Chapter 8

Van

What the hell am I going to do?

She blocked me on her phone. When I tried to message her on Instachat and Mypage, she blocked me there as well. Olivia even changed her status from being in a relationship to single. Not an it's complicated. She went straight to us not being together at all.

I just need five minutes to explain to her what happened. For her to hear my side of the story and not the misguided one that bitch gave her. It's killing me, knowing she thinks I would ever willingly cheat on her.

Olivia has been a light in my life since I met her at that club, and one night ruined everything we built.

Every fiber of my body tells me to go straight to her house and pour my heart out, but I don't. All I can see is the hurt on her face at what she thinks is my betrayal. I couldn't bear to hurt her more. But I know giving her this space isn't helping my cause, either.

I step up to the door of the dry cleaners, open it, and step inside. It's not busy yet and I'm thankful I made it before the rush.

Hei Ran steps up the counter, a smile on his wrinkled face. I bet each one of those lines etched on his skin has a story to tell.

"Hello, Mr. Michaels. How are you today?" He places both hands on the counter as I step up to it, placing my suit on it.

"Could you dry clean this for me, please?"

"Of course. I can have it ready for pick up tomorrow?" Hei Ran writes out the ticket, handing me the stub to pick it up.

"Perfect. Have a nice day!" I toss my hand up as I head out the door, bumping right into someone on the sidewalk.

My hands automatically reach out, taking hold of the woman in front of me, grabbing her around her waist to keep her from falling.

"I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me."

"No problem. It was my fault for not looking where I was going," I tell her, just as she looks up and our eyes lock.

"You fucking asshole!" she screams in a high-pitched voice, just before she punches my chest, knocking the breath out of me.

"Bre, how's Liv? Is she okay? You've got to get her to talk to me so I can explain everything." The words rush from my mouth at seeing the one person who can give me the answers I need.

"Like fucking hell I do. You're a bitch ass mother cunter. How could you do that to her, and with that skank no less? If you were going to cheat, it should've been at least with someone who was a step up. But seeing how you already had the best woman there ever was, I guess that wasn't possible." Her face is beet red as she stands toe to toe with me.

"Bre—"

"Nu-uh, don't you Bre me, dickwad. I should cut off your dick and shove it down your throat for what you did to Liv."

Bre goes to leave, but I can't let her. I need to tell someone the truth and I need her help if I'm going to win my girl back.

"Bre, you don't understand. I didn't cheat on Liv, not intentionally, anyway. I love her and I was planning to ask her to marry me. I was drunk and I don't even remember being with Barbi. All I can remember is being at the party Liv encouraged me to go to. Barbi was there, and she got me a drink, wanting to apologize for always flirting with me, and then I'm waking up naked in my bed to that fucking video in my messages."

I'm pouring my soul out to Bre, and all she's doing is standing there, arms crossed over her chest, as she taps her heeled boot on the sidewalk. If looks could kill, I'd be dead.

"So, what you're saying is you got drunk and your cock fell into the over-inflated whore. Tell me something, Van, are her pussy lips as big as the ones on her face?" She smirks before turning to storm off again.

"Bre! Please!" I beg. She pauses, and after a few seconds, she sighs before turning to face me.

"You've got five minutes to convince me you didn't hurt my friend intentionally."

"I can do that, but let's move off the sidewalk. There's a coffee shop across the street, so let's go there."

"Fine, but you're buying me a pumpkin cheesecake muffin and a caramel macchiato."

"I can do that." She doesn't walk with me. Instead, she storms across the street, not even caring if the light to walk is flashing.

The girl has bigger balls than I've ever seen on a man. I just hope I can convince her.

Bre heads straight for a seat while I go to the counter and order. It's dead in here, so it doesn't take long, and I quickly join her at the table in the corner.

She picks up her phone, tapping the screen before laying it back down. She set a fucking timer. "Time's ticking, so I'd get to the point if I was you."

"Bre, I would never hurt Liv. She's everything to me. I was drugged. You know how Barbi is always so touchy-feely. Liv thought it would be a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better. So when she handed me a drink, offering it as a gesture of goodwill as she apologized, I believed her. She must have slipped something into my drink and drugged me because I don't remember anything after that. I know the video looks damning, but I swear I didn't fuck her on purpose. I had to have thought she was Liv."

Bre cocks her head to the side before taking a sip of her coffee. She's glaring so intently at me that I'm not sure if she believes anything I've said.

When she finally speaks, it's not the words I expected.

"So you were raped? Is that the story you're trying to tell me?" Bre snaps.

My eyes widen as my heart races and I feel the color drain from my face. I don't need to look in a mirror to confirm that I'm white as a ghost.

"Well, when you put it like that, yeah, I guess I was. Can men be raped? Is that really a thing?" I'm so confused as the reality of being raped sinks in.

From what I can tell from the video, Barbi and I did have sex. Something I would never do even if I was drunk. I know there was something in that drink she gave me.

"Don't be a fucking idiot, Van, of course they can. But what are you going to do about it? Are you willing to go to the cops? Testify in court? ‘Cause if you're not willing to tell the world, then you're not willing to fix shit with my girl. So tell me, Van, how far are you willing to take this? How bad do you want Liv back?" She glares at me, and I'm at a loss for words.

How far am I willing to go?

Is pressing charges for rape something men do on a regular basis? Will anyone even believe me? I know I have the video she sent, and it's more than obvious I'm out of it in the video.

It comes down to my keeping my manhood intact or winning back the love of my life.

It's a no-brainer in my book.

"I'm willing to go all the way, no matter what. I can be the laughingstock of the whole town for all I care. Liv was my endgame and I want her back. Barbi needs to pay for what she did to me, but most importantly, to Liv. Who knows if she's done this before to someone else just to get what she wants? Whatever happens to me is nothing compared to that." I take a deep breath, knowing I'm going to need all the strength I can muster.

"Then I'll help you. I know you love her and there was a small piece of me deep down that knew you wouldn't cheat on her. Liv showed me the video and I could tell you were out of it. She's hurt and I'll always have her back first, but I will help you bring down the bitch. Then it's up to you to win back Liv's trust. But Van, if you ever hurt her again, I'll castrate your ass."

"If I get her back, I'll make sure, hell or high water, she never feels what she is right now."

"Okay, then we need to figure out what we're doing. The first thing is you need to file a report with the police department and show them the video. Make sure you download a copy. We don't want anything to happen and for it to disappear from existence. It's your only proof right now of your innocence."

Finally, I have a glimmer of hope and a pit bull in my corner.

Liv, I'm going to win you back. Be ready for me and please forgive me.