Perfectly Inappropriate

Of all the things Olivia had thought Lacie would say, that had not been it. It seemed so honest and so lost, just as Olivia had been. And suddenly the anger that Olivia had felt that day when she walked into her bedroom washed away to only sadness. Deep sadness that started in her soul where her friendship with Lacie began. When they were children with no worries and had their whole life ahead of them.

“That’s why I’m in therapy,” Lacie continued. “Because I know what I did was more than terrible. That it was absolutely unforgiveable. I know I ruined your life. I know our friendship is over because of me. And I don’t know why I did that.”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Paige growled. She sidled up to Olivia and said, “You were taking too long. I thought a reporter got you.” To Lacie, Paige glared and said through gritted teeth, “You’ve got some nerve talking to her, no matter that your parents live next door. Have you come by so I can sprinkle some water on you, so you shrivel up and die?”

An unexpected laugh fell from Olivia’s mouth. Here was Paige to the rescue. Oddly enough, it was in that moment Olivia saw a difference between Lacie and Paige. Maybe a strength that Paige had that Lacie did not. A similar strength that Noah had—one that was kind and good. But she saw something else too. A deep and abiding love. Paige would go to the ends of the world to defend her, just like Noah had done.

Somehow knowing she needed to have this talk with Lacie, she turned to Paige. “It’s okay. I’ll meet you inside in a few.”

“You sure?” Paige asked without any of the venom she had thrown Lacie’s way.

Olivia nodded. “I’m sure.”

Paige set her icy glare back on Lacie. “You make her cry, I make you bleed.” She turned, flicking her hair over her shoulder, and marched her way back inside the house.

Lacie sighed. “I see she hasn’t changed.”

“She never will.” That’s what made Paige such a good friend. Her loyalty had never wavered. Her strength had always been there. Even her humor—inappropriate at times—all these were things that Olivia had leaned on lately.

Though somewhere in all that reverie, Olivia’s heart suddenly sank into her stomach. She would never have a friendship with Lacie again. They had been best friends for so long. Livvie and Lacie, they had matched perfectly. Something in her heart—something new and undiscovered—made what she said next all too easy. “I think it’s really good that you’re in therapy. And you’re right—our friendship ended that day. But…” She drew in a deep breath and admitted something she doubted she could have before Noah. “But to be honest, I actually think you might have done me a favor.”

Lacie’s eyebrows wrinkled in surprise.

Hell, Olivia was surprised too. “For a month, I cried over you and Cameron. I hated you both. I guess now I’m not so angry anymore, and I see that I had changed along the way, conforming to what I thought Cameron wanted. Which he apparently didn’t want at all.”

Ready to put this all behind her, she pushed away from the car. To the woman she grew up with, shared so many happy memories with, she said, “Be happy, Lacie.”

Done with Cameron. Done with Lacie. Done with the pain. Olivia turned away and strode toward the house.

“Olivia,” Lacie called.

She had her hand on the door handle when she looked back. Tears rushed down Lacie’s cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.” Sorry it ever had to happen. Sorry that their close friendship had been shattered by betrayal. Sorry that no matter how many good memories they had, there would always be this shadow of pain around them that could never go away.

With everything said, she walked inside and shut the door of the house…and on her past.

Chapter 14

In midtown Manhattan, Noah sat behind his desk, staring out at the high rise across the street. The last few days had been an exhausting shitshow, with Olivia never far from his mind. But this was also a reminder of why he never got emotional. The connection had created unnecessary problems. Drama that he could certainly avoid.

The fixers were on top of the situation, handling the media with the efficiency he had expected of them. By all accounts, this entire scandal would smooth over. And yet none of that brought any peace.

He missed Olivia. He missed her voice, her laugh, and the way she saw the world.

A sudden knock on the door had him spinning around in his chair. He snorted at his mother who stood in the doorway. “I’m surprised you haven’t shown up here sooner.”

She smiled softly and entered his modest office. “I wanted you to have a few days to cool off.” She knew him well.

Before she took her seat in the client chair, he rose and leaned over his desk to kiss her cheek. “You’ve seen the video?”

Audra inclined her head and lowered into the chair. “Everyone has seen the video, Noah.”

He returned to his seat and rubbed his hands over his face. “What does Father have to say?”

“He’s as curious as I am about what happened. Was this about Olivia?”

“The man is her ex-fiancé,” Noah explained, lowering his hands, staring at the one person in his life who had always been there. “It’s not so much about her, but about the man who is an asshole and deserved what I gave him.”