Come Together (3 page)

“I don’t feel right keeping it.”

“Yes, but . . . maybe it’s a little soon for that.”

“Soon?” I asked. “What do you mean? Soon, like, David might change his mind?”

“Uh, no. I mean soon, like, Bill is probably really upset right now and that might’ve been a little insensitive.”

“Oh.” My face flushed, but I nodded. “I should warn you,” I said, “he might think you’re involved with this.”

Her eyebrows knit, but her arm tightened around me as we walked. “I don’t care,” she said finally. “Maybe one day we can all be friends again, but for now, I just want to be there for you.”

“Thanks,” I said, but I frowned. “I wish Lucy were here.”

“I know,” she said, squeezing me to her. “She’ll come around, don’t worry.”

~

I wasn’t sure how, but Gretchen had arranged for us to have her apartment to ourselves for the night. Her two roommates, Bethany and Ava, were gone, and I was thankful for it.

“I have champagne and leftover cake if we’re celebrating,” Gretchen announced, “or ice cream and beer in case you feel like wallowing. Movie choices are
The Break-Up
,
The Notebook
or
Kill Bill.
”

I made a face as I stifled my laughter. “
Kill Bill
? That’s awful.”

“I know. I couldn’t resist.”

“I think I might like to do a little of both, celebrating and wallowing.”

“K . . . I can make that work,” she decided, disappearing into the kitchen.

I curled onto her couch and pulled the throw over myself. I rubbed my sore eyes and sighed. Gretchen’s company was nice, but I couldn’t help wanting to see David now that it was allowed. I had told him I would need space afterward, but now I wasn’t so sure. I wanted to be held by him, to let him comfort me, to finally kiss him without the nagging guilt that was ever-present. I wondered if it would automatically be gone and what that would feel like.

But it was logical that I take the night to process my feelings over what had just happened. I shot David a quick text to tell him it was done and that I’d arrived safely at Gretchen’s. I promised I’d call him in the morning before work and then shut down my phone for the night.

Gretchen floated into the room with a plateful of cake and chocolate chip cookies. On her next round, she juggled three bowls: two with ice cream and a larger one full of popcorn.

“Oh my God,” I said with widened eyes. “This is heaven.” I hadn’t eaten the fajitas after all, and I had expelled anything in my stomach while waiting for Bill. I realized that anxiety had kept me from eating much the past twenty-four hours, and I was suddenly starving. Lastly, she brought out two beers and two glasses of champagne.

“Have at it,” she said, throwing a piece of popcorn up and catching it in her mouth.

We vetoed all chick flicks in favor of
Caddyshack,
one of our childhood favorites. The days to come would be hard, and I didn’t think I had any right to be laughing, but for the rest of the night, I only wanted to get lost in distraction. Just as Rodney Dangerfield was declared a menace, there was a knock on Gretchen’s door. She shot me an uncomfortable look and left the room.

When she reappeared, my heart skipped a beat because I knew what she would say. “It’s David,” she confirmed. “He’s being rather persistent about seeing you.”

I stood immediately and walked toward the door before pausing. “Is it okay with you? I don’t want to ruin our night.”

“It won’t ruin our night,” she said with a smile. “Are you ready to see him?”

“Yes,” I said and surprised her with a big hug. “I love you.”

“I think I like Olivia with David,” she teased, smacking me on the behind.

I opened the front door and was met with David’s wall of a body. He was propped against the doorjamb with two outstretched arms. I lost my breath just at the sight of him, especially when hit with the intensity in his light brown eyes. His black hair was wild in a non-purposeful way, as though he’d been running his hands through it, and he wore a hoodie with jeans. He looked angry, like a small boy who’d lost his favorite toy. “I tried to call.”

“I turned off my phone,” I said nervously.

“Tell me it’s over.”

“I did,” I said. “I texted you – ”

“I want to hear you say it.”

I blinked at him. He looked determined, edgy; the volatile David with features as sharp as a knife. “It’s over,” I breathed.

He dropped his arms and scooped me up by my waist, flattening me against his long body. Underneath me, his chest heaved with relief. One hand slid up my back and grasped the nape of my neck. We looked each other in the eyes until our faces were an inch apart, drawing toward one another like magnets. “I’ve been so worried,” he murmured before his lips landed on mine. His warm, mint-flavored mouth invited me in, and our heads tilted away from each other just so we could get closer.

I melted into his warmth as my arms found their way around his neck. In that gesture, I claimed my reward for everything I’d been through – not just that day, but for months and months. And what a reward it was.

When we parted, I smiled at him and sifted his silky dark hair through my hands. “It’s over, David,” I whispered. “Over.”

His forehead rested against mine. “You have no idea what it does to me to hear you say that.”

I giggled softly. “Actually, I do.”

“I’ve been thinking about taking you again since I left your apartment last night. You can’t expect me not to get a hard-on the second I see you.”

I blushed. “Well, can you wait a little longer?”

He inhaled through his nose and squeezed me tightly. “No,” he said but set me on my feet. “What happened?”

“It was hard. Very, very hard. I was nervous.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, back in serious mode. “How did he react?”

“He was confused. I don’t know if he believes it’s really over.”

“Confused,” he muttered, looking away. When his eyes came back to mine, they were narrowed. “Angry?”

“He was more sad, I think. He got upset when I gave him the ring back.”

“Upset how? Did he touch you?” The words rushed out as though he’d been holding in the question all day. He pulled out my arm and pushed up my sleeve, running his hands over my skin.

“No. He flipped over a table and put a pretty decent hole in the wall, but other than that, no damage done.”

“Jesus Christ, Olivia. I told you, that’s why I wanted to be there. The thought of you alone with him in that state makes me crazy.”

“We were together a long time. I know he’d never hurt me.”

“You can’t know how he’ll react in a situation like this. You just ripped the carpet out from under him.”

I crossed my arms. “I’m aware. We had this conversation last night.”

“He could fly off the handle. He could’ve hurt you, and there would’ve been nobody there. In the future, don’t expect to get away with that.”

“Get away with what?” I asked, reeling back.

“With telling me how to protect you, how to keep you safe.”

I was about to react when he suddenly took my left hand and ran his thumb over the empty spot. “I have to say though, this makes me very happy.” He bent his head, kissed the place the ring had been and glanced up at me. “Very happy,” he rumbled.

I simultaneously felt my insides quicken and my heart melt. With his lips still on my hand, I warned, “It’s going to take a while for me to be okay.”

“I know, baby.” He dropped my hand and pulled me back into his all-encompassing embrace. “But I’m not going anywhere. We’re in this together.”

I didn’t know how to feel. The only other person who made me feel that secure was my dad, and I didn’t see much of him anymore. Bill had been there for me the best he knew how, but it didn’t always feel like he was on my side. With David, I felt like he was standing next to me, or in front of me, instead of somewhere around me. “Thank you,” I whispered up at him.

“Sure I can’t convince you to come home with me right now?”

I placed my hands on his chest. “I’m sure. Can we start with breakfast this weekend?” I suggested.

He grumbled something to himself.

“What?” I asked.

“I thought the deal was you stay here tonight only.”

“I don’t think we had a deal,” I said. “In fact, we have absolutely no plan.”

“You might not, but, baby, I have plans for you. And I would like to get started on those plans
immediately
.”

I loved the sound of that, but instead I said, “I just need a day or two to sort through everything.”

He pushed his hips into me leisurely, and the hard-on I’d felt before was considerably harder. “I can’t wait that long,” he said, his voice edging on whining.

“David,” I said, laughing in disbelief, “we’re obviously not very good at restraint, but I think you can wait another night.”

“If that’s what you think, then you don’t know me,” he stated.

I laughed again, this time at the fact that he thought a couple nights was a long time to go without sex. At that realization, the smile immediately slid off my face.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. What was that?”

I decided to let it go, not wanting to ruin the moment. I ran my hands up his chest and replaced them around his neck. “I just think it’s funny that after all these months, you can’t wait another day.”

“I’ve been waiting for this a long fucking time,” he declared. “Sue me if I want nothing more than to lock you in my apartment, throw you on my bed and have you until you beg me to stop.”

His words, aside from knotting my insides with excitement, rang familiar. I remembered he’d said them to me once before. The last time he’d said that, I couldn’t respond the way I’d wanted, so this time I did. “I’ll never beg you to stop,” I told him.

His chest vibrated against me when he growled. He still looked slightly angry, but now his eyes were hungry. “Then we’re in trouble if we expect to have a life outside the bedroom.”

I couldn’t suppress my grin. He was so adorable when he didn’t get what he wanted.

“I’ll give you your space,” he said, “but in exchange, I want the whole weekend.”

I moved my hands back against his hard pecs and nodded. “The weekend.”

He bent his head and kissed me softly on the lips. “You’re amazing. Thank you for today.”

I blew out a breath as my body warmed. I was just getting to see this sweet, romantic side of him, and I liked it a little too much.

“Go back inside,” he said, “or I will kidnap you and take you home now.”

“Okay.” I tried to pull away, but his arms were still locked around me.

“And turn your phone back on. I hate being out of touch.”

“Yes, sir. Talk to you tomorrow.”

He leaned over, gave me another kiss and left.

CHAPTER 3

I HEARD MY NAME IN THE DISTANCE – faintly at first and then again, louder . . . . My eyes flew open to darkness, and I catapulted into a sitting position. “Bill?” I wheezed.

“Shh, sweetie, it’s Gretchen.”

“Oh.”

“Were you having a nightmare?” she whispered.

I closed my eyes and reclined back onto Gretchen’s bed. “Mhm.”

“What about?”

“I don’t remember. I have them about the alley.”

“When Mark Alvarez attacked you? I didn’t know that.”

“Sometimes it’s more like a memory. Alvarez restraining me as he threatens payback for Bill’s involvement in his brother’s trial. But this nightmare was different. Bill was in it.” I jumped when she stroked my shoulder.

“Is there any news about Alvarez?”

“He’s behind bars, and he’s not going anywhere. But it’s hard to forget what his hands felt like on me.”

I woke up several times after that, half-expecting Bill, other times David, but confused when I found Gretchen. I didn’t dream of the alley again.

I lay watching the ceiling as the room brightened with the rising sun. Gretchen stirred eventually, and I turned my head toward her. “I’m worried about Bill.”

She yawned and rubbed her eyes before turning over to face me. “Should I ask Andrew to check on him?”

“Would you? I don’t think Lucy wants to talk to me.”

“Sure. I’ll call on our way to work.”

We got ready together and headed to a café down the street. After we put our in order at the counter, Gretchen called Lucy, who told her that Andrew would go by the apartment. Bill was close with Andrew, Lucy’s husband, so I didn’t mind asking. Lucy didn’t want to speak to me however, and from the way Gretchen stopped mid-sentence, it appeared that Lucy didn’t care to hear about how I was doing.

Gretchen assured me again that Lucy would come around, but I wasn’t so sure. I had stomped on her values, everything she believed in and the vows she and Andrew had just taken. It hurt to think that I had tainted the meaning of love and commitment for her the way my parents had for me. It pained me to realize that I might lose friends in addition to Bill. But even though I was still laden with grief, doubt, fear . . . in some strange way, I felt a certain lightness too.

“So what’re you gonna do about a living situation?” Gretchen asked.

“Trying to get rid of me?”

“You know you can stay at our apartment as long as you want. Like, forever even. My roommates are hardly there anyway.”

“I don’t know if Bill would appreciate my breaking up our marriage for one long sleepover at your place.”

“Touché. So? What are you gonna do?”

I sighed as the barista handed us our drinks. We left the café and started toward the train. “David and I made plans to spend the weekend together, so we’re starting with breakfast tomorrow. I haven’t really thought beyond that. I guess I should start looking for my own place.” The thought made me grimace.

“Like, your own apartment?” she asked. “What about David?”

“What about him?”

“Have you thought about moving in with him?”

“Um, we should probably date for a while before we get
that
serious.”

“Um,” she mimicked, “did you not just end your marriage for him? That’s pretty . . .
serious
.”

“No, I know. But really, Gretch, David helped me see the cracks in my marriage. I’m doing this as much for myself as I am for him. And I don’t want to put too much pressure on him.”