I keep can’t keep having sex with Olive. I’ll ruin her. Because I can never love her. Not when my heart is already taken. And she needs someone to love her.
But I can’t seem to stay away from her. The first time was for fun and was harmless, but this time was a relapse, one that I can never repeat again, no matter the fact that I so desperately want to.
“Do you have everything?” I ask Olive, who is firmly clutching her cat with a large smile on her face.
“Just one second,” she says as she searches through the closet and finds a couple of items of clothing. She finds a small bag in the closet and puts all the items into it. Then, she picks up her coat, putting it on as she stares at the broken bed. “I feel kind of bad about the bed,” she says, loo
king at it and then back at me.
I pick up my jacket and put it on. Then, I dig into my wallet. I pull out several hundreds and throw them onto the bed. “There. Now, he can buy a new one,” I say.
She stares at the hundred-dollar bills, and I know she wants to ask about my job again, but she doesn’t. Instead, she just puts the bag with her things over her shoulder and then picks up her cat again. She deliberately walks toward the door and opens it. Owen stands in the doorway, glaring at her.
I know that she didn’t hear Owen screaming and pounding on the door when I was fucking her. She was too much in her own world, oblivious to anything else other than me. And that’s how I wanted it.
Owen pushes past Olive and into the bedroom. His eyes grow wide as he sees the state of his bed. “What the fuck did you do to my bed?” Owen shouts at Olive.
“We fucked. He made me come and scream like you never could.” Olive cocks her head to one side with a sly smile on her face. “But then I’m sure you heard that part.”
Owen takes a step toward Olive, and I can’t stand the thought of him going near her again, so I step in front of him, stopping him from moving any closer to her.
“Don’t you dare touch her,” I say.
“I should call the police. This is breaking and entering. And, now, you can add damaged property to that list of laws you broke,” Owen says.
I take a step toward him so that he can feel how much stronger I am when I stand over him. “Call the police. I dare you. It will be your word against ours. And I’ll tell the police how much of a piece of shit you are to put your hands on a woman like that.”
Owen steps back, but he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t argue with me, but I’m still not sure he gets it.
“Leave Olive the hell alone. Don’t call her. Don’t try to contact her. Do you understand?”
Owen’s eyes dart from Olive’s and then back to mine before he nods slowly.
I walk to Olive, putting my hand on the small of her back and guiding her to the front door of the apartment. I stop for just a second and turn to Owen who has started following us.
“There should be more than enough cash on your bed to cover the damages,” I say with a smirk before Olive and I leave.
“You have to promise me something, Olive,” I say as we walk down the hallway.
“What’s that?” she asks, snuggling with her kitty, only half-listening to me.
I stop her and force her to look up at me so that she can see how serious and important this is. She gives me her full attention when she sees the intensity in my eyes.
“You have to promise me that you will stay far away from him. Guys like Owen turn into crazy exes who do crazy things, and I just want you to be safe. So, promise me, you’ll stay away, and if you do have to talk to him again, bring me.”
She laughs. “What happened to me being independent and strong and standing up for myself?” she asks.
“I already know that you can do that. You being safe is more important. I just need you to be safe,” I say, stroking her cheek.
“Okay, I promise,” she says, staring at me with eyes that show me how much she wants me.
“Take the elevator with me,” I say.
She cocks her head to one side and looks at me with narrowed eyes. “What? Why?”
“Just trust me.”
She bites her lip and then sighs, “Okay.”