Chapter 25

Olivia

I stand in the middle of the living room. The anger, the accusations, the way I left him shattered—all of it replays in an endless loop. My chest tightens as the reality sets in: Van didn't cheat. He was hurt in the most unimaginable way, and I abandoned him when he needed me the most.

I glare at Bre, my arms crossed tightly over my chest. "If you knew about this the whole time, why didn't you tell me?"

Bre huffs, frustration clear on her face. "Because Van wanted proof, not just his word against hers. He went to the cops first, but they wouldn't listen to him since he's a guy and Barbi's a plastic doll. We had to get a confession. I planned on telling you the night at the dive bar, but we got too drunk too fast, and I forgot. I wanted to give you a heads-up because when we met with Barbi at the bar to get her confession, I told her Van and I were dating and she lost it. I got her confession on tape, and we took it to the police. "

"So now what?" I ask, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

Van shrugs, his eyes tired. "The DA will be calling me for a trial, and I'll testify against her."

"I'll be there," I tell him confidently.

"So will I," Bre chimes in.

"Us too," says Grady, his voice steady and reassuring.

My head snaps to him, my brows furrowed. "For Barbi?" I question.

"No, for you and Van," he clarifies, his eyes soft but determined.

Van's eyes widen as his jaw drops open in a gasp. "You'd really come to support me and not Barbi? I know you just said she needs to face consequences for what she did. But you'd come to the trial in support of me?"

"You're important to Ollie, so you're important to us. We want to support her and you. What you went through is not some minor thing. My daughter did that to you. I want to be on the right side of things," Kipp responds.

"Same. We're with you in this, Van. I know you've got a lot to work through with Olivia, but we're not going anywhere unless she asks us to. So we'll be there." Grady crosses his arms.

This.

This is why it's so complicated. It should be easy for me to say Van didn't cheat, so it's over between us and I get back with him. But in such a short time, I've grown attached to Grady and Kipp, and I don't think I can let them go. Fuck!

The silence in the room is suffocating. Van looks at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and pain. "I never wanted to hurt you," he whispers. "I wanted to protect you from this."

I swallow hard, my throat dry. "I should have tried to hear you out. I should have trusted you."

Van reaches out, his hand hovering in the air before he drops it back to his side. "We can't change what happened. We can only move forward."

I nod, but my heart is torn. The bond I've formed with Grady and Kipp complicates everything. They've been my support and stability in this whirlwind of recent life events. I can't just walk away from them.

Van's eyes search mine, pleading silently for some kind of reconciliation. "I don't expect you to forgive me right away. I just want a chance to make things right."

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. "You have nothing to apologize for, Van. Don't think for one second you owe me that."

Grady gets up, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Whatever you decide, we're here for you. Neither of you has to go through this alone."

The warmth of his touch sends a shiver down my spine. It's a reminder of the connection we've built, the calmness I've found in him and Kipp. How can I just abandon that?

I glance at Grady, his sincerity is evident in his eyes. I can't help but feel a pang of guilt. Van has been through so much, and I wasn't there for him. But the idea of letting Grady and Kipp go feels like tearing out a part of my soul.

"I need time. I know that sounds selfish but my mind is fucking reeling," I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

Van's shoulders sag slightly, but he nods. "I understand. Just know that I'm here."

I retreat to my bedroom, needing space to sort through my tangled thoughts.

I sit on the edge of my bed, staring at the wall as if the answers to my problems might magically appear. How did everything get so complicated? One moment of mistrust, one misunderstanding, and my whole world turned upside down.

The memories of my time with Van flood back. The laughter, the shared dreams, the feeling of being completely understood. But now those memories are tainted with doubt and pain. I know what happened wasn't his fault and I don't blame him for one second. But Barbi planted the seed of doubt, and my flying to conclusions and not giving Van a chance to talk watered it until it was a full-grown weed, poisoning my mind.

And then there's Grady and Kipp. They've been my rock, helping me navigate through this emotional storm. The idea of losing them feels like losing a lifeline. How can I choose between two people I care about deeply and the one who was my everything?

The door creaks open slightly, and Grady pokes his head in. "Can I come in?"

I nod, grateful for the distraction. He sits beside me, his presence soothing.

"You don't have to make any decisions right now," he says gently. "Just take it one step at a time."

I let out a shaky breath. "I don't even know where to start."

Grady's hand finds mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Start with what you feel. Be honest with yourself."

I close my eyes, trying to sort through the chaos in my heart. "I feel... torn. Part of me wants to run back to Van, to fix things. But another part of me is terrified of getting hurt again. And then there's you and Kipp. You've been my anchor through all of this. I don't want to lose that." Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. "I just don't know if I can balance all of this. It feels like no matter what I choose, someone will get hurt.."

He pulls me into a gentle hug, his warmth seeping into my bones. As I cling to Grady, a small part of the weight on my chest lifts. Maybe I don't have to have all the answers right now. Maybe it's okay to take things one day at a time.

Grady and Ollie walk out of her bedroom and her puffy eyes and red face catch my attention. I stand and head over to them. Grady still has an arm around her protectively, so I wrap my arms around both of them. I nuzzle my head into the crick of her neck. "We're going to go so that you and the boy can talk. We know the two of you need time to discuss what happened and where you stand. Then we can meet again and figure out how it's going to work with all this. Grady and I need to figure out how I'm handling Barbi. Jessica isn't going to let this rest and I need to make sure she understands that Barbi needs to pay for what she did." My words are soft as my breath fans against her skin.

She muffles a whimper and my heart wants nothing more than to spin her around and make sure she knows everything is going to be okay.

But I can't, because I don't know that it will. The only way I see this ending positive is if we can work something out so that we can still be with Ollie even if she rekindles her relationship with Van. What's sharing her with one more person if we can keep her in our lives?

I release them, stepping back as she untangles herself from Grady.

"What are you going to do? I know her mom can be over the top, especially when it comes to Barbi." Her lip quivers slightly as she wipes the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm not sure, but I need to get everything lined up. The first thing I should probably do is contact my lawyer and see about getting a no-contact order against Jessica. If I don't, she's going to hound me night and day." I sigh, dragging a hand down my face.

"What about Barbi? Are you sure about not helping her and supporting Van?"

I gaze past her to the person in question sitting on the chair. His ears perk up, waiting for my response.

"I love Barbi, more than words; she's my baby girl no matter how old she is. But Jessica has warped her with her lies and she's turned into a selfish, entitled brat. What she did to Van is reprehensible, and she needs to be held accountable for her actions. Barbi is just gonna have to deal. I don't like this version of my daughter and as much as I've tried to have a relationship with her, she's fought it tooth and nail, unless she wanted something."

Grady turns and wraps his arm around me, peppering kisses along the side of my face.

"Come on, baby. Let's go and handle all the things you just mentioned while Van and Ollie talk."

It kills me to leave because part of me is worried—no, jealous that Ollie might end up fucking Van.

My worst fear is that it will mean that it's over for me and Grady.

Shit, I feel like a high-schooler trying to figure out if my crush still wants me.

"Promise to call us later?" I ask her, my lips parted slightly as I shift back and forth.

"I promise," she whispers as she walks with Grady and me to the door. Grady leans down, placing a chaste kiss on her temple, warranting a smile from her.

"Bye." Her voice is soft, full of pain and longing.

I pull her into my arms and kiss her fully on the mouth, eliciting a moan from her.

"We need to talk, little girl," I growl.

She nods and bites her lip. "We do. I promise we will. Let me just figure out what to do with Van today."

"I can do that. Just know that sometimes the easiest solution is right in front of your eyes if you're willing to accept it."

She nods again as Grady and I open the door and step out onto the stoop.

As soon as we're in the car, I call my attorney, Daniel Crowley. He picks up immediately, his voice coming through the Bluetooth speaker.

"What can I do for you, Kipp?"

"It's Jessica. She's been hounding me about Barbi, wanting me to bail her out of jail and pay for her attorney. Barbi is being charged with rape and Jessica wants me to fix it."

"Are you planning to do that?" he asks.

"No," Grady and I answer in unison.

"How do you want to proceed?"

"I was thinking of an order to prevent her from contacting me," I explain.

"I agree. I can have the papers drawn up today. If you can come by the office now and sign them, I can take them to the courthouse and have them filed so she can be served."

"We're on the way." I end the call as Grady reaches across the console and takes my hands in his.

"You're doing the right thing by not helping Barbi," Grady comforts me.

"I know, but it still feels as if I'm failing as her father."

"You did not fail her, you're sorry ass ex-wife did. Let's go sign the papers, get some food, and go home."

There's nothing I want more than that, other than to have Ollie with us.