The final chapter of Let You In
Olivia stood in the lobby of her building and stared glumly at the stairs. She really hadn’t thought this through. Her apartment was only on the third floor, but the building she rented her apartment in was old, and the elevator had been broken the entire two months she’d lived here. She gave the elevator a hopeful glance, praying they had fixed it while she was in the hospital, but the same “out of order” sign was still taped to its doors.
She’d been standing in the lobby for nearly fifteen minutes, weighing her options, and her leg was starting to throb. She hooked her overnight bag across her body, tucked her crutches under her arms, and thumped her way to the bottom of the stairs. She turned around and, with a small grimace of distaste at the filthy carpet she was about to sit on, placed the crutches on the stairs and lowered herself carefully onto the third stair. She scooted her butt up a stair. Her overnight bag pulled at her throat and she adjusted it carefully before lifting herself up to the next stair. “Only thirty-two more to go,” she said.
The door to the lobby opened, the security lock worked about as well as the elevators did, and Fitz swept in. He glanced anxiously around the lobby before his gaze fell on her.
“Olivia! What the hell are you doing?”
He ran forward and put his hand on her good leg.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” She said crossly. “I’m going up the stairs.”
He glanced at the out-of-order sign on the elevator before bending over her.
“I don’t need your help. I’m perfectly fine to -”
He stuck one arm under her legs and his other around her back and lifted her easily. He started up the stairs and she shoved at his shoulder.
He bent and she picked them up as he climbed to the first landing.
“The third. How do you know where I live?”
She frowned at him as he climbed the stairs.
“Did your sister tell you? Because I specifically told her not to.”
“Mary gave me your address.”
“Why that sneaky old woman - I thought she had my back.” Olivia said without much rancor.
He was climbing the final set of stairs and he shifted her a little.
“It’s a good thing she gave it to me. It would have taken you hours to get up these damn stairs.”
“It would not have,” she replied indignantly as she opened the stairwell door. “I had it all under control.”
“Of course you did.” he grunted as he carried her to her apartment door.
She pulled her key out of her bag and opened it. Before she could tuck her crutches under her arms, he had picked her up again and carried her into the apartment. He glanced around at the small room, his eyes narrowing with anger.
“You are not staying here, Olivia.”
“What are you talking about? It’s perfectly fine.”
The apartment was a small bachelor suite. The ceiling was covered in water stains and the walls were painted a dingy grey. The appliances were old and she had barely any furniture. He stared with distaste at the mattress on the floor.
“Where’s your furniture?”
“I haven’t bought any yet. The guesthouse at the farm was furnished so I didn’t need any, and I’m not planning on staying here for long, so there’s no point in buying furniture.”
“Why are you even staying in this godforsaken place anyway?” He frowned.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s not that bad. Stop being so dramatic. You have no idea how difficult it is on a teacher’s salary to find a nice townhouse or condo to buy in this town. I lived in a motel for two months before Lacey offered me the guesthouse. I didn’t want to stay in a motel again, so I rented something cheap until I can find a place to buy that fits in my budget.”
She tugged at his arm. “You can put me down now, Fitz.”
He shook his head. “I’m serious, Olivia. You’re not staying here. It isn’t safe.”
“Oh for goodness sake! It’s fine.”
“The door to the lobby has no lock, the lock on your apartment door is flimsy as hell, and what if there was a fire? How would you get out of the building with your leg like that?”
He set her on her feet and walked to where the mattress was lying on the floor. She had no dresser and her clothes were stacked neatly in her suitcase. He checked out the door on the far right, and grunted before disappearing into the bathroom. He reappeared with her toiletry bag in his hand. Balancing in the middle of the room on her one good leg, Olivia watched as Fitz dropped her bag of toiletries into the suitcase and then closed and zipped the suitcase.
“Just where the hell am I supposed to go, Fitz? It place may not be much, but it’s my home and I don’t appreciate you -”
“You’re coming back to the farmhouse.”
He carried her suitcase to the door and set it down neatly.
She gaped at him in astonishment. “Oh no I am not, Fitzgerald Grant.”
“Yes you are, Olivia Pope. No arguments.”
“No arguments?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “When exactly did you become the boss of me?”
“You took care of me when I came home from the hospital, now it’s my turn.” He smiled at her.
She shook her head. “It doesn’t work that way. I don’t need your help, and you made it perfectly clear that you don’t want my company.”
His face fell and he looked down at the floor for a moment before looking up at her.
“Olivia, please. I want to take care of you and I’m worried about you staying here all by yourself. You’re going to need some help for the next few days, you know you will. Please, let me help you.”
“Just for the weekend. I’ll bring you back here on Sunday night, I promise.”
She bit at her bottom lip. “Okay. But you should know upfront that I’m not interested in being your friend or – or anything else anymore. And this weekend isn’t going to change that.”
“I know,” He picked up her suitcase. “I’ll be right back for you. I’m just going to take this to the truck.”
She nodded and he headed down the hallway towards the stairwell.
Olivia stared at the door before rubbing her forehead.
“This is a very bad idea, Olivia.”
It was only a bad idea because she was in love with Fitz, and two months apart from him had done nothing to change or stop that love. While her leg was hurting and she didn’t relish the idea of staying in her crappy apartment all by herself, neither was the reason she had accepted his offer for help. She missed Fitz with every fiber of her being, and she wondered if he could see through her flimsy excuses.
She sighed again and stared moodily out the window. She would be wise to remember that Fitz may care about her, but nothing else had changed. He would never accept that they could have a relationship.
“This isn’t a good idea, Olivia.”
“It is,” she insisted. “Please, Fitz. I really want to see Daisy and Lemon. I’ve missed them.”
He sighed as he stacked the lunch dishes in the sink.
“How does your leg feel today?”
“Fine. Much better then it was even yesterday.”
He eyed her suspiciously as Olivia smiled hopefully at him. He brought her to the farmhouse yesterday and set her up in the guestroom. She spent most of the last twenty-four hours tucked into the bed. He brought her books to read and his laptop to surf the internet. She slept a lot the first day. She hadn’t slept well in the hospital and catching up on her sleep had gone a long way toward making her feel better.
“If I don’t get some fresh air and feel the sun on my face, I’m going to turn into a mushroom.”
“Fine, but only on one condition.”
“You let me carry you to the barn.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you can barely walk on two legs. I heard you fall down last night when you got up to go to the bathroom.”
“I didn’t fall down,” she muttered. “I ran into the wall.”
He didn’t reply and she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted at the floor. She looked up in time to see the small grin cross his face.
“What are you smiling about?” She asked.
“You’re adorable when you pout.”
He gave her another grin that made her heart speed up.
“I wasn’t pouting. I was thinking.”
She ignored the way her heart was knocking against her ribcage and hoisted herself to her feet, using the table to steady herself.
“Fine. You can carry me.”
He picked her up, one arm curving around her waist and the other sliding under her legs as she put her arm tentatively around his broad shoulders. Immediately, a slow throbbing began in her lower body. She cursed to herself. Her nipples were tightening and her cheeks were flushing, and she took a few deep breaths.
“Are you okay?” He asked as he walked out the door and down the steps of the porch.
Delilah and Vincent were dancing around his feet and she frowned at him.
“You’re probably going to trip over those damn dogs and crush me under your body.”
He laughed and tightened his hand around her ribs.
“I promise if I start to fall I’ll try and toss you to safety.”
She tamped down the giggle that was rising in her throat and looked away from him. Her eyes lingered on his large hand. It was only inches from her breast, and she wanted to grab his hand and place it directly on her breast. Her nipples throbbed anew with the thought. They were clearly visible through her t-shirt and she had to fight the impulse to cover them with her arm. Maybe he wouldn’t notice.
She reached out and unlatched the barn door, and he pushed it open with his foot before carrying her inside. He set her down gently in front of Daisy’s stall, and steadied her with his hands on her upper arms. His gaze dropped to her breasts and lingered on the outline of her nipples against the fabric of her shirt. His hands tightened on her arms and he lifted his gaze to hers. Her breath squeaked out in a soft little moan at the look of dark need in his eyes.
He reached out and cupped her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb.
“Maybe you should go and get Lemon while I’m visiting with Daisy.”
He blinked at her and then nodded, disappointment carved into his face. She reached into the stall and petted Daisy’s soft forehead as Fitz left the barn. He returned after about ten minutes, his cheeks rosy from the chilly air, and picked her up without speaking. He and the dogs had herded the sheep toward their barn, and they were milling about in front of the large door that led to their pens.
She searched the group for Lemon, her heart quickening when she saw her familiar, fuzzy body. “Lemon,” she called loudly.
“She hasn’t. Just give her a minute.” Fitz replied.
“Lemon, come to mama.” She called.
She grinned happily when the ewe left the herd and trotted towards her. Lemon butted her head against her hip in a friendly manner, and Olivia petted and rubbed her soft head.
“She’s getting so big.” She smiled at Fitz.
“I think it’s mostly wool.” He laughed.
She continued to pet and talk sweetly to the young ewe for close to fifteen minutes. Fitz stood silently beside her before touching her arm.
“You’re starting to shiver, sweetheart.”
She nodded and leaned against the wall of the barn, watching as he opened the door of the sheep shed and Vincent and Delilah herded the sheep into their pen. Lemon continued to stand beside her, and she petted the ewe one last time before pushing gently on her flank.
The ewe took a few hesitant steps forward, and then ran into the shed when Vincent crowded behind her and nipped at her right leg. Fitz settled the sheep into their pen and returned to Olivia. He frowned at the way she was shaking, and picked her up and carried her back to the farmhouse. As he climbed the steps of the porch she twisted so she could look behind him at the guesthouse. Her heart ached at the sight of it, and a small sigh slipped from her throat. He squeezed her tightly.
“Yeah. I just – I miss it.”
“You could move back in.” He replied.
“That’s not a good idea, Fitz. You know that.”
He nodded and carried her into the house. She sighed with relief at the warmth. Her leg was aching a bit from the cold, and she gave Fitz a weak smile.
“Can you take me into the bathroom? I’d like to take a shower.”
She hadn’t had a shower since leaving the hospital yesterday morning, and she knew a hot shower would help warm her up and ease the throbbing in her leg. He frowned, but carried her to the bathroom. As he set her down next to the tub, he said, “I’m afraid you’re going to fall in the shower.”
She bent and turned the shower on, testing the water with her hand, adjusted the knobs until the water was steaming and turned to face him.
“Maybe I should stay and help you. You fall in the tub all the time.”
She flushed. “No way. You’re not seeing me naked.”
“I’ve already seen you naked.” He pointed out.
“It’s different now,” His brow creased and she cut him off before he could begin to protest. “I’ll be fine. If I need your help, I’ll call for you okay?”
He nodded. “I’ll be right outside the bathroom door.”
She waited until he had closed the door before stripping off her shirt and bra. She wiggled awkwardly out of her pants and underwear, grunting irritably when her underwear tangled around her ankles.
“Olivia? Are you okay?” Fitz called through the door.
“Fine.” she said as she pulled her panties from her feet.
Moving carefully, she sat on the side of the tub and lifted her legs into the tub. She pushed off, balancing carefully on her good leg and stood under the hot spray of water. It felt marvelous and she stood for long moments before, with a soft sigh, beginning to wash her hair.
Her soft voice penetrated the nightmare, and he grasped at it like a man drowning.
“Wake up now. C'mon, honey.”
With a shuddering gasp, he tore himself out of the dream. He sat up in the bed, staring blankly at her as she patted his arm.
“You’re okay. It was just a nightmare.”
Olivia’s heart clenched painfully at the look of naked fear on Fitz’s face. She had woken in the night to hear him moaning and crying out. She laid in her bed staring up at the ceiling for nearly five minutes before she climbed out, grabbed her crutches and hobbled her way to his room.
She hesitated and then placed her hand on his bare chest and rubbed. She didn’t like the way he looked – trembling and pale with tears glinting in his eyes. She continued to rub his chest, her fingers tracing the scarred skin, while he stared up at her. After a few moments, she smiled shakily at him and moved to stand up.
He grabbed her arm with panicky tightness and she slowly sat back down on the bed. She stroked his face and he leaned into her hand. She wondered how often he had the nightmares. They hadn’t spent that many nights together, but he had slept peacefully each night she was with him.
“How often do you have nightmares?” She asked.
He looked out the window at the cold darkness. “Every night.”
“I don’t remember you having them when we – we were together.”
Her heart broke a little and she patted him on the shoulder.
He shifted over and she pushed back the covers and slid in beside him. She flinched as she turned on her side, but reached out and pulled on his shoulders.
Fitz hesitated before pressing his body up against Olivia’s. He buried his face in her throat as she rubbed his back, and breathed in her familiar scent.
The nightmare was particularly terrible tonight. He was back in the car, trapped in his seat with the flames licking closer and closer to him. He had looked for Tony in the driver’s seat and was horrified to see Olivia sitting there instead. She was staring at him, her face full of pain and fear, and he renewed his struggles to free himself.
“Fitz,” she whispered. “Please, help me.”
He reached for her, his hand stretching out as the distance between their seats grew to an impossible length. The flames were touching her now, her clothes catching on fire and the skin on her face beginning to bubble and peel as the scorching heat engulfed them both. He opened his mouth to scream when her voice had broken through the nightmare and pulled him out. Her voice and her sweet face was a soothing balm to his soul and he didn’t - couldn’t - argue when she joined him in his bed. He was trembling again and she stroked his back before kissing him on the cheek.
“You’re okay, honey. Everything’s okay.”
“I’m so sorry.” He rasped.
“I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”
She squeezed him tightly. “Don’t worry about it.”
He leaned back a little and looked at her longingly.
She bit her bottom lip and blinked rapidly before clearing her throat.
“I’m so sorry I hurt you,” He cupped her face and rested his forehead against hers. “I’m so sorry for everything.”
When she didn’t say anything else, he kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose.
“Say it, Olivia. Just tell me that you hate me now. You’ll feel better.”
“I could never hate you.”
“You should.” He whispered.
She stared at him. Their faces were very close now and he could feel her warm breath on his mouth. She took a shuddering breath and then her mouth was on his, and she was kissing him with a deep and frantic need. He groaned and returned her kiss before pulling away abruptly.
“Olivia, wait. This isn’t – I didn’t mean for you to -”
“Kiss me, Fitz. I miss you too. Please, I miss you so much.”
He lowered his mouth to hers, and they kissed with slow and tender strokes of their lips and tongues. He cupped her breast through her t-shirt, teasing her nipple into a hard point as she arched her back and moaned.
“Naked,” she whispered. “I want you naked.”
He yanked his boxers down his legs, kicking them off his feet impatiently, and then helped her shed her clothes. As he pulled her panties down her legs, he placed a gentle kiss on the bruised and stitched flesh of her leg.
“Sweetheart, maybe we shouldn’t do this. Your leg is -”
“No,” She rose up on her elbows and he groaned at the sight of her breasts thrusting forward. “It’s fine. We’ll go slowly.”
He placed a kiss on her knee and she nodded.
He gave her a searching look before kissing his way up her inner thigh. She spread her legs, he frowned at the way she winced, but she tugged on his hair and he dipped his head and kissed the top of her pussy. She sighed and he licked her soft folds and warm flesh until she was soaking wet and moaning his name. He traced her swollen clit with the tip of his tongue and she dug her nails into his scalp.
“Please, Fitz. I need you inside of me.” She begged.
He kissed his way up her body and carefully positioned himself between her legs. She wrapped her left leg around his hips, leaving her right one flat on the bed, and ran her fingers across his mouth.
“Tell me if I’m hurting you.” He whispered.
She reached between them and guided his cock into her tight opening. He groaned and she made a soft noise of pleasure.
“It feels so good, Fitz. You feel so good.” She whispered against his mouth.
He slid inside her with slow, controlled movements and she arched her hips upward to meet each of his strokes. He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes as he moved inside her, using long, slow, deep thrusts as though he was reaching for her heart with every stroke. He thrust back and forth once more before stopping with his cock buried deep inside of her. After a moment, she wiggled under him.
Although she knew he was moving slowly in deference to her injured thigh, his measured, unrelenting pace was driving her mad with need. Having him stop completely was pure torture.
In Olivia’s arms he found a kind of healing. It was almost as though she was drawing the wounded parts of him together as she took him in—healing the brokenness inside him that had been there so long Fitz had nearly forgotten what it was to feel whole.
She stiffened under him and looked at him with wide, shocked eyes.
“I will never get used to this. Being with you, being inside you… is like coming home. You are my home”
The raw emotion in his eyes, in his voice, brought tears to her eyes. She couldn’t look away, reaching up to touch his face, smoothing her fingertips over his jaw.
“I love you,” he repeated and began moving in her with gentle, steady thrusts.
She was going to climax soon, she could feel it building in her belly and pelvis, and as the pleasure built to an almost unbearable level, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her mouth to his ear.
At her softly-uttered words, he cried out as a powerful wave of such intense pleasure surged through him that he came immediately deep within her. His climax triggered her own and she shook and shuddered beneath him. Her thigh protested, but the pleasure overpowered the pain, and she arched her body into him and whispered she loved him again before collapsing on the bed. He kissed her mouth, her cheeks, her throat and her upper chest before slowly easing off of her and lying on his back beside her. He gathered her into his arms, pressing her head against his chest and rubbing her lower back.
He didn’t know what the future held for them, but he did know one thing—he loved Olivia with all his heart and he was never letting her go.
They had been lying in the darkness for over an hour, and he thought she had fallen asleep.
He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“It wasn’t. Don’t say that.”
He sat up and reached for the bedside lamp. As the light illuminated the room with a soft glow, he turned to face her.
“I love you, Olivia. It wasn’t a mistake.”
Her lips were trembling as she sat up. He reached for her and she shied away from him.
She started to cry and he gave her a helpless look.
“Please, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I never should have said those things.”
She swiped at the tears almost angrily. “I know. I want you to know that what I’m about to say doesn’t change the fact that I love you too, okay?”
He nodded and, unable to help himself, reached out and snagged her hand. She stared down at their clasped hands.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the last couple of weeks and I’ve realized that you’re right. I’ve been in love with you for a while now, and at first I thought that it would be enough. That everything else didn’t really matter and just loving each other would be enough to make it work,” She raised her head and gave him a trembling smile. “Except I’ve realized that – that this isn’t some fairy tale. It isn’t a stupid Beauty and the Beast story where my loving you fixes your pain and gives us a happy ending.”
She reached out and traced the scars on his face.
“This is real life, and our problems can’t be solved with a kiss and a declaration of love. No matter what I say or do, no matter how much I love you, there will always be a part of you that thinks you’re not good enough for me.” She sighed. “You’re right you know. I keep saying that it won’t bother me if you want to keep cutting yourself off from the rest of the world, but the truth is, I don’t know if it won’t. I want to believe that it won’t bother me. I want to be the person who understands your fears and accepts you for exactly who you are, because you deserve that, Fitz. You’re a wonderful man and I know you think you’re not good enough for me, but honestly, I’m not sure that I’m good enough for you.”
“You are, Olivia,” he said. “You’re the sweetest, kindest person I know and I’m in love you with you. You’re it for me.”
She brushed at the tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’m worried that I’m not the person I think I am. That, five or ten years down the road, I start to resent you for not joining me at parties or weddings or even the grocery store. I’ll break your heart.”
She shook her head. “I can’t stand the thought of hurting you like that, Fitz. I – I think it’s better if we end this now before we start to love too deeply.”
It’s too late for that, he thought bleakly before he squeezed her hand.
“I’ll try, Olivia. I’ll make an effort to rejoin the world. I’ll do my best to be the man you deserve, I promise you.”
She sniffed and wiped at her nose with the heel of her hand.
“I won’t ask you to do that. It isn’t fair,” She stroked the side of his face again. “I know you want to try. I can’t tell you how much I love you for that, but don’t you see what will happen? You’ll be miserable and eventually you’ll start to resent me. Our love for each other will just disappear under a cloud of anger and resentment.”
She suddenly leaned forward and gave him a hard kiss before reaching for her t-shirt and slipping it over her head.
“I should go back to my room.”
“Stay the night with me, Olivia.”
“I can’t, honey. And I know I said I would stay until Sunday, but I think it’s better if you take me home in the morning. I’ll be fine and I promise I’ll text you if I need anything.”
“So that’s it? You’re not even going to let me try? I’m just supposed to walk away from the woman I love?” He said.
He glared at her. “What if I don’t want to? What if I can’t?”
“Two months ago you told me this wouldn’t work and asked me to leave. I did, even though it broke my heart. Now I’m asking you to do the same for me.”
His anger deflated like a balloon, leaving him feeling cold, empty and sick to his stomach. He watched as she sat on the side of the bed and reached for her crutches. Without looking at him, she thumped out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.
“Hey look at you! No crutches!” Lacey grinned at Olivia and pulled her into a brief, hard hug.
“Yup, and no stitches either. The doctor removed them today.”
“That’s wonderful!” Lacey said as Peter and Natalia joined them.
It had been a week since Fitz had driven her back to her apartment, carried her up the stairs, given her a slow and thorough kiss before leaving. She had wanted to cry, but she had held the tears back fiercely. It didn’t matter how much she loved him, she needed to let him go.
“When are you coming back to school? I miss you.”
“As a matter of fact,” Olivia lifted the little girl into her arms and kissed her smooth cheek, “I’ll be back on Monday.”
“Really?” Nat gave her a delighted grin and Olivia nodded.
“Yes. My leg is much better now.”
The little girl wiggled against her as she looked at her mom. “Mama, Jade and Chris are at the monkey bars. Can I join them?”
Lacey nodded as Olivia set Nat on the ground.
“Yes you may, but you have to stay at the playground equipment and not go anywhere else unless you tell me or daddy first. Do you understand?”
Natalia skipped away to the playground equipment as Lacey and Peter stared after her fondly.
“I’m so glad you came tonight, Olivia,” Lacey said.
“Well, it’s not every day a town celebrates its Centennial,” Olivia replied.
She glanced around the park. It was filled to the brim with people milling about. It looked like the entire town was here, chatting amongst themselves as they waited for the fireworks to begin.
“What time do the fireworks start?”
“In about half an hour,” Peter glanced at the darkening sky. “They’re just waiting for it to be dark.”
He glanced over at the monkey bars. “Nat! Be careful, honey.”
He wandered away to the playground equipment as Lacey turned to Olivia.
“How are you doing?” She asked.
She bit her tongue to stop from asking about Fitz. He had texted her a couple of times to ask her how she was feeling and if she needed anything, but other than that she hadn’t spoken to him at all. It’s for the best, she reminded herself. She ignored Lacey’s look of sympathy and sipped at her hot chocolate.
Fitz paced restlessly in the kitchen. Vincent trailed after him, whining softly, and Fitz stopped to pet him. It was Saturday night and even after nearly two and a half months, it still didn’t feel right that Olivia wasn’t here with him. He should be making her dinner while she did her laundry and, with nothing more than her low voice and soft laugh, filling the house with warmth and love.
He stared out the window into the growing darkness. She would be at the park tonight. She and the rest of the town would be gathered together to celebrate the Centennial. Lacey had invited him, had even mentioned that she thought Olivia would be there, but he hadn’t accepted her invitation. Olivia loved him, but just as he had realized he would do anything to be with her, even making an effort to stop hiding away, she had changed her mind. He laughed bitterly. It served him right for breaking her heart the way he had. She needed to be with someone normal, someone who –
We had a deal you and me, didn’t we? Mary’s voice spoke dryly in his head.
For a moment he was so sure the old woman was behind him that he spun around. Only Vincent and Delilah stared back at him, and he rubbed his hand across his forehead. The old woman’s voice in his head may have been a figment of his imagination but her words weren’t. They had made a deal. Olivia’s address in exchange for doing the right thing.
I tried, he thought. I tried and she rejected me.
You didn’t try hard enough. Mary’s voice replied.
He swore softly. Mary was right. He hadn’t tried hard enough. He loved Olivia and just the thought of spending the rest of his life without her sent an overwhelming wave of despair through him. He grabbed his jacket and shrugged into it. He would find Olivia and make her understand that they were meant to be together. Even if he had to do it front of the whole damn town.
Peter, Natalia in his arms, joined Lacey and Olivia. “I think the fireworks are about to start.”
Olivia glanced up at the sky. The stars were out and shining brightly, and she wrapped her arms around herself and took a deep breath. She would stop thinking about Fitz, stop wondering if he–
Nat’s delighted shout broke through her thoughts and she stared bewildered at the little girl. She was staring over Olivia’s shoulder and, her heart beating wildly, Olivia whirled around. Fitz was striding toward them, his face grim and his shoulders set. If the others were staring at him, she didn’t notice. The enormity of what he was doing, the gesture of love he was displaying in seeking her out in a park filled with people, had brought on a surge of such overwhelming love and pride for him that she thought she might faint.
Watching him have the courage to come to the park, even knowing that most of the town would be there, she realized in an instant that she had been wrong. Fitz loved her and was willing to face his fears to be with her. She needed to give their love a chance. Nothing else mattered but being with him. She staggered forward on trembling legs, not resisting when he reached out and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her, his hand tangling in her hair and his arm sliding around her waist.
“I love you, Olivia. I know you don’t think we can make it work, but you’re wrong. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy and I promise I won’t resent you for it. Please, give me the chance to prove that to you. I’m so sorry I hurt you the way I did. If you give me the chance, I’ll do whatever it takes to earn your forgiveness for what I said. I’ll never -”
He stopped talking and she reached up and cupped his face. She stared up at him, tears spilling down her cheeks when she saw the truth of what he was saying in his eyes.
“I can’t live without you, and I don’t care if we spend the rest of our lives never leaving the farmhouse. I need you. I love you.”
He kissed her again, lifting her up and pressing her trembling body against his. She kissed him back hard, her tongue sweeping urgently between his lips. A combination of love, relief and desire was coursing through him. As the fireworks exploded in the sky in brilliant streaks of blue and green, she laughed and kissed his face repeatedly.
“Finally,” Lacey said happily. “I thought the two of you were going to be miserable forever.”
Fitz set Olivia down and she took his hand and led him to his family. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest and resting his chin on the top of her head. They stared upward, watching the fireworks light up the night sky. When she squeezed his arms, he bent down and she said, “I’m looking for a place to rent. I heard you have a pretty nice carriage house.”
“Actually,” he said solemnly, “the carriage house is no longer available.”
She frowned up at him and he placed a quick kiss on her mouth.
“But, I do have a room at the farmhouse. If you don’t mind sharing a bed with a stubborn, idiotic sheep farmer.”
She giggled. “Lucky for you, I happen to have a preference for stubborn, idiotic sheep farmers.”
He grinned and pulled her close.
“I love you, Olivia Pope,” he breathed into her ear. “I love you and I’ll never stop loving you.”
“I love you too, Fitzgerald Grant.”
annaxmalina
dededos
stormborns
