughed to herself because parents can always tell when someone isn't good for their children, and she should've known that Jake would be trouble. "Every time I went home during that first semester he'd show up a day later. He never stayed with us or anything, but he'd swing by from wherever he was staying and try to hang out with my family and I, or ask me out on a date. I usually made up some kind of excuse, which should've deterred him, but he still tried. At the end of Thanksgiving break, he showed up claiming that he was in love with me."
Fitz looked at her in shock. What the hell was Jake's problem, to follow someone to their home? And why didn't Olivia confront Jake the first time he showed up?
"It's like he had this fairytale relationship between us concocted in his mind." Olivia shivered just thinking about it. She wrapped her arms around her midsection. "I should've filed a restraining order right then. Instead, I tried to simply tell him off. But, of course, he got pissed off about it and made a big scene."
Fitz knew he could be intense at times, but he prayed he wasn't on Jake's psychotic level. He ran his hand through his hair, getting stressed out just thinking about it. Is that why she seemed so hesitant at times?
Olivia eyed him curiously, wondering what was going through his mind. Was he trying to figure out a way to leave her?
"Fitz, stop. You and him are nothing alike," she assured him, once she figured out what was troubling him. She walked over to him and sat on his lap.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, relief flooding through him at her words and finally having her in his arms where he wanted her. Olivia waited for him to relax before continuing.
"We only had one week till finals after Thanksgiving break, and Jake seemed okay when we got back," she said. "He avoided me, and I did the same; as much as anyone can avoid someone whom they have a class with. But when we returned the next semester, he started stalking me. Our school was a little on the smaller side, so I thought me seeing him a lot was due to that. He'd be in the hallway outside of some of my classes, or he'd find a way to sit at a table near me whether it was in the library or the dining hall. Then he started giving me small gift baskets of my favorite things, leaving them at my door when I wasn't in my room. I alerted my parents at that point, but I wouldn't let them do anything to help. I refused to acknowledge him, and I guess that made him angry. So anytime I left campus, he'd start showing up wherever I was. He wouldn't come up to me he'd just watch me. He always made sure I was aware that he was there. He would have the creepiest smile on his face too…"
Olivia stopped talking, remembering his menacing smile and the coldness in his eyes. He had made her life a living nightmare. She couldn't go anywhere, or do anything that she loved for fear of him being there. She didn't know just what he was capable of doing, and she didn't ever want to find out.
"Did you do anything at this point?" he asked, grabbing one of her hands. He laced their fingers together and gave her hand a gentle squeeze of encouragement. He was proud of her for being so strong, thus far, and reliving what happened. Thankfully, he didn't hear the fear in her voice that he'd heard last night. That would have broken him.
"I spoke to the dean of students about it, but I was told that there wasn't anything the school could do. See, Jake's parents had a lot of money and most of his family was alumni, which meant they had the school's officials in their back pocket. So after the semester ended, I took a year off of school to get myself together and figure out what I was going to do next. Transferring seemed to be my best option. I was trying to keep from calling the police. He started sending me threatening letters at my parents' house that summer, blaming me for ruining us by not accepting my feelings for him. He knew I had tried to get the school involved and he promised to make me pay and anyone I tried to date. According to him, no one was good enough for me and no one would love me like he did. He stopped sending the letters after about two months, though, but he still knows where my parents live." And that's what she feared.
"What school was this?" Fitz asked.
Olivia shook her head. She didn't want to tell him that.
He decided not to push. He was lucky she was telling him what she had so far. But, now he was wondering if he'd ever get the chance to meet her parents one day. He hoped so. "Well, you managed to get away," he said, trying to find something positive out of everything that had happened. Plus, if he were to be selfish, he'd admit that if she hadn't transferred they wouldn't be where they were now. He wouldn't have been able to pursue her, and she would've been lost to him forever. He subconsciously tightened his arms around her, holding her closer.
She shrugged, or tried to. His hold on her was too tight for her to really move.
"I filed a restraining order against him as soon as the letters started coming. But like you said, I was able to transfer and get away. So I decided to just try and move forward with my life. He can't come near me, and he doesn't know where I am, so I should be fine." She shifted, moving partially off his lap, which caused him to loosen his grip on her.
"I can't believe you went through all that." Fitz shook his head in disbelief. "So if you took a year off how old does that make you now? 20?"
"I have a late birthday, which means I started school late, so no, I'm 21," she said. "How old are you?"
"31," he said. "Is that a problem?"
"Oh no, not at all," she said, blushing. She bit her bottom lip, trying to hide her smile.
He raised one eyebrow at her.
"You're just so… I don't know. Experienced, I guess. I like it, though."
"Oh yeah?" he asked, gently pushing her on her back so her head was resting on the armrest of the couch and her legs were across his lap. He moved to lie on top of her. "Tell me what you like about it."
He brushed his lips from her mouth to her jaw to her throat. As badly as he wanted her, he didn't think now was the time. Not after what she'd just told him. He pulled back, waiting for her to open her eyes and look at him.
Before she could ask him what was wrong, Abby came into the apartment. Neither of them heard her keys in the door.
"Oh my God!" Abby yelled. She covered her eyes and turned towards the door, dropping her purse and keys.
Olivia and Fitz jumped up.
"Abby it's okay, you can open your eyes," Olivia said, laughing.
Abby turned around slowly, peeking between her fingers. Once she verified that the coast was clear, she lowered her hands and picked up her stuff. "Don't mind me. I'll just be in my room." She gave Olivia a smirk, adding, "Not listening or anything."
They watched as Abby scurried off. Olivia turned to Fitz once Abby was out of sight.
"We can go to my room and finish talking if you want," she offered.
"Talk?" He scoffed. "Trust me, if we go to your room, talking is the last thing we'll be doing." He let his eyes fall down to her chest for a moment before looking in her eyes again. "Besides, I think your roommate will be listening. I don't give free shows."
Olivia felt her face flush. "Are we—are we um… okay?" She almost couldn't get the question out as thoughts of what they could be doing in her room ran through her mind. But she needed to know that they were okay. If he was going to run, then she wanted to know now. Because the longer they spent time together, the harder she'd fall. No, I'm not falling for him. That's crazy, she thought.
"Did you think I was going to run?" he asked. "I've told you twice now, you're mine. All mine."
He watched her expression closely to see her reaction to his words. She looked up at him with lust-filled eyes. There was something about his possessiveness that instantly turned her on. But like Fitz said, Abby would probably be listening and Olivia didn't want her in her sex life any more than she already was. She already knew that as soon as Fitz left, Abby would probably come barreling into her room with 20 questions.
"I don't care about Jake, or anyone else for that matter." He pulled her into his body, kissing her slowly. "I don't think I could ever let you go. I don't want to," he whispered against her lips. He pulled back, looking in her eyes. "Unless you tell me to let you go, I won't."
Olivia's body tingled at his words, but she was hesitant to believe him. If only she knew how much truth was in his words.
Fitz thought back over his day as he sat in his home office. He'd decided not to stay at Olivia's apartment, even though he really wanted to. Olivia needed to get her work done, and he knew he'd only distract her. On the plus side, she promised him that if she got enough, or all, of her work done they could see one another the next day. He'd readily agreed.
Fitz finally knew who Jake was after being plagued by thoughts of him all day. He hoped that since Olivia didn't state otherwise, Jake was, and would remain, a non-factor. As much of a non-factor as any stalker could be. The anger he felt last night threatened to return, but knowing that Jake could no longer be near, or with, Olivia was appeasing, for now at least.
The thought of himself not being able to be near, or with, Olivia almost paralyzed him with fear, and that feeling shocked him. It was almost like he wouldn't be able to breathe. He wouldn't want to, in all honesty. His world shifted from the moment their lips met that night on the dance floor.
His thoughts drifted to them on her couch before they were interrupted by Abby. He hadn't forgotten about her hanging up on him, either. The direction of his thoughts was starting to arouse him, but he refused to pleasure himself. He wanted Olivia to do that. He thought about her naked and spread out on his desk, or better yet, naked and between his legs.
Fuck Fitz, get it together, he thought. If he came, he wanted it to be from the real thing.
He needed a cold shower asap.
When Fitz woke up the next day, he checked his phone and saw he had an unread message from Olivia. She'd sent it late last night after he'd gone to bed.
OP: Good news, I finished my work. So we can do whatever you want to do tomorrow.
Fitz smiled, thinking of all the possibilities. She knew better than to say they could do whatever he wanted. He text her back before getting up to brush his teeth.
FG: I have a class to teach, but after that you're all mine. Pack some clothes for tomorrow, but don't bring anything to sleep in. You're spending the night with me.
OP: I thought I was already all yours, but okay.
A/N: Okay guys, seriously, talk to me. Because what I originally had planned for Jake, I realized wouldn't quite work. But, what I've just written for Jake seems a bit… Idk. I feel like his world and Fitz's have collided. In no way do I intend for Fitz to be a stalker, but stalker and possessive are like the same things. So I guess that's what worries me. If I need to take this chapter down and rewrite it then by all means, tell me so. But do so honestly.