“We’re so happy that you were able to knock some sense into this girl and make her come back home,” Kiera said when she finally released him. “She didn’t realize how much everyone back here would miss her after her little disappearing act. At least it didn’t take her four years to return this time!”
“Kiera,” Olivia said under her breath. “Enough.”
“What?” she asked.
Olivia gave her the look, and she knew she’d better shut her mouth.
“Sorry, Libs.”
Cam gave Olivia a concerned look. “You’ve done that before?”
“Yeah, but you are not my therapist so we’re not discussing it. So there…” she responded playfully, Cam’s uneasy expression waning.
“Well, I should probably get back to my friends,” he said, knowing that the longer he was in Olivia’s presence, the harder it would be to forget about her again.
“How long are you in town for?” Kiera asked. “You should come to MacFadden’s Friday night to see Miss Olivia sing! Libby is a motherfucking rock star. The band was always popular, but since Olivia returned, you should see the crowd they attract now.”
Cam turned toward Olivia, raising his eyebrows in a questioning manner. She glanced down, hiding her eyes from him, blushing.
“Is this true? Are you a motherfucking rock star?” he asked quietly, his voice husky.
Olivia raised her head and looked deep into Cam’s kind silver eyes, remembering all the times he whispered the things he wanted to do to her. But those days were over. Things were better now. “Fuck yes, I am!” she exclaimed. “Okay. Nature calls. Come see me before you leave, okay?”
Cam nodded and watched her beautiful body walk toward the back of the bar, exhaling loudly. Running into Olivia again was the last thing he needed. He knew that she lived in Boston, but when he decided to attend the convention, never in a million years did he think he would run into her. Seeing her again re-opened old wounds that he thought had healed over the past few months. Now he wasn’t too sure.
“So, she fucked you, huh?” Kiera asked him rather nonchalantly.
He broke out of his trance and turned to face her, shocked at her question. “What?”
“Oh, come on. I’ve known Libby for a long time, and I’ve seen the look on the face of every man she’s left in her wake. You’ve got the same exact look.”
He started to walk away, uncomfortable with the conversation. “It’s not what you think, Kiera.”
She followed him, surprising him with her relentless spirit. “Well, humor me then. What is it? I saw the way you were looking at her. I’d say you’ve got it bad for that girl.”
“I did have it bad for her,” he admitted, his expression turning from soft and wistful to intense. “But she was so broken when she was in Florida. I just wanted to make her smile. Then I realized I would never be the one to make her happy…not truly happy. Not like him. In Olivia’s mind, I’ll never compare to him, and I’m okay with that. All I care about is her happiness, and if it means sacrificing my own, it’s worth it. There’s a girl out there for me somewhere.”
Kiera’s expression softened. “You’re a good guy, Cam. I like you. You can stay.”
Cam nodded. “It was nice to meet you, Kiera.”
“You, too. Thanks for being there for Libby. She’s like a sister to me. I couldn’t imagine life without her in it.”
“I know the feeling,” he said sadly.
~~~~~~~~~~
“SO, LET’S TALK BACHELORETTE,” Kiera said once Olivia returned from the ladies’ room and a server dropped off a round of beers.
“OOH! Yes! Let’s!” Melanie said. “I know you haven’t really talked plans yet, but Bridge and I would love it if we could crash your party.”
“Yes!” Bridget said. “I could so use a weekend away in Vegas with my three favorite girls. It’ll be so much fun!”
“Okay, but this can absolutely not turn into The Hangover,” Olivia joked. Her friends had a tendency to get slightly out of control at times. And that was why she got along with them so well.
“And if it does, there’s nothing your bitch ass can do about it,” Kiera responded. “But we won’t be stupid enough to go the week before the big wedding. Now, here’s the thing. You’re going to be swamped with plans and shit the closer you get to the big day. And you don’t have much time as it is, so how about the last weekend in June? It will work for everyone’s schedule. I already checked with Alexander and he said he’d be out of town that weekend for a meeting with a big client.”
Olivia thought about Kiera’s proposition. She hated being in that big penthouse apartment all by herself. Runner and Nepenthe were good company, but it always seemed so empty without him. Not to mention it didn’t feel like home to her yet. She wondered if it ever would.
“Okay. Last weekend in June it is!” Olivia said. “But there’s one catch. You aren’t paying a dime for that weekend. I can’t ask you all to spend your hard-earned money on this trip.”
“Whatever,” Kiera interrupted. “Alexander told me this morning that he already booked everything anyway. He’s paying for it.” She winked.
What a bastard, Olivia thought.
“He’s a sneaky one, isn’t he?” Melanie asked.
“That he is.”
“I think he felt bad about overreacting last night,” Kiera explained.
Olivia smiled as she raised her beer glass and clinked with her friends, wanting to forget about Alexander’s overbearing tendencies for a minute. “To Vegas, bitches!”
“Vegas!”
Olivia turned her head to see Cam staring at her with a sad look in his eyes. She knew how difficult it must be for him to watch her and realize how happy she finally was. She cared for him, but her feelings for him were no match for how much she loved Alexander. Even so, that still didn’t make her heart break any less looking at the forlorn expression on his face.
Throughout the afternoon, the small tavern became more and more crowded. The sun finally came out to play after the rainy morning and Boston was swarming with tourists. The bar was located on the Freedom Trail in a rather popular section of the city. Many out-of-towners began to fill up the pub, wanting to grab a beer at the historic tavern in the city that was at the heart of the American Revolution.