Claiming Olivia (12 page)

A few months later I was in the kitchen making breakfast while Mitch was playing video games when there was a knock on the door.

“I got it,” Mitch said as he placed his controller on the coffee table and walked to the door.

I went back to washing the excess dishes in the sink when he opened the door.

“Uh, buen día. My name is César and I am wishing to speak to Olivia Kingsley please.”

I dropped the spatula on the floor and turned around to see César standing there smiling at Mitch.

“Who are you?” Mitch asked him.

“I am an acquaintance of Mrs. Kingsley. We met in Barcelona at the Running of the Bulls and she said that if I was ever in this area that she would like to take me to the Brookfield Zoo. So I was hoping she was in today,” he explained smoothly.

“Babe, you’ve got company,” Mitch said stepping back and letting him in.

“Hi,” I said softly.

“Olivia!” he said happily. “Would today be a good day to go to the zoo you spoke of?”

“If it’s okay with Mitch,” I replied gesturing to my fiancee.

“Yeah that’s fine. Are you gonna be home late though?”

“No. It’ll take two hours to get there and two hours to get back, so maybe eight at the latest,” I promised as I wiped my hands on a dishtowel.

“Alright, have fun then,” he said leaning over to kiss me.

I reached for my keys, but César jingled his rental car keys to let me know he would be driving.

“Thank you,” César said to Mitch who nodded and watched us walk out of the door.

“How have you been, Liv?” he asked quietly as he pulled away from the curb.

I shrugged.

“Yeah, Alejo too,” he said as he merged onto I-55 north.

I stayed quiet. I was secretly relieved that Alejandro wasn’t in the car. I had been happy for the past few months with Mitchell and seeing him now would throw everything off balance for me.

We rode the rest of the way in silence until we reached the zoo. We stepped out of the car and when we reached the entrance César paid for both of us. He held the door open for me and let me walk through. I looked at the map and asked him if he wanted to see the Polar Bear exhibit, but he just shook his head and motioned for me to follow him.

I followed him curiously to the Seven Seas Exhibit and felt my heart stop when I saw Alejandro standing there watching the shark swim by.

“Alejo,” César said.

He turned and when he saw me, his smiled sadly at me.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I will leave you two alone in a moment, but there’s someone else that needs to speak to you,” César said seriously.

I looked at him and almost cringed when I saw Teresa approach us.

“I’m sorry, Olivia. I am overprotective of my older brother and I just didn’t want you to be someone who would use him and then disappear. He’s had enough of that in his life,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“Apology accepted,” I replied squeezing her arm.

César put his arm around his sister and led her away, leaving me and Alejandro standing there by ourselves.

He ran a hand through his hair and looked at me.

“How have you been?” he asked.

I shrugged; just as I had when his brother asked me.

“Me too,” he replied with a chuckle.

I noticed that when he dropped his hands to his side that something was wrong.

I grabbed his arm and rolled up his sleeves, gasping at the revelations hidden underneath.

“What happened to you?” I asked looking at all the cuts.

“Ever since you left, I’ve been trying to relive the rush of being with you. I’ve tried almost everything and cutting myself was the closest I could get. It doesn’t satisfy me fully, but I’ve pretty much cut myself everywhere.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered looking at the little angry scars that worked their way up and around his arms.

“It’s not your fault,” he replied quietly. “I’m messed up. I always have been. Being with you ... God it was the best feeling in the world. But I couldn’t have you anymore. And I’ve missed you so much,” he said.

“I ... Never deleted that picture of us. I look at it every night before I go to sleep,” I confessed with tear filled eyes. “Alejo, I love Mitchell. But I’m not
in
love with him. Not anymore. I haven’t been for a while, but I was afraid of what would happen if we didn’t work. I’m so sorry I used you. I’m so sorry I left you. If I could take everything back I would.”

“I wouldn’t,” he said wiping my tears away.

“Really?” I asked.

“Really,” he confirmed. “Olivia, I’ll never find anyone like you and I don’t want to. I haven’t looked nor do I intend to.
You
are supposed to be mine and I feel it with everything that I am. I felt it the moment you made your decision in Barcelona. I wouldn’t give up. I couldn’t. Not with the one woman that makes me feel like you do. I know that you have a life here, but I promise you that if you leave here and come back with me to Ibiza, you will never know love like I will  show you every day for the rest of my life,” he said taking my hand in his.

“One question,” I said.

“Anything.”

“How did you guys know where I lived?”

“Pablo. He gave me the address you put on your reservation and we went from there,” he said with a smile.

We kissed each other and that’s when I knew I’d leave with him.

That was the day I went back to Mitchell and gave him his ring back.

I thanked him for the first year of happiness he gave me. I never explained to him why I left but I’m sure he knew in his heart.

That was the day I got on the plane in O’Hare with my young lover.

I knew in my heart I had made the right decision then.

That was the day that I sat on the plane reliving every moment that led me to this point.

From the last time Mitchell rejected me sexually, to meeting Alejandro in Chicago and the few days we sexually dominated each other; from Ibiza to Barcelona.

It
is
true what they say; right before you die or think you will, your life flashes before your eyes.

I looked over at Alejandro Castillo as he kissed my hand and held it reassuringly as the pilot finished making the announcement that our plane was going down.

W
hen I wrote this story, I decided to leave the end open for a sequel. Now it’s up to YOU, the reader, to decide the fate of Olivia and Alejandro! Go to my Facebook fan page:

https://www.facebook.com/yolandaolsonbooks
and let me know if they should have a second chance at happiness!

Thank you for reading Claiming Olivia!