Confessions and Olivia (Olivia #2) (21 page)

I look at my mom who is shaking in fear; what is she sacred of?
I can tell she wants to say something but for some inexplicable reason she chooses to hold back. The blame point’s to Mauricio. Veronica Fahoney is fearless, independent and completely in control. I don’t know where she’s gone. 

Tears
softly fall from both our eyes. We stand watching each other, while I wonder what the hell has gone wrong. I plead with her one last time. “Please mom, please come with me. We don’t belong here, not no more. I can’t stay here with him. If you think Mauricio hit me because of my behavior then I can live with that. But what I can’t live with is allowing you to stay here with him.” I wait in anxious anticipation for her answer.

She doesn’t answer me.

Why do I have this sickening feeling she’s not going to come with me? What is wrong with her?

T
ears fall harder down my cheeks. "Please." I beg her once more, its barley a whisper.

She walks towards
me, her palm cups my chin delicately. "I don’t understand it Olivia. If you’d just listened, none of this would have happened. Your dad shouldn’t have hit you like that your right, but you never used to speak to us this way. Maybe it’s best you stay away from that boy, when we all move away we’ll start again, start fresh. I can’t help you when you won’t tell me why you want to leave. Why can’t you stay here?”

I groan out of frustration and move my head out of her grasp.
Does she really think we can be happy family again? Move away and everything will be alright?

I will not be made to feel like this is all my fault. Not again. But if she doesn’t come with me, will I ever see her again? I couldn’t live with myself, leaving her here with him.
Has Mauricio got a hold on her that tightly?

"Mom
, I’ve done nothing wrong but fall in love with someone that
he
hates. Have you ever asked yourself why he hates him so much? Why he wants him out of the way? Why he’s turned everyone in this family against Calvin to think the same as him? And before you say it’s because he broke my heart, he never gave Calvin a chance from the off, neither of you did.”

She shakes her head pursing her lips, trying a softer approach, but before she speaks she
always glances over to Mauricio. “Darling, he’s bad news that’s all, we could see that from day one. We were looking out for you, why can’t you see that?”

Mauricio looks on warily.
I no he can’t really hear what we’re saying and its killing him. I can sense him boiling up by the second but he’s keeping it together for my mom and Sophia’s sake. The way he’s looking at me though, full of resentment, hasn’t gone unnoticed. I can feel his eyes denting the back of my head.

“You’re not going to come with me are you?” I whisper.

She shakes her head taking mine between her palms and tries to make a stand. “We’re not going anywhere, Olivia. This is ridiculous, just because we don’t like your boyfriend you want to run away? It’s absurd, give it a few days everything will settle down. You’re hurt, and confused. You know what, we’ll take a vacation, clear your mind. And when we come back, we can all go back to normal. How does that sound?”

“No!" I shriek, pulling mysel
f out of her hands. “What is wrong with you mom? What happened to us being a team? Where has Veronica Fahoney gone? Has Mauricio got inside your head that much, that you would turn against your own daughter?”

She looks at him quickly then back to me. Is she actually
looking for permission to speak?

“I don’t know what’s happened to you mom, but I’m leaving. I can’t live here like this anymore. If you think f
or a second that I’m leaving just because you don’t approve of Calvin, then you don’t know me at all. I’m leaving because everyone in this house is being ruled by
him
and I won’t allow it to happen to me, not no more. I may have once, but now I have opened my eyes, they won’t be blinded by him again. If you won’t come with me now, I will come back for you.” I add on whimper promising.

“Where... Where are you going?” Sophia cries from behind me.

I turn to face her and take her hand in mine. “I have to get away from here Soph. None of you understand.”

“Make us.” She croaks.

“I want to. I want to so much, but I can’t, not yet. But soon, just trust me.”

She nods, sucking in her quivering bottom lip.

“And where the fuck are you planning on going? To live happily ever after with Calvin?” Mauricio mocks laughing sadistically to himself.

I turn to him
, my face like thunder. I don’t even want this man breathing the same air as me never mind talking to me.

“I’m leaving by myself.” I lie, “this has nothing to do with running away with Calvin.”

He knows I’m lying, the lack of confidence in my voice confirms it. But I’m not going to admit it or he will never let me go.

I walk over to pick my suitcase up. Tears blurring my vision.

“Please Olivia, don’t go, this doesn’t make sense.” My mom holds on to my arm. I turn to face her placing my suitcase by my side.

“I have to mom. And I will come back for you
. I promise. Then you will understand.”

She sobs, pulling me into her, giving me a long and tight emotional hug. She hugs me like she don’t ever want to let me go. I hug her back, crying softly into her shoulder.

“I love you mom.” I whisper as she unwillingly lets me go.

Sophia wraps me up in her arms when I’m free from my mom, her makeup smudging as the result of her crying.

“You’re coming back right?” She asks in hope.

I know if I talk my voice will crack and I won’t stop crying, so I shake my head, telling her no.

I just need to get out of here, then I can think of what to do.

I leave my mom and Sophia
watching me looking tortured and wounded. I have to look away.

I brush past Mauricio out in the hallway. He pretends for my mom’s sake to hug me. I tense as soon as he touches me, my body
stills. Why the fuck is he touching me? I snarl in my mind, get the hell off me,
murderer.
I push him away instantl
y
.

"Don’t touch me." I warn him, gritting my teeth.

"I will find you." He whispers bending down, and it’s undoubtedly a threat.

I pull away from his whiskey s
melling breath and glare at him. "I think you have more to worry about than finding me, don’t you?" I give him the same threatening tone back, and walk away from him.

As I get to the front door, my mom and Sophia are watching behind me. I take a deep
fragile breath. Okay, now I’m leaving and I don’t know when I’m going to see them again. It’s taking every bone and muscle in my body to help me maintain composure.

"I love you both." I whisper again, shutting the door after me.

Walking to the bottom of my street my chest caves in. I let out sob after sob. I can’t believe I have to leave my family behind. I have to leave my life behind and all because of
him
. I have to leave my mom behind with
him
. Why wouldn’t she just come with me?

I tell myself I just have to keep thinking it’s for the best, for now. I
will
see them again.

Chapter Nineteen*

Calvin
wastes no time in jumping out of his car in a panic when he sees me struggling towards him.

“Hey, hey
. You Okay? Where’s your mom?"

I loose grip of the suitcase and jump into his arms letting everything go.

“She wouldn’t come," I sob, “she wouldn’t...”

"Shh, it’s Okay baby." He comforts me
holding me tight.

"I couldn’t stay there Calvin
, not with him, but I couldn’t make her come with me. She wouldn’t leave. She just wouldn’t."

"You tried Olivia, that’s all you can do. Once we get somewhere and think this through we’ll come back for her, don’t worry. The main thing is you’re out of it now, and I will look after you from now on. I will take good care of you. I promise.
No one will ever hurt you again. You understand?"

Calvin holds me at arm’s length to study me quickly as I sniff my stuffy nose from crying. His face turns furious all of a sudden forcing him to take a measured step back.

"What the fuck is that?" His jaw clicks as I watch his body tense in front of me.

"He hit you!" he yells, before I can speak. I nod but the last thing I want is for him to go see Mauricio, so I urge him along.

"Common its nothing, let’s go," but he remains firm. "No! He’s not hurting someone else I love, not this time." He begins to march fiercely towards my house. Shit. I race after him.

"Calvin no, please don’t go in there. I just want to go." I pull him back with all I have but he wriggles out of my reach. I run in front of him placing my hands on his chest trying to push him back.

"Calvin, please do this for me. Leave it, let’s just go. Then he’ll be out of our lives forever. We can forget about him. Please don’t go in there. I can’t handle any more of this."

He stops walking when he recognizes the pain and pleading
I’m forcing upon him. He sighs raggedly and lets out a curse. Turning around he punches a street lamp out of frustration making me wince.

That’s gotta hurt.

Grabbing me firmly by my hand he warns me. "Only this once. I swear to god Olivia, I’m going to fucking kill him one day." He growls as he marches me back towards the car pulling me behind. I don’t say a word. I’m more than relieved that he hasn’t gone back in there.

Yes, I think he would have killed him.

Back at the car he takes my suitcase putting in the trunk. He’s pissed that I stopped him going to my house but I just want to get out of here.

I wa
lk around to the passenger side in haste. I’m about to get in when I see someone standing in the distance at the bottom of my driveway. I wipe my teary eyes so I can focus. When I notice who the person is, my heart jumps into my mouth. It’s Mauricio. His body goes ridged when he spots me and more so Calvin. He begins shouting at the top of his voice.

"Shit!" I scream in a frantic panic, "Calvin, get in, we need to go now!" I demand. I quickly climb into the car, my body shaking from head to toe. He’s spotted us! Now what? Calvin not noticing what I have climbs into the driver’s side to slow for my liking.

"Go now!" I shriek. I look out of front window and spot Mauricio running towards us. Shit. I’m going to be sick.

"Olivia, what’s wrong?" Calvin puts the key in the ignition absently looking out of the front window. He spots Mauricio as he’s about t
o drive away. He jumps to attention. His jaw clenches. His hands tighten around the steering wheel. It’s clear to me what Calvin’s intentions are.

"Calvin, go!" I scream again as he slams his foot down onto the accelerator so rapidly I jerk back into my seat. Mauricio runs out in to the road trying to block our path like a crazed man. For a moment I think Calvin isn’t going to dodge him with the speed he’s going.
I watch the hatred in his eyes burning through him as his gaze is set upon Mauricio in the road. I hold my hands up to my face not wanting to see the outcome. All of a sudden I’m jerked to the side in my seat, realizing that Calvin must have swerved around him.

I look up at him wide eyed and shocked.

"Put your seat belt on!" he yells, furiously. I do as I’m told with shaky hands putting my belt in place.

"You didn’t kill him." I breathe in wonder.

"No!” he growls harshly. “Fuck!" It’s like he’s scolding himself.

"Calvin. You’re a better man than that." I try to calm him down but I still haven’t collected myself.

"Am I!" His voice is fierce.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No. I’m mad at myself!" He barks.

I don’t ask him why, I know why. Deep down
I know he wanted to run the car into Mauricio. Now I know he thinks he’s a coward for not doing it. The truth is, he’s no coward. He’s a good man. I’m glad he didn’t do it, and not for Mauricio’s sake.

"He will
get what’s coming to him." I try to comfort him putting my hand onto his knee. He glances down at it for a second wearing a frown. He notes I'm still shaking, but I’m trying to control it.

Now Mauricio knows for a fact I have left with Calvin. What will he do?

He continues right onto the freeway gripping the steering wheel
,
glaring out in front of him, not saying a word.

"Do you know where we’re going?" I ask after the initial shock.

"I thought we’d go to my grans to lie low for a few days." He’s short with me but I don’t push it.

He looks like a man with the whole word resting comfortably on his shoulders. But ev
ery time I look him I melt. He’s simply gorgeous, still with everything that’s going on, he will never stop dazzling me. I’m more than lucky to have this man back in my life. Before he came back, I never thought the torture of him being gone would leave me. But seeing his face for the first time in months, instantly fixed me. Now I know, with him is where I belong.

I am glad
that we're heading to his grans. I feel safe there and so extremely welcome. And it’s nice to see Calvin happy and relaxed somewhere other than his own place, around people that love him. This is where he loves to be and I love that I get to be a part of Calvin’s life.

"Ashton will be at my grandparents. He’s been down there since last night," he pauses, quickly looking at me for my
reaction then back to the road. "He knows I told you everything, he thought you and your family new all about it."

"That’s w
hy he hated me so much?" My frown is deep. No wonder he gave me a dog’s life every time I saw him.

"That explains a lot." I mutter dryly. Still, he didn’t have to take it out on me.

I see Calvin’s mouth turn into a small smile at my grumpiness before I turn to stare out of the window.

"I think
all along he really knew how naive you where, he just didn’t want to believe it. He hates your family, but he’ll come round to you. He has too." He shrugs still smirking at my sulking
.

Oh that word again, naive. Yes. That’s something I have definitely been. Now the thought of being at Hazels with Ashton is making me feel uneasy. I don’t think it will be a relaxing sanctuary after all.

"Do you think it’s wise we go to your grans with someone who hates me staying there as well? I mean, it’s his family home, he doesn’t want me there. I could do without another person on my case right now."

He shakes his head
and smiles trying to comfort me. "He don’t hate you Olivia, he hates you’re... He hates Mauricio. My brothers a really good man you just got to get to know him,"

"I would he if he let me."
My answer is dry. Calvin’s lips curve again.

"Grumpy aren’t you."

"Well, given the circumstances the past few days, I think I have a right to be." I cross my arms and turn my head away from him in a defense gesture.

"You want some music on?" Calvin goes to switch the radio on, but I shake my head.

"I’d rather have some thinking time it you don’t mind. I need that much." He looks at me quickly, his features soft and oozing concern.

"I love you Olivia, you know that right?" I smile and nod. It’s the most wonderful uplifting feeling in the world w
hen he says that. Every time he says it feels like the first time. I won’t ever bore of him declaring his love for me.

“Even with your moodiness.”

“I am not moody. And, I love you too.”

"Good. I’m glad we got that out of the way." He kisses my knuckles as we set off again for the long journey ahead.