I went straight to the penthouse from work. I’d spent the day bringing Jia up to speed on all the investors and game planning for the upcoming months. We had our work cut out for us, but she seemed eager and up for the task. But after a full day, all I’d wanted to do was have Olivia in my arms. She made a rough day melt away, and the more days that passed, the more the penthouse was feeling like a home.
I’d bounced around places since I was a kid, never getting too personally attached to any one living situation. Something about this place made me want to stay awhile. Of course, Olivia had everything to do with that.
I walked through the door and put my briefcase on one of the expensive upholstered chairs that adorned the foyer. I entered the kitchen, and Olivia was sitting at a stool staring down. Her hands were threaded through her dark-brown hair that fell loose over her shoulders. She didn’t look up when I entered, and an uneasy feeling slid over me.
“Hey, beautiful.”
When she didn’t look up, I went to her. I caught her chin and lifted her gaze to me. Her eyes were glossy and red, and something seized in my gut.
“What’s wrong?”
She didn’t speak, only tucked her hair behind her ear with a trembling hand.
“Jesus Christ, you’re shaking like a leaf. What’s going on?”
“Will…I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Her voice was broken and watery.
“About what?”
She shook her head and a single tear fell down her cheek. I caught her shoulders, spinning her on the stool so she faced me.
“Olivia, talk to me.” My tone was firmer now. She was scaring the hell out of me.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered.
My breath lodged painfully in my chest. I replayed those two words a few more times, absorbing their meaning.
“Wait… What?”
She continued shaking her head, wiping at her eyes. She was trembling harder, and now I knew why.
“I’ve been safe. I’ve always been safe. I don’t know how this could have happened. Did a condom break or something?”
My thoughts whizzed a million miles an hour. Then they paused on one moment in time. Fuck.
My hands fell from her shoulders. “You weren’t on the pill?”
She swallowed and another tear fell. “No. I haven’t been on it for a long time. That’s why I said you needed to use protection, always.”
I ran a palm down my face. “Fuck.”
“What?”
I paced away from her.
“Will…”
I turned back and held her in my gaze. “This is my fault.”
“What do you mean this your fault?”
“I—I just assumed you were on the pill and the condoms were an extra precaution.”
She widened her reddened eyes, and her swollen lips parted. “You had sex with me without a condom?”
I swallowed hard and yanked through my hair. “One night. It was the middle of the night. I had this fucked-up nightmare. All I could think about was being inside you. I had to have you. I woke you up, and you said yes. I thought you knew.”
“You did this?”
The tears fell unbidden down her cheeks. I felt like I was drowning in them. How could I have done this to her…
“Olivia, I swear I didn’t know this would happen.”
“I trusted you!” Her cry was full of despair.
She slid off the stool and closed the space between us, her fists two tight balls at her sides. When she leveled them against my chest, I didn’t bother stopping her. I deserved the pain. I deserved every ounce of her anger.
She beat her fists against me until the sobs overtook her. Her knees gave out, and she sank to the ground. I caught her and lowered down with her. When I dragged her into my lap, she was boneless and didn’t fight me. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight through her tears.
Her tears were worse than her blows. They lanced through me.
Every instinct told me to protect her, to find a way to make this all right. But if I held the blame, how could I protect her? How could I possibly make this right?
OLIVIA
I wasn’t sure how much time I spent cocooned in Will’s arms. I hated him right now, but there was no place I’d have rather been. He’d done this to me, and somehow I knew he was the only one who would bring me through it. I nuzzled into his shirt, letting his woodsy scent comfort me as I caught my breath.
He didn’t speak, which worried me. He was always so quick to take control of a situation, to make up my mind for me.
I looked up at him. “You’re not saying anything.”
“I’m trying not to make it worse,” he muttered softly.
“Try to make it better.”
He sighed, and I rested against his exhaling chest.
“I’m sorry, Olivia. I’m so sorry. I made a mistake. I know it’s not enough right now, but you have to believe that I would never try to hurt you.”
Fresh tears fell, but my body didn’t have any more sobs to give. I pressed my face into his chest, not caring how my mascara stained the perfectly starched shirt.
“Take me to bed. I can’t…” A sob broke free.