“I was seventeen,” I fired back, anger dripping from my tone. “One night of sex with my assistant doesn’t make a relationship.”
Eyes wide, Olivia gasped. “You had sex with Carmella?”
“Fuck,” I muttered, scrubbing a hand at my jaw. “Liv, it wasn’t like that. I was a teenager and drunk. And I wasn’t thinking.”
“All this time?” Olivia shook her head. “You lied when I asked about her. I have always felt this weird tension between the two of you, and now I know why. And if you lied about something that happened years ago, then who’s to say you won’t lie about something more important in the future?”
She inched backward toward her brother as if I were some kind of predator. Like I was endangering her.
“I’m sorry,” I said, unsure what else to say.
What would make this right?
“You warned me last night. And I was so stupid not to have listened.” She dabbed at the tears falling down her cheeks. “Drake, you will always be my friend. My family. But?—”
“While I’m gone,” Tate interjected, “you’re not staying in this house with Drake.” He looked at me, teeth gritted. “You’re going to pay for Liv to stay at Kingston University. I don’t care if they don’t have any rooms left on campus. Find a fucking way to make it happen.”
My heart sank into my stomach.
No, no, no…
She can’t leave me.
For the past year, she lit up my world. This girl had become my entire life, and now, because of sex, she was leaving me.
They both were.
Once again, I would be all alone in this cold, lifeless house with nothing more than Lovelace’s computerized voice to fill the silence and my gadgets to keep me company.
I loved Olivia Maxwell.
I should have told her.
Instead, I nodded to let Tate know I would comply with his wishes and watched as they both walked away because it was the right thing to do.
CHAPTER 14
DRAKE
Four Years Later
Olivia climbed onstage to accept her college diploma, smiling at the crowd. This girl could light up any room. She was magnetic and brought love, laughter, and joy into my home.
Until she left me.
Before Olivia, the Battle Fortress was cold and lifeless. She made me whole again. Even my mother and the staff loved her. And I missed the hell out of her the past four years. For the first two years, she only moved back to the house for holidays and summers. But at the start of junior year, she asked me to rent her an on-campus apartment. Of course, I said yes. I would have done anything for her. But I didn’t expect her never to come back.
I sat in the Kingston University auditorium beside Tate, a proud grin frozen on my face. Olivia shook the dean’s hand and waved, holding up her diploma.
I clapped and cheered.
Tate stood and whistled.
My eyes tracked the gentle sway of her hips, the bounce of her big tits, and that sweet ass hidden beneath the black gown.I memorized every curve of her delicious body. In the past few years, she gained more weight, a vast difference from the skinny girl I brought home all those years ago. She was insecure about her weight, but I loved how she looked.
Beautiful.
Perfect.
