"Good morning," Alex breathed with a lazy grin as Olivia came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. It was currently 5:30AM on Wednesday morning and Alex and Olivia would be setting off to pick up Samuel and Jack before heading to New York to attend Olivia's father's event.

The past few days had been blissful and fun, but the pair of them had had a nagging feeling that this day was approaching. Olivia couldn't quite believe how supportive and reassuring Alex was being, but she knew deep down he would hate every minute of today.

"Morning," Olivia yawned; her voice groggy and laced with sleep. She rested her forehead against Alex's back and shut her eyes – she was so tired, she felt she could've easily fell back to sleep just leant up against the tall man.

Alex chuckled as he tried his best to continue cooking the waffles he was making without disturbing her too much. "Tired?" he asked sarcastically. He was usually used to being awake around this time with his job, but over the holidays he had gotten out of the swing of things and could feel his own eyes drooping significantly.

"Mhmm," she cooed into his back muscles. She wanted nothing more than to go up to bed and cuddle with Alex; to pretend that today wasn't important. However, she would just have to suck it up and get on with it.

The pair sat down to quickly eat some breakfast, although Olivia's nerves had gotten the best of her and she just played with her food uncomfortably. Alex didn't really know what to say, he just watched her sympathetically and made a mental note to pack a sandwich for the drive. He felt for her, but nothing he could say would help. She was in a very shitty situation and the only way to get through it was to deal with it head on. She was just happy to have Alex by her side.

---

"Oh, fuck," Alex sighed as they pulled up outside of Jack's apartment. They had just picked up a very energetic and excited Samuel – who lived for road trips. On the exact opposite end of the spectrum was Jack, who was currently sat on the concrete steps outside of his house, with his head leant against the railings, looking very much asleep.

Alex honked the horn and the group watched Jack jump out of his skin and stumble to his feet, almost tripping over his own lanky legs. He rubbed his eyes and grimaced at a laughing Alex, flipping him off as he climbed into the back-seat of the car and slammed the door behind him. "Fuck you," he grumbled; his voice groggy and hoarse.

The drive was long and mostly boring. Samuel kept trying to get everyone to play travelling games, but for the most part everyone else was much too tired. Olivia flicked through the radio stations, trying desperately to find some sort of entertainment.

As Olivia flipped to the next channel, Samuel let out a sharp gasp, before anyone could even register what song was playing. "Turn it up!" he demanded from the backseat and as Olivia turned the volume dial, she became familiarised with the song and let out a similar sounding gasp.

Forever young,
I wanna be forever young
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever and ever

The voice of Mr. Hudson poured into the car, immediately brightening the atmosphere. Jack began waving his arms rhythmically, as if he were at a concert, whilst Olivia turned in her seat, screaming the lyrics out excitedly, along with Samuel. Alex chuckled, taking quick glances at Olivia as she beamed from ear to ear and sang along. She placed a hand on his cheek and began dramatically serenading him as he tried his best to keep his eyes focused on the road, laughing uncontrollably.

Jay-Z's verse began and Jack started rapping in the backseat, doing his best Jay-Z impression and failing miserably at attempting to keep up with the lyrics. The car erupted in laughter at the lanky boy in the back, who continued his performance, whilst Olivia and Samuel began dancing along, trying to match their hand gestures with the lyrics. "Take it away, Alex!" Jack yelled once he was finished and the chorus began again.

Alex shook his head, laughing at the ridiculous scene going on in his car. "Go ooooon!" Olivia encouraged, pushing him in the shoulder and wiggling her brows. Alex tsked, shaking his head at her, but reluctantly began singing along. The rest of the car began belting out the words with him – the sound was horrendous, but it felt like home.

---

The motel that Alex had booked rooms in for the night had definitely seen some better days. If you were simply passing by, you would assume the place was abandoned; it was run-down and shabby, but it would do for the night.

The group grabbed their overnight bags from Alex's trunk and made their way to the front desk. Alex had booked 3 rooms, all next to eachother – not that it made much difference, since they seemed to be the only people in the joint. They grabbed their keys from the lovely old lady at the front desk and headed to unpack.

Olivia immediately jumped onto the bed and the amount of dust that flew off it almost choked her. Alex laughed as she began coughing. It definitely wasn't the type of hotel Olivia was used to, but she didn't mind, as long as she was with Alex. Alex, on the other hand, was very embarrassed that this was all he could afford. He worried this wasn't up to Olivia's standards.

"Come here," she mumbled, watching as Alex frantically unpacked, trying to disguise his nerves. He looked up at Olivia, sprawled out across the bed, with her arms stretching outward for him, and let out a chuckle.

He moved to lie beside her, pulling her into his arms and allowing their noses to touch and their breath to mingle. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his breath tickling at her face. She cocked a confused eyebrow in response. "About this place," he shrugged, "It's pretty shitty," he let out a light chuckle, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible.

Olivia shrugged, glancing around the small room. The theme was very Victorian and old; floral, dull wallpaper and wooden beams holding the ceiling up. "I like it," she breathed, returning her gaze to Alex's eyes with a smile, "It's cosy," she added. Alex had a feeling she was lying just to make him feel better, but either way, it worked. He breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Jack and I have gotta go shopping," he finally said after a moment of silence; the pair just staring at eachother. Olivia let out a groan. She had been hoping the pair could take a nap together and relax for a while before the awful night that was in store for them. Alex let out a chuckle and pecked Olivia's lips. "I know, but, of course, Jack forgot to pack a suit," he rolled his eyes and the pair laughed together at their idiot friend.

"Alright," Olivia smiled, "but make sure he gets a smart one," she added, pointing at Alex in mock-warning. "Nothing white, nothing bedazzled and definitely nothing with tear-away pants," she spoke, her tone serious, but Alex couldn't help but laugh. It all sounded ridiculous, but when it came to Jack, these were genuine concerns.

"Don't worry, he'll look great," Alex assured her, planting a kiss on her forehead before getting to his feet. "I mean, not as good as me," he shrugged casually in mock-arrogance, causing Olivia to laugh, "but I'll try my best," he added, leaning down to leave a kiss on Olivia's lips. "We'll meet you and Samuel at the venue," he mumbled into her lips. Olivia nodded, smiling as she waved Alex off, before flinging herself backwards onto the bed.

---

"Sam!" Olivia called out, knocking on the door to his room. "Are you ready? Derek will be here soon!" she continued to yell. She was absolutely dreading seeing Derek, but of course, if they didn't arrive together, it would look rather suspicious. She was just thankful to have Samuel with her.

"Okay, okay, I'm ready!" he mumbled as he flew out of the door, closing it behind him and fumbling to lock it. He was dressed in a very smart, navy blue suit, with his hair slicked back and a cloud of musky perfume almost visible around him.

Olivia laughed and smiled. "You look great," she complimented, linking her arm in his.

"Thanks babe," he chirped, before pulling away and holding her out at arms length. "Woooow," he breathed, his eyes examining her attire. She was wearing a black, figure-hugging dress which dipped slightly in the front, showing just enough cleavage. She'd paired it with some black pumps, a small clutch and minimum jewellery; including her engagement ring which felt like it was burning through the flesh of her finger. "You look incredible," he smiled, pulling her into a hug, knowing just how much she needed it as she wrapped her arms around him. The tender moment was short-lived and rudely interrupted by a car horn beeping. Olivia immediately recognised it as Derek's Lexus and let out a deep breath which she hadn't realised she had been holding in.

Samuel squeezed her reassuringly before pulling away and entwining his fingers with hers, leading her out into the motel parking lot where Derek was stood, leant up against his car; his door open and his hand hovering over his horn, ready to beep again, until his eyes locked on the pair.

Seeing him was an odd feeling for Olivia. She hadn't seen, or even spoken to him, since that night when Alex and her had fought and he had caught Derek cheating on her. She almost felt nothing; completely numb, a dull emptiness when she looked at Derek now. He looked fine, like nothing had even happened. She would be lying if she said she didn't want him to look like shit; to look like a complete wreck without her, but she knew it wouldn't help anyway.

Derek's mouth was a thin, hard line, his eyes emotionless as he scanned Olivia. "That's a little slutty, don't you think?" his voice was dry as his old eyes met hers.

Samuel stepped forward, about to speak, but Olivia pulled him back, stopping him. Samuel gulped, glowering at Derek. "Get in the car," Samuel spoke harshly – it was a tone he didn't use often. Derek chuckled and slipped into the driver's seat. Samuel wanted to take the seat beside him, forcing Olivia into the back and as far away from him as possible, but he knew this whole night was about appearances, and even something as small as her not sitting in the passenger seat could cause a storm.

Olivia held Samuel's hand until his door was closed, and then reluctantly slipped into the front seat. The drive was mostly silent; the low grumble of the engine and the almost mute radio serving as a backing track for the awkward atmosphere.

They pulled up outside of the building and Olivia was shocked when she saw it. The place was huge; it was essentially a skyscraper. She narrowed her eyes in confusion as Derek parked the car. Wasn't this supposed to be a mere branch of her father's business? This was bigger than his office back home. She shook the thought and stepped out of the car; Samuel immediately at her side.

The lobby was already filled with people awaiting their arrival. She took a deep breath and turned to face Derek, a cold stare in her eyes. "Let's just fucking get this over with," she muttered, linking her arm through his and plastering a fake smile on her face. Derek grumbled something incoherent and led her up the stairs and into the building. Samuel shadowed her every movement, ensuring she never left his sight as the pair of them were immediately swept up into a barrage of pleasantries.

After about a half hour of uncomfortable polite conversation; answering questions like "when's the wedding?", "where are you going for your honeymoon?", "how long until you have a few little ones running around?", Olivia finally found time to break away and head for the open bar, Samuel, of course, by her side.

"Two Vodka and Cokes," Samuel ordered, leaning up against the bar and turning to a very distressed looking Olivia. She felt sick to her stomach, like she might pass out, if just one more 50-something year old woman asked to see her ring again. "Here," Samuel offered, handing her one of the glasses as soon as the bartender had poured them.

She took it in her grasp and took three large gulps. She practically needed alcohol in her system. Dutch courage would help greatly right now. She let out a sigh. "This is awful," she mumbled, mostly to herself.

"I know," Samuel replied, smiling sympathetically. His eyes darted towards the door and seemed to light up. He grabbed Olivia's hand. "Alex and Jack are here," he said and Olivia felt herself relax a little as Samuel pulled her by the hand towards the two boys.

Jack had picked out a burgundy suit, with black detail, whilst Alex had opted for a classic black look, paired with an adorable bow tie. He grinned when his eyes met hers, but they immediately travelled over her body as they moved closer. Samuel and Jack fell into a conversation – mostly Samuel updating Jack on what they had missed thus far.

"Oh my god," Alex breathed, his eyes finally moving back up to meet Olivia's. She blushed a little and pushed at his shoulder playfully. "This is torture," he groaned, shaking his head as he bit down on his lower lip. He wanted nothing more that to wrap his arms around her and press his lips against hers, but of course, he couldn't.

"I know," Olivia mumbled, feeling his exact pain. He looked incredibly handsome and all she really wanted to do was be back in the shitty motel room, her head on Alex's chest, listening to his heartbeat, and nothing else.

"God, I wanna kiss you," Alex muttered, pulling her into a hug, trying his best to seem casual. He pulled away quickly, not wanting to hold the hug too long, but at the same time, hating that he couldn't.

Olivia was about to respond when she heard a voice, laced with poison, sound behind her. "What the fuck is he doing here?" Olivia caught a glimpse of the pure hatred in Alex's eyes just as she turned on her heel to face the voice. She gulped as she was met with a very angry Derek. She'd made her dad promise he wouldn't tell Derek about Alex when she had admitted everything to him on the phone, meaning that Derek's only knowledge of Alex was that he was the guy who almost broke his nose.

"Look, I don't know who the fuck you think-" Alex began, stepping towards the shorter man. Olivia rolled her eyes and placed her palm to Alex's chest; her touch interrupting him.

"My dad said that I could invite friends," Olivia explained calmly, but Derek's eyes didn't leave Alex's, "So, I invited friends," she gestured to the three boys beside her.

Derek let out a mirthless chuckle, allowing his fiery eyes to meet Olivia's now. "Awesome," he breathed sarcastically, "well, I invited friends too," he mumbled, his tone rubbing Olivia up the wrong way. She furrowed her brow in confusion as the fire behind Derek's eyes began to burn again, his gaze moving back to Alex. "Just keep that asshole away from me," he spat before turning and walking away.

Olivia could practically feel the heat radiating from Alex as she turned to face him, a concerned look in her eyes. "What an ass," Jack hissed beside him, his hand finding Alex's back. "Are you okay, dude?" It was pretty evident that Alex was steaming, but he just nodded and mutter a 'yeah, I'm good," through his gritted teeth.

Olivia gulped. This was all her fault. She wanted to grab Alex and bolt for the door; hail down the closest cab and tell the driver to keep going until they hit god-knows-where. However, all she could do was offer Alex a sad smile. He returned it; feeling bad for allowing himself to get so enraged. The last thing he wanted was to cause a scene.

"I'm gonna go get us some drinks," Jack finally said, patting Alex's back before turning and walking towards the bar. Samuel muttered something about helping him, but it was obvious he just wanted to leave the pair alone for a moment.

"I'm sorry," Alex breathed, shaking his head, disappointed with himself.

Olivia let out a small laugh and smiled. "Don't apologise," she spoke, wanting to reach up and run her fingers through his brown locks. "He makes me angry too," she shrugged, "but it'd be nice if we could get through the night without an attempted murder." The pair laughed a little, although the statement was very serious.

"Okay," Olivia felt Samuel breathe down her neck. She jumped, having not realised he had came up behind her so quickly. "Don't look now, but your ex just walked in," his eyes met with Alex's and Alex's chocolate orbs became stale, widening in borderline fear. Immediately, the pair whipped their heads around, despite Samuel's instructions. "Well... that's the opposite of what I said, but alright," Samuel muttered under his breath.

Olivia watched as Lisa waltzed across the lobby, swinging her hips until she stopped in front of Derek. He paused the conversation he was having and grinned wildly, pulling her into a hug before introducing her to the circle of men surrounding him. A million questions bubbled up in Olivia's head; her vision becoming blurry with anger.

"Yo, did you guys know Lisa is-" Jack finally joined them, not realising that they did, in fact, know.

"What the fuck is she doing here?!" Olivia hissed, turning to glare at Alex.

Alex furrowed his brows. "Don't look at me, I don't know!" he raised his voice defensively.

"I think it might have something to do with the fact she's talking to-" Jack began, but Olivia cut him off again.

"How do they know eachother?" she stared at Samuel now, adrenaline making it's way into her blood stream.

"They met at that event a couple weeks-" Jack began again, still completely oblivious to Olivia's anger, and the fact that she clearly already knew the answers to her questions.

"Whatever you do don't-" Samuel started to speak, watching the gleam in Olivia's eyes, but he was too late, she was already storming towards the pair. "... go over there..." Samuel finished meekly, quickly dragging the other two boys after her.

Olivia stopped in front of the chattering group. "Hey, sorry to interrupt," she forced a smile, "but can we have a minute?" she gestured to Derek and the circle of men began to dissipate. "Thanks," she spoke sweetly, before turning to glare in Derek's direction. "What the fuck is this?" she exclaimed, trying her best to keep her voice hushed, but failing.

"What?" Derek smirked, "you can bring your friends, but I can't bring mine?" he winked at her and she had to resist the urge to slap him around the face.

"Since when were you two friends?" she spat and Derek chuckled.

"Since that lovely evening at the opening for that new office building you so graciously invited me to," his voice was condescending and irritating; ringing in Olivia's ears.

Oh, the one where you bent my co-worker over an unused office desk?, she thought to herself. "Yeah, sounds real believable," she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Not everything's about you, Olivia," Lisa spoke up now and Olivia turned her head slightly to glare at the dirty blonde. "This isn't some scheme to ruin your night," she let out a hearty laugh and Derek joined her. It was like watching two evil villains come together to form the final boss at the end of a video game. Olivia cringed.

"Whatever," she hissed, "but if she ruins this night, I hope you know, –" she was glaring at Derek now, "– it won't just be my father who wants to kill you," she turned and stormed away, Jack and Samuel in tow. Alex lingered for a moment, shaking his head disapprovingly at Lisa. He knew her well enough to know she wasn't just here to play buddy-buddy with Olivia's ex-fiancé.

---

Olivia had managed to avoid Lisa for the rest of the night, and only interacted with Derek when it was absolutely necessary or she felt people might be becoming a little sceptical. She was stood chatting away with some lovely guys she knew from the LA office. She wasn't sure why they were over here, but it was nice to speak to people who weren't interested in her's and Derek's 'future'.

"Ow," she hissed, as suddenly a hand clutched around her forearm, dragging her away from her conversation. "What the fuck?" she muttered, coming face to face with a very angry looking Derek. He released her arm and she rubbed at the now red mark.

"You were cheating on me?!" he almost accused it, trying his best to keep his voice low. Olivia felt her whole body run cold, like she had been caught out, despite the fact that A) they were no longer together and B) he had also been cheating on her, and most likely for much longer.
"Where did you hear that?" she asked, her voice hushed and urgent.

"Everyone's fucking talking about it!" he exclaimed, gesturing around the room. Olivia turned and noticed a few glances headed their way, paired with whispered conversations. She looked back at Derek, sweating profusely. "Well... were you?" he repeated, raising his brows.

She gulped and nodded in response. "Yes," she muttered, "but you were cheating on me!" she shot back, although it was a pretty petty attempt at trying to switch the blame.

"Yeah, but my escapades haven't ruined the opening of your dad's new firm!" he exclaimed, shaking his head. The fact that Derek's main concern was how this made him look, really spoke volumes for the type of person he was. He couldn't care less about Olivia cheating, but the fact that it was interfering with his career? Oh, boy, prepare to feel his wrath.

Derek stormed away, but Olivia didn't pay any attention to where he had headed, she immediately scanned the room for Alex. She spotted him, chatting with some middle-aged women, who were evidently swooning over him. Olivia grabbed his arm and dragged him away. "Did you tell someone?" she hissed, feeling eyes from all directions burning holes into her.

"What?" he furrowed his brow, not following.

"That we were together whilst I was engaged, did you tell someone?"

He shook his head. "Just the guys..." he paused, lost in thought. Oh shit, he thought to himself. He had told Lisa when he had went to explain to her that he had just been trying to make Olivia jealous by inviting her to the event the other week. Olivia followed the boy's eyes. She caught a glimpse of guilt and immediately knew what had happened.

She spun on her heel and tore through the crowd, frantically searching for Lisa. "Liv!" she heard Samuel's voice and suddenly he was pulling her away, knowing what she was capable of. He dragged her outside for some well-needed fresh air. "Please don't make bad choices," he practically pleaded with her, and she would've laughed had she had the capacity to feel anything other than anger right now.

"Liv!" Alex came rushing outside, followed closely by Jack. "I'm so sorry," his eyes were sad and regretful, but Olivia wasn't even mad at him for telling Lisa. How would he know that Lisa would turn up here and ruin her father's party?

At that very moment, Lisa pushed through the big glass doors and moved confidently past the group. "Well, I best be off," she spoke with a smug smile, hailing down a cab. Olivia stepped forward, grinding her teeth together, but Alex wrapped an arm around her, holding her back. "Gosh, that was fun," Lisa chuckled as a cab pulled up. "See you around," she waved before sliding into the back seat. Olivia felt like screaming as she watched the cab drive away, camouflage in the busy New York streets.

---

Olivia spent the rest of the night sat at the bar. She would deny the rumours whenever they were tossed her way, but she no longer had any interest in the scenario. She simply wanted to head home.

Finally, Derek gave a little speech and cut a big ribbon, announcing the place's opening, and shortly after that, people began filing out.

"Alex..." Olivia finally found the man, laughing and joking with Jack in a corner of the room, trying his best to stay out of any drama-filled conversations, like Olivia had asked. "Do you mind tailing Derek to his parent's house?" she asked, sounding completely drained of emotion; which she was. She had already told Derek she needed to collect some things she had left at his place, before heading back to Baltimore.

Alex didn't question it, he simply nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pecking at her head, but quickly moving away from her, since not all of the guest's had left yet.

They waved Jack and Samuel off as they headed back to the motel in a cab together, before jumping into Alex's BMW and following Derek back to his parent's house. Alex was taken aback by the place. They followed his car through a large, buzzer-activated gate, and parked up in front of a grant, white home. To Alex, it was practically a mansion, but Olivia barely flinched as she hopped out and followed Derek up the steps and in through the large, wooden doors.

It was sad to see how tonight had affected Olivia. Alex had never seen her so lifeless; slumping around, a frown adorning her face. He didn't blame her, though. She had been dreading this day all week, and it had turned out worse than they could've imaged. Alex cringed just thinking of the phone call she'd have to endure from her father once he found out about this.

---

Thankfully, Derek had already put Olivia's things into a box, ready for her to collect. He grabbed it from the kitchen and brought it through to the living room; throwing it onto the table and almost emptying the contents in the process. Olivia sighed, not prepared to argue with him, she simply picked up the objects which had scattered and placed them back in the box. "Thank you," she spoke quietly, her voice weak and empty.

Slowly, she removed the engagement ring from her finger, feeling 10 pounds lighter as soon as it was gone. "Here," she mumbled, holding it out to him.

He looked down at it and glared, a flash of hurt running through his stare. "What?" he croaked out.

"It's the ring, I just figured-" Olivia began to explain with a casual shrug.

"What? Is your brand new fucking boyfriend planning on buying you a new one?" he scoffed, snatching it out of her hand and throwing it to the ground.

Olivia flinched a little at the change of tone and his sudden movements. "No, but -"

"Yano, I'm surprised you don't wanna sell it," he laughed evilly, "You always were a fucking gold digger," he scoffed, and Olivia felt a pang to her chest. "Good fucking luck, with that absolute trash," he nodded towards the door, referring to Alex. Olivia became angrier now, but she simply didn't have the energy to respond, she just stayed completely still, watching the anger in Derek's gaze grow thicker.

"No wonder your dad's leaving your mom," he laughed, "if she's anything like you," he spat, moving closer to her.

Olivia's head began to spin. What did he just say? "What?" she croaked out, her throat dry as she began to back up, feeling panicked when her back hit the wall.

"Oh, shock," he smirked, "of course your dad told me before you," he laughed again. "He's a smart man, picking business over you two cunts," his words were sharp and venomous, and Olivia flinched as he spat them at her, his face much to close to hers.

Olivia pushed her hands into his chest, trying to get him out of her personal space, but he grabbed her by the wrists and pinned her against the wall. "Yano what you were useful for, though?" he breathed, his voice changing as he moved his lips to her neck. Olivia grimaced, trying to thrash against him, but he was much too strong. "A good fuck," he muttered, planting hungry kisses on her skin. She let out an ear-piercing scream and quickly Derek slapped her around the face, immediately leaving her silent. She stood unable to move, in shock, as Derek continued his assault on her neck. He had never hit her before. She had been afraid that it might happen a couple of times during arguments they'd had, but he'd never actually laid a finger on her.

---

"What the fuck is taking so long?" Alex mumbled to himself, checking his watch. She had said it would in-and-out, 5 minutes at the most, but it was going on 20 minutes now and he was becoming worried. The worst running through his mind; had she became overwhelmed and lost in saying goodbye to him? Had they rekindled their relationship? Was she inside there right now having sex with him? He knew he was being stupid. Of course she wasn't. But, the thought that something was wrong simply wouldn't wash away.

Alex let out a sigh and got out of his car, quickly making his way towards the house. He could hear muffled noises, but couldn't really make out what any of them were. He opened the door and was immediately faced with the sight of Olivia, pinned up against a wall, almost completely motionless, with Derek's hands and lips all over her.

Alex's vision became clouded with pure anger – anger he'd never felt before. Olivia's eyes lit up a little as they clocked Alex, storming towards the pair of them. He grabbed an unsuspecting Derek by the shoulders and spun him around, grabbing him by the throat and throwing him up against the wall, pulling Olivia behind him protectively.

Derek began scrambling, reaching for Alex's hand, trying desperately to release it from his throat. Alex was steaming, so much so that he wasn't even sure of what to say; he just glared at Derek, watching as his face began to change colour.

"Alex..." Olivia breathed beside him, dragging him back to reality. He breathed deeply, suddenly realising he had been holding his breath, and released Derek, slamming him into the wall. Derek's hands moved to his neck, rubbing the area, his breath uneven, a look of pure fear in his eyes as he continued to stare up at Alex.

Alex's arm was still holding Olivia behind his back protectively, but his eyes didn't leave Derek. "Don't you ever fucking touch her, speak to her, text her, call her, or even so much as look at her again, okay?" Alex spoke calmly, he had surpassed anger at this point. Derek gulped. "Got it?" Alex hissed through his teeth. Derek nodded, his jaw tight and his eyes hard – clearly embarrassed. "Or I swear to god, I will fucking kill you," Alex breathed, completely serious. Olivia had never seen Alex like this before, even she was almost a little scared, but mostly she was just thankful; thankful he had walked in when he had; thankful he had saved her; thankful for him, period.

Derek didn't say another word, but Alex held his stare for a few more beats before turning and leading Olivia out of the house, grabbing what he assumed was a box of her stuff on their way out. They remained silent until they slipped into the car.

Alex took a few seconds, just staring out of the window, trying to calm himself, before grabbing Olivia from the passenger seat and scooping her into his lap. She buried her head into the crook of his neck and allowed a few silent tears to escape, as he brushed his fingers through her hair soothingly. "Shhh," he whispered, "You're okay, I'm here." Those words were so comforting to hear. "You're safe," he breathed, and he was right, she was safe. She had never felt so unsafe in her life than she had five minutes ago, but, in complete contrast to that, she felt so safe right now, wrapped in Alex's arms.

Notes

olivia's outfits

hey guys! ugh, i know, fucking finally!! i'm sorry i haven't updated this in so long, but i hope you enjoy this chapter!