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Getting up, Olivia disappeared back into the bathroom, seeing a towel and a linen dress laid out on the small table. She hissed as she got back into the shower, wincing as the water felt like needles against her sensitive skin. She worked diligently to wash the smell of hard sex, sweat, and Colin off her body before rinsing thoroughly.
Then she washed a second time just to make sure. She was embarrassed that her husband just railed her like a whore for the security officers, his personal assistant, and Jonathan to hear; she didn’t want them smelling her as well.
Olivia brushed her hair and left it wet, pulling on her bra, not finding any underwear.
Well then, she thought, her eyebrows raising. Her stomach growled and she bit her lip, eyeing the door that led to the rest of the plane. She frowned, not knowing what she was facing when she went out there.
She got out the phone Colin provided her and scrolled through it before remembering that she was on a plane and couldn’t use it. Wobbling over to the door, she cracked it, seeing the small hallway and another powder bathroom. She tiptoed barefoot to the end and spotted Jonathan reading a book, facing her, and Colin was in a chair across from him with his back to her, asleep.
Olivia waved, getting Jonathan’s attention. Walking further in, she sat at a little table nearby and waited for him to join her.
“Hey,” she said softly, tucking her hair behind her ear and giving him a small, shy smile as he settled into the seat next across from her.
“Hey,” Jonathan said, his dark eyes assessing her. He wisely didn’t say anything about her appearance or said anything about him interrupting her and Colin earlier.
“Is there any food on this plane,” Olivia whispered, “I’m starving.”
Jonathan nodded and smiled as he signaled for the stewardess. “Yeah, what do you want? We have roast beef or chicken and rice?”
“Chicken and rice please,” she mumbled, wanting something not so heavy on her stomach. The only way to solidify my place as the most fucked up wife ever hall of fame is to throw up while Colin is fucking me. No thank you. She poured herself a cup of sprite and sipped it, trying to calm her nerves. Her eyes slid to Colin who was still sleeping peacefully.
“That’s the most peaceful I’ve seen him since you’ve left,” Jonathan said quietly, seeing her gaze on Colin. “I’m sorry I walked in on you two like that…I just wanted to make sure you were ok,” he admitted, stunning her.
She winced.“Did he tell you what I found? Why I left?” she said, needing him to understand she wouldn’t just abandon her family without good reason.
“I know what you found. I know the whole story, Ukhat. I was there through it all from the beginning.”
Olivia glanced down at the table, taking a deep breath and trying to steel her resolves. “Jonathan…can I trust this man? He had so many pictures, almost like he was stalking me from the beginning. And then the newspaper clippings of that family? He knew how my mom and dad died. I feel so fucking foolish,” she paused for a second and then took a gasping breath. “He made me love him and then broke my heart. I felt so blindsided,” she whispered as a hot tear slid down her cheek.
“Olivia, I’m sorry you had to find out the way you did. I can only imagine how awful you must have felt. How betrayed. And I know we all have to handle things in our own way. I don’t judge you for leaving, I hope you realize that,” he ran a hand through his thick black hair and took a deep breath before continuing.
“Yes, we were all incredibly upset, and there was a lot of damage control that needed doing, especially with Allison. But trauma doesn’t make sense. We know this. Everything’s happened so fast for us all I think, that we’re trying to find our own way to navigate life. It’s hard and won’t always be perfect,” he gave the stewardess a smile as she set the food down in front of Olivia. She said thank you and tucked in, eating heartily.
“Marriage isn’t perfect, but you do owe it to him to let him explain himself. Everything isn’t always what you think. He wasn’t stalking you. In the beginning, I think he was trying to feel you out because you wouldn’t give him the time of day for anything, and he’s not used to not getting his way. He followed you to try and figure out if you were in a relationship or gay and whether or not he had a chance,” Jonathan chuckled at Olivia’s cough.
“But then he quickly saw that something was wrong, and wanted to help but didn’t know how to approach you without being so direct. You know Colin, he just barrels through with solutions,” he smiled at her kindly.
Olivia nodded and they continued to talk quietly about Allison and her liver transplant and how she was doing until Colin suddenly stirred. He always rose before her; she never got to see him when he arose for the day. She saw the change happen gradually. He sat up and stretched his arms, the muscles even thicker than before, giving them a little shake. His face which was relaxed in slumber, hardened and chiseled itself into the man that she knew. He took a second to check his watch before standing and turning, seeing her and Jonathan at a table behind him.
His eyes hardened as they landed on hers and she glanced at the tabletop shyly, feeling ashamed of herself. She’d put everyone through so much. She felt her cheeks pinken as he came around to sit in the chair next to her. He leaned back, crossing his ankle over his knee and extended his arm to slide behind her back in the barrel seat she was in.
“Five more hours until touch down. I hope we all got enough sleep. We still have Vanessa to deal with and I don’t know about you two but I’m going to need several drinks to handle that,” Jonathan quipped, getting up to refresh his drink and make them their own. He came back cradling three glasses in his big hands before setting them on the table.
“Did you eat?” Colin said softly to Olivia, sliding her drink towards her cautiously, almost as if he was worried she would throw it on him. Her green eyes flickered to him, almost dark with the plethora of emotions that were on her face.
“Yes,” she whispered, blinking back tears. How can I love this man? “Did you?” she asked back softly, seeing Colin nod his head yes in response. Grabbing her drink, Olivia tossed a healthy amount back and winced as she sucked on the lemon that was on the side of her glass, grimacing as she felt the burn spread.
“We need to talk,” Colin said, his own face reflecting his worry and emotion.
Olivia jerked in her seat facing him. Licking her lips, she took a quick breath before she began to speak, her words coming out more rapidly than she cared for them to. “Colin, I don’t hate you. I know that I was upset but I didn’t mean it when I said it,” she said softly, wanting to lean into him but not ready to give him that yet. “I just felt so betrayed,” Olivia’s face broke as she looked away, hiding herself from him on a pained whimper.
She cried harder as his hand settled on the back of her neck. Jonathan pushed a tissue into her hand and she whispered thank you. Pressing the napkin to her eyes, she wiped her nose feeling like a wreck, physically now and not just mentally.She sagged in relief as Colin turned his eyes onto her, softer now.
“I didn’t mean it either, Olivia. I was just so mad. We thought you were dead, baby. Until the money started coming. Then the fury came right along with it. I’m sorry that you felt like you had to run instead of coming to me. I wanted to try and tell you so many times, I just didn’t know how to without losing you. But then I lost you anyways, except I couldn’t even give you my side of the story. I know what you found looked really bad. But I have that stuff as a reminder of my pain, and what I work so hard for,” Colin said, his voice coming out rough and hollow.
“Is it because I’m a redhead? You thought by picking me and pulling me into this fairytale life that you would be absolved? I mean, what exactly was it?” she whispered, unable to meet his eyes, not wanting him to see into her soul when he broke her heart further.
Apparently there was still enough soul left there to shatter.
