“Olivia, listen to me. I know you’re pissed, and you have every right to be, but you can’t just leave like this.”
Olivia stopped and threw her hands in the air, her frustration palpable as she turned to face them again. She’d been betrayed by the two men who always said they’d protect her, who claimed to love her, and it all came crashing down on her.
“I am so tired of men thinking they have the right to control me. To dictate how I live my life, or hell, whether or not I even get tohavea life. First it was Cetro, then that crazed Carlos guy. Now you two want to stand there and try to explain away a lifetime of lies and pain and loss. And I’m supposed to do what, exactly? Just roll over like the good little sister and...whatever I was to you?” She gestured toward Jake. “Do you honestly expect me to just say, ‘Okay, I understand. All is forgiven’? Well, fuck that. And fuck the both of you. This ismylife, and I’ll be damned if I let one more man decide what I’m going to do with it!”
This time, when Olivia walked away, neither man said a word. And when they heard the bedroom door slam shut, they both flinched.
Chapter 10
Jake was numb. He stoodthere with his hands resting low on his hips as he stared at those closed doors.
The last few days with Liv had been as close to perfect as he’d ever had. Just the two of them, talking and laughing. Making love for hours on end. Now, he’d be lucky if she ever spoke to him again.
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he pictured the way she’d looked at him when she realized he’d known about Mike all along. The betrayal she felt was a living, breathing thing.
For the first time in his life, Olivia had looked at him as if he was a stranger. The love they’d finally allowed themselves to embrace had been damaged, most likely beyond repair. He’d done that, and God, ithurt.
Jake rubbed his chest, pressing above his aching heart but found no relief. He closed his eyes and hung his head, his shoulders sagging as he continued to stand there, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
He’d done this to himself. Tothem, and he didn’t know how to fix it. He’d find a way, though. He had to.
Maybe Olivia just needed some time to truly understand why he did what he did.
When Jake opened his eyes again, he saw a fist coming straight at him. Pain exploded in his jaw as Mike’s blow struck, snapping his head to the side and nearly toppling him over. He grabbed the back of the couch to keep from falling on his ass.
“What the hell was that for?” Jake asked as he rubbed his tender jaw.
“That’s for sleeping with my sister and, then, making her cry.”
Mike punched him again. “Andthat’sfor keeping me in the dark about the two of you.”
Jake righted himself and readjusted his jaw. He took several deep, heaving breaths and glared at his friend.
“Feel better now?”
Mike said nothing, at first. He just kept scowling at Jake as if he wanted to hit him again. Their staring contest finally ended when Mike’s eyes softened, and surprisingly, the corner of his lips rose slightly.
