VEGAS follows you home (37 page)

The minute the pink box catches my attention, I focus on one string of words —
Mother's Comfort significantly reduces your morning sickness symptoms
.

She's pregnant. Olivia is pregnant!
I want to roar my excitement and rage at her deceit.

Surprising myself, I put on a cool and collected mask. Tossing the box into her lap, I retake my seat. A full-scale plan develops, easing every burden I felt coming in here today.

At the conclusion of the meeting, I try to get Olivia's attention, but she rushes off to hide in the ladies room. Instead of talking things over with her, I decide to implement my newest plan. If she wants to continue deceiving me, then I'll play the game my way.

Excusing myself from the legal team, I step into an empty hallway to make a few calls. First, is to my realtor. Instead of an apartment, I'll need a house for a family. Second, is to my brother. I need a full-scale investor meeting. There will be changes to B.I.G., but it won't be my departure. And the last item to be handled will require a bit more thought, but now that another child is on the way, there is no possibility of her getting rid of me.

Olivia

Morning arrives and I go through the normal motions: eat, dress, bake, eat, nap, take care of Alex, bake, and nap again. My second nap is interrupted when Felicity and Mercedes come down the hall.

"Why are you on the couch?" Ced wrinkles her brow, setting a brown bag on the counter.

Sitting up, I stretch and give a small shrug.

"I brought muffins." Felicity slides onto a stool at the breakfast bar and begins unpacking items.

"From where? Downstairs?" I roll my eyes.

She shrugs and smiles.

"You need to eat," Mercedes says sternly.

"The doctor says I'm fine."

I grab one of the muffins baked this morning and slather it with tons of honey butter.

"She also says you could use some extra calories, given your daily schedule." Mercedes puts a hand on her hip, scowling at me.

"So, Felicity," I change the subject, "how's the new girlfriend, Lorna? You haven't talked about her lately. Are you still dating?"

"Yeah." Felicity shrugs. "She wants to move in together, but it's too soon for that."

"Are you kidding me?" Mercedes chokes on her orange juice. "If you feel connected to someone, I say go for it."

"Some of us are more responsible than you, my friend." Felicity smirks.

"So what if I've lived with a few different guys." She shrugs. "The point is, I take the chance. I live." With a proud smile, she stuffs a muffin top into her mouth.

"I kind of agree with Ced." I watch Felicity from the corner of my eye.

"Well, well, well, Miss Harlow." Felicity grins. "I guess getting knocked up by your stalker husband has loosened you up a bit."

"Shut up," I laugh, but then seriousness washes over me. "Am I an awful person?"

I stare at the marble countertop.

"Why would you think that?" Ced moves swiftly to my side.

"I mean, I didn't tell him about…" I motion to my stomach.

"That would have put his craze-omiter into overdrive. You wouldn't have even made it to arbitration." Felicity places her long bronze arm over my shoulders.

"But he knows now and hasn't done or said anything." I glance up at her. "Maybe I was wrong to keep it secret. It wasn't fair of me to just hold the information."

"What's really going on here, Liv?" Ced, too, puts an arm around me.

"Nothing, I just—"

"Yeah, right," Felicity interjects.

"Spill," Ced demands.

I groan.

"It's just hormones," I state, more to convince myself than them. "But…"

"But, what?" Felicity urges.

"There are these feelings. Like yesterday," I slip out from their embrace and off the stool to start pacing, "it killed me to read those documents and have his business put on display for strangers. I felt sorry for him."

I stop and look at my two best friends. They sit, nodding. There’s no judgment to be found, so I continue to spill my deepest secrets.

"I'm not blind to everything crazy he's done and that does scare me, but not as much as it should. He used extreme measures, but I know what it's like to be at a point in life where extreme is the only way you can breathe…feel."

Isaac flashes into my mind, bringing a tear to the corner of my eye. I'm reminded of how hollow I felt when I lost him and our unborn child. Alex was my extreme moment. My chance to be whole, to breathe and function once more.

"I just can't help how I'm feeling and it's driving me crazy. Every logical bone in my body knows it’s insanity and has to be these pregnancy hormones driving me to coo-coo town."

"Liv, stop and sit. You're making me dizzy with the pacing."

With a deep breath, I retake my seat as Felicity requested.

"I'm losing it, aren't I?"

"No," Mercedes blurts.

Our eyes meet and she smiles.

"I don't think it's just hormones either." She shrugs unapologetically.

"But—"

Mercedes moves to stand directly across from me.

"Look, Liv, I think you two connect on a level because of the pain you've both experienced. You both try to be strong, but the debilitating losses you've both experienced leave a mark. You recognize this in each other and connect on a level like no other."

"She makes a point." Felicity finally enters the conversation. "However, he definitely still has a lot of healing to do. I mean, think about everything he's done. The stalking, barging into your life, threats, scheming, and lying. Those aren't so easy to forget or overlook."

"Yeah, but think about the circumstances," Ced counters.

"I have and I acknowledge them. But still, I don't know how she could even deal with all that crazy without losing her shit, too."

"
She
is sitting right here," I break into the conversation, reminding them I'm still in the room.

"Sorry." Felicity blushes for a moment.

The ring of my cell phone ends the debate of my situation.

"Hello."

"Hey, Olivia, I wanted to let you know that the papers have been received by Mr. Knyght's team and the arbitrator," Alfonso provides.

"And?" I chew on my bottom lip nervously.

"Damon is requesting forty-eight hours to review the proposal."

"Okay, that seems fair."

Alfonso clears his throat.

"What?" I chew harder, flinching when I break through the skin.

"Damon has some business matters to tend to in New York and will need the upcoming week to handle it. And you have business the following week, so it will be about fifteen days before the next meeting can be arranged and terms finalized."

"Okay," I groan.

"It's the quickest I can get things moving."

"I know, Alfonso. I appreciate all you've done. Thanks." I end the call.

"Do we want to know?" Mercedes leans against the bar.

After a moment, I relay the information to both of them.

Damon

Back in New York, Hugh, Mrs. Shaw, and Scarlett work overtime to help prepare my proposal for the Pittsburgh location. All investors and board members confirm to attend the meeting. I'm sure most of them are concerned I'll be stepping down, when, in fact, I'll be making other adjustments.

My law team is quick to request a forty-eight hour review period for her new proposal. It's unexpected. I didn't think she would propose an arrangement as such, but it now provides me with more leverage to bring my plan to fruition.

Goodbye, New York. Goodbye to my mother's involvement with B.I.G. and farewell divorce decree. Pittsburgh looks to hold a bright future for my wife, our children, and my company.

Olivia

Two days pass and I don't hear anything from Alfonso about the custody proposal. On the third day, I call him to find out that he’s been playing phone tag with Damon's legal team and isn’t sure what's going on.

By the time the weekend arrives, I'm exhausted. Alex having been exceptionally energetic for the past few days, I'm thankful for the knock on the door. Thinking its Felicity and Lorna stopping by as planned, I swing the door open without checking.

"Thank Go—" I choke.

"Hello, Olivia." Damon's voice is smooth and sexy as ever.

"You can't be here." I try to shut the door.

"I don't think so." He pushes his way into my home, closing the door behind his entrance.

I step back, but can't help but notice the way his dark jeans and black sweater hug his body in a sexy caress. With a mental slap to my wacky hormones, I growl and prepare to demand his exit.

"Did you plan on ever telling me?"

His question shuts down my demand.

He turns, pinning me with fierce green eyes — eyes flaming with bottled emotions. My breath hitches, remembering him staring down from above as he lazily moved between my thighs.

"Don't lie, Olivia. I know I deserve it, but please don't lie to me."

I remain silent, unsure of what will come out of my mouth.

"You know, when I saw that box, I wasn't sure why you had it. When it finally sunk in, I was assaulted with so many different feelings." He shakes his head. "I wanted to pull you into my arms, kiss you until you couldn't do anything but stay with me."

I open my mouth to apologize, but he puts a hand up.

"Then I wanted to strangle you." His eyes blaze into my mine, the pain crystal clear. "I couldn't believe you would keep something like this from me."

"Damon, I—"

"Let me finish. Please." The plea in his voice silences me once more. "Thank you."

"I realize I wasn't honest with you and I've never been more sorry." He takes three strides and kneels before me. "Believe me, I'm sorry."

His forehead presses against my stomach and his hands grip my hips.

"I know you are." I keep my hands at my sides, more afraid of myself than him.

"Thank you."

He releases my hips and stands before me, invading my personal space. His eyes hold mine captive as he caresses my face.

"At first, when I received the new proposal, for just a moment, I thought perhaps you realized I would never do anything to hurt Alex or you. That maybe, just maybe, you realized how much I've fallen in love with you and this was your way of offering me the only thing you could."