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Twenty-four hours ago she’d sat across the table from him eating sushi and donuts, regaling him with silly little stories. Had he not already fallen in love with her, that would’ve been when it had happened.
Maybe everything had started out fake, but it hadn’t been fake for a long time. At least, not for him, and he struggled to believe that it was still fake for her. The woman that he’d held in his arms all night had not been a one-night stand. There was something between them that went far deeper than friendship and a fake relationship.
He stared at the hotel room door for several minutes trying to wrap his head around what had happened. When he’d texted her earlier in the day about meeting up that evening, he’d sensed nothing amiss in her reply. The request had not been part of their “fake” relationship. He’d actually been asking her out and until she’d walked in the door he truly believed that she had accepted.
Anger began to course through him. It joined with the pain and confusion and spurred him to action. There was no fucking way he was going to let her just walk out of his life. His keys and wallet were in his pocket. He wasn’t sure if he had time to catch her before she left the hotel. If he had to follow her across town, he would. He was running on pure emotion and tore out of the room.
She wasn’t in the lobby, nor did he see her outside. He was relieved he didn’t have to wait long for the Uber to show up. The driver seemed to sense that Adam was in no mood to talk, and got him across town as quickly as possible.
No sooner had the car pulled up to the hotel, than he was out and dashing inside. A few people from the conference tried to stop and talk to him, but he brushed them aside and made a beeline for the upstairs room. He got off the elevator and turned into the hall, just in time to see Olive disappearing inside her room.
He reached her door and knocked briskly. Several seconds passed and when there was no answer, he knocked again. More seconds passed, then he heard someone on the other side of the door. It cracked open, chain lock still in place, and he heard, “Go away, Adam.”
The door started to shut, but he wasn’t having it. He slipped his foot in between the door and the frame. “Not until you talk to me.”
“There’s nothing left to say.” her voice was full of tears. He might not know much about emotions, but he knew you didn’t cry over someone you felt nothing about.
“Like hell, there isn’t.” He tried to keep the anger in his voice to a minimum, but some of the anger and pain still slipped through.
“Adam…please…” she didn’t finish the sentence. Her voice was even weepier, barely more than a whisper.
His anger suddenly took a backseat and love for her overwhelmed him. I will not lose you. He rested his forehead against the door, and as gently as he could manage he said, “Sweetheart, please. Let me in. I just want to talk…and then, if you still want me to go, I will.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Why not?” The door between them hadn’t shut, but she still hadn’t undone the chain.
He could hear the sniffles before she replied, “Because that’s what you call someone you love….and…you love…someone else.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” It was the second time in two hours she’d blindsided him.
“I know…you’re in love with…some…someone else.”
The fuck? “Sweetheart, please…” he tried again.
That did the trick. He heard the chain slide, and then the door was flung open. Olive stood there in front of him, tears streaming down her face, “I said, don’t call me that!”
He took a risk and stepped into the room. To his relief, she moved back and let him inside. The door shut behind him, and he asked, “Why do you think I’m in love with someone else?”
She crossed her arms across her chest and looked at him defiantly, “Because Holden said you were.”
He fought the urge to move closer and pull her into an embrace. Instead, he mirrored her movement and crossed his own arms across his chest, “And just what did Holden tell you that led you to believe that?”
She shook her head and walked further away from him, “Why does it matter? We’ll go back home and you’ll finally…be free to be…with her.”
“And you’ll be free to be with Jeremy.” He couldn’t resist throwing that at her.
Her voice went up in pitch as she shot back, “Why would I want to be with Jeremy? I don’t love him. I’ve never loved him. I lo-” Her mouth shut tight and she stared at the floor.
He moved slowly until he was standing right in front of her. What he did next was another risk, and he hoped he wasn’t pressing his luck too much. “Olive, look at me.” When she didn’t move, he reached out and gently lifted her chin so that he could see her face. Once she met his eyes he told her, “Sweetheart, I don’t know what Holden told you, but there is no one else. You are the only one I love. You are my first, my last, and my only. And I’ll be damned if you walk out of my life without giving me an actual chance.”
She stared at him, frozen for a moment, then words began to tumble out of her, “You can’t…You’re going to move here. I’ll still be at home…and you’ll be here…and I’m…I’m losing everything. He’s taking everything…”
He watched as she began to pace, and he tried to process what she was saying. “What do you mean I’ll be here and you won’t? Who’s taking everything?”
But she wasn’t listening to him, just continued on, “I’m such an idiot…I gave him everything. He’s taking you and my work and I’m alone and everything is over and I…I…” she sank onto the edge of the bed, her words faded into sobs.
He grabbed a chair and placed it in front of where she sat weeping. Quietly, he sat down in front of her and held out his arms. In a repeat of the day before, she threw herself into him and continued to cry. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as tight as he dared. One hand stroked her back, the other her hair. As she continued crying, his mind raced and tried to make sense of anything she’d said. Was she not going to work in Tom’s lab? Why on earth would she be giving up that opportunity? Had Tom done something?
That wasn’t possible.
Tom was his friend…and yet…when they’d been in bed early that morning, Olive hadn’t responded like he’d expected when he’d mentioned that he was interviewing at Harvard. She’d been tense when he’d talked about Tom’s lab. Slowly, other things started to come into his mind.
He’d never known Tom to not have a girlfriend. Never seen him not take a chance to flirt. Adam suddenly remembered hearing whispers about Tom’s behavior with female colleagues. He’d always written it off as professional jealousy or women who weren’t prepared to work at the level Tom expected of those in his lab.
Memories of grad school came to the front of his mind. There’d been a girl. Anna? Mandy? Jenny? In vain he tried, but he couldn’t remember her name. She’d been incredibly smart and somehow managed to be in the lab more than he was. One day she was just gone. Quit school and moved away. Tom continued working on her project. It had been an incredible piece of work, and Tom barely had to do anything to complete it. When Adam had asked about it, Tom had informed him the girl had decided the work was too much for her and asked him to take over the project because she was unable to finish it.
He realized that Olive had stopped crying. With her still wrapped in his arms, though he dreaded the answer, he finally asked, “What did Tom do?”
Her body tensed and she backed away from him. He released his hold but otherwise remained still. She wiped her arm across her eyes and shook her head, “Nothing.”
His anger tried to take over and he forced his voice to remain steady and gentle, “Don’t lie to me. He did something and I need to know what it was.”
Her eyes dropped to the floor again, “It’s not…he didn’t…I’m not…” she couldn’t complete a sentence.
Things were growing clearer in his mind. The report. The one she’d slaved over. He hadn’t given it a second thought, but it should’ve occurred to him that it was strange Tom would want such a detailed document. But Tom wouldn’t go so far as stealing someone else’s work, would he? Remembering the girl from grad school, Adam groaned inwardly. Out loud he said, “Please tell me.”
She shook her head firmly, “No,” and her voice seemed to shrink as she finished, “he’s your friend.”
His arsenal was weak and he was running out of ideas, but then he had a thought, “You told me that you trust me. Then prove it. Prove that you trust me and tell me what the hell he did.”
The room was quiet. Olive stared at the floor and began to pick at her fingernails. A minute ticked by, and then a second. He waited.
Three minutes.
Five minutes.
“There’s no reason you should believe me.”
He moved a little so he could see her face better and replied, “Try me.”
It wasn’t an easy story for her to tell. He listened as she forced the words to leave her mouth. When she finished, he was angrier than he’d ever thought possible. He stood up and held out his hand, “C’mon.”
Her eyes were wide, “Huh?”
“You should not be alone and I need to get my stuff. You’re coming with me back to my hotel so I can pack up and come back here.”
Still, she didn’t move, “Adam…what are you talking about?”
“I’m not leaving you alone. Not for one minute.”
She shook her head, “You don’t have to keep pretending we’re together. You don’t hafta take care of me.”
He sat back down, “What if we were together? Would you let me take care of you then?”
She looked away, “Please don’t do this. I’m too tired.”
He reached for her hand and when she let him take hold of it, he held it between his own. “I wasn’t lying before. I love you. What we have is real. I know I’m not an easy man. Maybe I’m asking for the impossible. I don’t want this to be over. I want this. I want you.”
She held his gaze, and when she spoke her voice was shaky, “You’re going to leave. Everyone always leaves.”
He shook his head, “I’m not and I won’t.”
“You will. You’re moving here.”
A little exasperated, he sighed, “Why the hell would I move here after everything you just told me?”
“He’s your friend.”
“He’s not. I’m not friends with people who sexually harass and steal.”
She searched his face, “But I can’t prove any of it.”
He moved one hand to cup her cheek, “I don’t care.”
“You believe me?”
He pulled her closer and rested his forehead against hers, “I do.”
Her next question came out hesitatingly, “You…love…me?”
“Now and forever.”