Laurel Heights: Return To You Part 25

Lainie winced at Michael's tone. She'd never heard him sound so raw. She looked at him pityingly, wondering why he wasn't going after Olivia.

Apparently, Rick was too. He shook his head incredulously. "I can't believe you aren't going after her. Olivia is one of the most amazing women I've ever known. She's beautiful, smart, fun, s.e.xy as h.e.l.l-"

Michael growled. "Stay the f.u.c.k away from her."

"That's what makes you such an idiot. You'd think you'd notice that she doesn't want me. She wants you." With a disgusted shake of his head, he stalked off.

Michael stared after him for a second and then left too.

Leaving her alone with Everett.

She took a deep breath and faced him. He'd composed himself. The emotion that had for once leaked into his eyes was hidden again. He watched her with the cool gaze of a predator.

And it really made her mad. She jumped up to her feet. "I hope you're happy."

"Happy isn't the word that comes to mind."

"You are so infuriating." She didn't realize how hard her hands were clenched until her nails bit into her palms. "What were you thinking?"

She had to give him credit for not slinking away with his tail between his legs. He stood facing her, his gaze never wavering from hers. But then again, Everett wasn't that kind of man.

He rubbed his chin. "I only had Olivia's best interests in mind."

Her heart melted at the fatigue etched on his face. She'd never seen him so tired, not even after several all-nighters when they were buying out another production company.

She frowned. She wasn't going to let him soften her up. She had backbone. She wasn't going to cower in pa.s.siveness. "Well, you have a funny way of showing it."

He reached out to her. "Elaine-"

"Don't." She stepped back. If he touched her she'd be lost, and she had things to say to him. "What you did was despicable. I know you love Olivia and want what's best for her, but you were wrong eleven years ago and you're doubly wrong now."

His eyes narrowed coolly. "You have no right-"

"Yes I do. I love Olivia. She befriended me and helped me when I needed it. No questions asked and without regard to her own feelings." She stepped closer, her anger making her bold. "When she figured out I was in love with you, she didn't throw me out or point out your bad qualities-which I'm very well aware of, by the way."

He opened his mouth but she cut him off with a jab of her finger to his solar plexus. "She just said she'd help me if you were what I really wanted."

"Am I what you want?"

She shivered at the low huskiness of his voice. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and faced him again. "You're what I wanted, but now I'm not so sure."

The way he blinked at her made her wonder if any woman had ever turned him down. She sighed. No woman in her right mind would.

Right now, she qualified as certifiable. "Everett, I can't believe you manipulated everyone like you did. Did you expect to get away with it?"

He didn't have to answer. She could see that he did.

She got right under his nose and glared. "You know the worse part of it all? That you had someone spy on me. That's just awful."

She turned and walked out, the clicks of her heels echoing in angry staccato.

"Elaine." He grabbed her arm and spun her around. She lost her balance and tripped into his chest.

Beneath her hand, his heart pumped strong and fast. She savored the rhythmic beating, knowing she'd never feel it again.

"Everett, I quit."

He gaped at her.

She smiled grimly. She'd finally caught him off guard.

She pulled back. "I'll head back to LA in the morning to make necessary arrangements. Under the circ.u.mstances I'm sure you'll agree it's best if I leave right away rather than observe the typical two weeks notice."

She got up on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his cheek. She inhaled his scent one last time, deeply so she could remember it when she lay in bed alone at night. "Goodbye, Everett."

She thought for sure the tears would fall as soon as she walked away. But they didn't fall. Even later, curled under the comforter in Mae's house, there wasn't a trace of moisture on her cheeks.

Her heart, on the other hand, felt like it was bleeding dry.

Chapter Thirty-two.

First thing the next morning Olivia ran into the one person she didn't want to see.

Gran looked up from her cup of coffee. "You're up early."

"I'm going to the gym." She poured herself a cup. While she added a generous amount of sugar, she debated sitting down with her grandmother. Chances were the woman already had the full scoop on what happened last night. Gran's gossiping network was legendary.

She'd have to face Gran sooner or later. Might as well bite the bullet now. "You knew what was going on. You helped him."

Gran didn't bother to deny it. "The man loves you. He only wants to set the past right."

"Kind of a weird way to show love if you ask me." She grimaced as she scalded her tongue.

"He manipulated the situation to get to you, but how is what you did any different? You manipulated things too."

She frowned. "I did not."

"What do you call the game you and Lainie have been playing?"

She struggled not to squirm under her grandmother's too-knowing stare. "I was just helping Lainie."

"And he was just helping you. You needed something to help you break out of your rut. Isn't it time you let go of the past and moved on?" Gran slowly pushed up from the table and rinsed out her mug. She turned around before she walked out to tend her gardens. "And, love, any attempt to win back your affection is better than nothing, don't you think?"

Olivia pouted into her cup. What if Gran were right and Parker was trying to get back in her life?

She shook her head. She couldn't think about it right now. What she needed was a sweaty workout to help her focus.

For the first time in over a month, the gym was fairly empty. She knew most of the movie crew was heading home today.

She glanced around furtively and sighed, satisfied Michael wasn't there this morning. She hadn't really expected him to be-he probably had a million things to do with the filming wrapped up-but she'd wanted to be sure. She didn't think she could handle another confrontation with him. She was still chafed from last night.

Olivia headed automatically for the elliptical machines. She climbed onto the track, pushed the b.u.t.tons to the correct settings, and pumped her legs.

Usually doing her cardio was a meditation. This morning, she couldn't get her mind to still enough to get any peace. Scenes from the night before played and replayed, one after another, inside her head.

She closed her eyes. G.o.d, it was a disaster. It wasn't the way she'd envisioned ending things with Michael. This time, they were supposed to make a clean break. Civilly shake hands and wish each other well in their life.

Even in the darkness behind her closed lids, she could still see the stricken expression in his eyes when he heard about their baby.

She waited for the pang that followed any thoughts of the little girl she'd lost. It came, but for the first time ever it wasn't so sharp it pierced straight through.

Olivia opened her eyes.

She would have spared Michael the pain of finding out, especially like that. Even if he deserved it. She remembered the way he'd let Sophie cling to him.

The b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

The hour dragged by. She almost sobbed in relief when the machine beeped that she was done. She'd never felt this tired in her life. Except for maybe eleven years before.

Forty-five minutes later she was dressed, make-upped, and ready to go to the shop. She took special care to look good, which meant she had to use half a tube of cover-up to mask the dark circles under her eyes.

As per her morning ritual, she stopped at Grounds for Thought for a Nutella latte. "Hey, girlfriend," she called out to Eve, pasting on a smile so big it hurt.

Eve looked up from what she was doing, a frown marring her smooth forehead. Olivia almost expected her to pull out a magnifying gla.s.s, Eve was studying her so hard.

"How's it going?" To anyone who didn't know Eve, the question would have sounded casual.

Olivia knew better. "I've been better."

Eve wordlessly began making Olivia's latte. Once done, she took the mug, nodded to her barista, and came around the other side of the counter. "Let's sit so you can tell me what happened last night."

"What didn't happen?" Olivia said as they walked to an empty table in the back. "I found out my father engineered this whole situation because of some misguided attempt to get back into my good graces. Gran was in on it of course."

"That's sweet," Eve said, sitting down across from her. "Strange, but sweet. My father would never have gone to the trouble."

Olivia gripped the latte. "I reserve judgment on the sweet part, but it definitely wasn't the most strange thing. It turns out Parker hired Rick to investigate Lainie. He told Rick Lainie was the cause of valuable information leaking to the press. Rick thought the next info she was going to sell was about my love child with Michael. I believed it for a split second before I dismissed it as bogus. I feel bad that I even believed it for that long."

"Rick knows about the baby?"

"Everyone knows about the baby now."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." She was surprised that she meant it. "Yes, I think I am."

"What did Michael say?"

"The b.a.s.t.a.r.d asked if it was his."

Eve's mouth dropped incredulously. "No!"

"He thinks I aborted it. I didn't bother to clarify. It doesn't matter anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Eve, Sophie Martineau was draped all over him last night. You saw it. Do you really think I'm interested in sharing? She can have him."

"Are you sure?"

"d.a.m.n right I'm sure." She leaned across the table and patted Eve's hand. "I mean it. If Michael doesn't want me, he doesn't deserve to have me, does he? And if he thinks I could abort my baby, he never knew me at all. I think that hurt the most, because he was my best friend and your best friend is supposed to know you inside and out, right?"

Eve studied her. "You're taking this very calmly."

"Actually, I wasn't, but I finally realized that what I wanted didn't exist where I thought it did." And it didn't mean she didn't really wish it still did. She'd probably miss Michael all her life.

Another person entered the cafe. Both Olivia and Eve looked up.

A grim looking Lainie strode toward them. "Good morning," she said, though her tone said that it clearly wasn't.

Olivia patted the seat next to her. "Sit."

"I don't have long. My flight leaves in a couple hours, and there's the drive to the airport." But she sat down nonetheless. "I just couldn't leave without thanking you both for everything you've done."

A whirlwind with purple-streaked hair rushed through the cafe and plopped down in the only remaining seat at the table. "Having a quorum? What did I miss? And how was the party?" asked Gwen brightly.

"You missed the event of the decade," Olivia deadpanned.

Eve chortled and Lainie just looked grimmer, if that was possible.

Gwen, of course, was oblivious to the subtle sarcasm. "Tell me."

"Well, Michael and his leading lady put on quite a show for everyone. Then there was the news that Rick has been investigating Lainie. To be outdone by my father, who's single-handedly orchestrated everything."

Gwen blinked owlishly. "Huh?"

"Exactly."

Lainie cut in at that moment. "I was just telling Olivia and Eve that I appreciate everything you've all done for me. I'd like to stay friends, if that's possible." The question included them all but it was Olivia she stared at.

Olivia shook her head. "You don't need to ask. We expect you to keep in touch."