Chapter 34
DERRICK
Derrick: Happy New Year, Bitches!
Derrick: Shit went down last night between Axel & Olivia.
Derrick: I also got into a fight with Axel.
Vanessa: So did Chris & Evan.
Derrick: What?
Sienna: They saw Olivia get an elbow to the nose and had a go at Axel over it. Is she okay?
Derrick: Not sure. I’m going to go over there this morning to check on her. Axel seems pretty messed up.
Sienna: I thought things were supposed to be a bit of fun between them.
Vanessa: First time I’ve ever seen Axel, dare I say, heartbroken.
Derrick: Right? I kind of feel bad we kept Liv’s engagement from him.
Vanessa: Me too. Christian wasn’t happy that I didn’t tell him about it. He said Axel’s family. He’s right, but honestly, I didn’t think Axel would care.
Derrick: Olivia confessed last night that they have been hooking up since the wedding.
Vanessa: Oh.
Sienna: Shit.
Vanessa: Then her fiancé surprised her on NYE and dropped the bombshell.
Derrick: I swear he’s fucking her sister.
Sienna: Nooooo.
Vanessa: Penny is a bitch, but not that much of a bitch.
Derrick: I don’t trust her. She seems very jealous of Olivia. The photos of the two of them in London seem sus.
Sienna: Might explain why they sabotaged NYE. Seeing Olivia partying with rock stars.
Vanessa: That would be messed up.
Derrick: You think Axel is still pissed this morning?
Vanessa: Probably.
Sienna: I do feel bad.
Vanessa: Axel has never acted this way about a girl before. I think he fell for her.
Derrick: I do too. I feel like a dick over this.
Vanessa: Axel deserved more from us, his friends.
Sienna: We have kind of sided with Olivia over him.
Derrick: And assumed Axel doesn’t have feelings.
Vanessa: Agreed.
Derrick: Urgh. I feel like a dick.
Vanessa: Let’s check in on Liv and then Axel, see if we can make it right.
Sienna: Meet you downstairs in fifteen?
We ran into the rest of the girls downstairs in the foyer and told them about what happened last night. They agreed that they wanted to check in on Olivia before seeing Axel.
“Knock, knock,” I say, entering the cottage.
“I’m in my bedroom,” Olivia calls out. “Wasn’t expecting to see you all this morning.”
“We wanted to come and check in on you,” Vanessa explains.
“I’m fine. You didn’t have to,” Olivia says, waving our concerns away.
“You’re leaving?” I ask, noticing there’s a set of packed suitcases in the corner.
Olivia grimaces. “I think it’s for the best. This is your holiday, and me being here is only going to cause strain.”
“But you’re my friend as well,” Vanessa tells her.
“And he’s your family, and family comes first. That’s why I’m in this mess.”
“Can’t you two work it out?” Stacey asks.
“There’s nothing to work out. I have to marry Eddie, so there is no future between Axel and me.”
“Eddie is a douche,” Camryn adds. “He tried to pick me up even when I told him I was your friend. He said that hasn’t stopped your friends in the past.” That news seems to shock Olivia, and she collapses onto her bed and starts crying.
“I’m sorry, Liv, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Camryn says, hugging her.
Olivia sniffles. “No, no, I don’t care, really I don’t. I hate that this is what I’m going to have to put up with for the rest of my life. My soon-to-be husband will be screwing around with my friends behind my back.”
No woman deserves this for her life, and I hate the fact that it is one of my own friends accepting this as her fate.
“Why the hell are you putting up with this?” I just want to shake her.
She doesn’t have to date Axel, it’s not about him.
It’s about her making the biggest mistake of her life, and this isn’t some life lesson she needs to learn from.
Olivia is such a sweet girl. I know she convinces herself she sees sunshine and rainbows all around her, it’s a coping measure to probably deal with a traumatic upbringing.
From the stories she’s told me, her parents were quite strict with her and lenient with Penny.
“My father is sick, D. This is his last wish. How can I deny him that?”
Guess she could divorce that asshole once her father passes.
“But your dad wants you to be happy, doesn’t he?” Sienna asks.
“Yes, of course, but only with the right person, and he deems Eddie to be the right person.” Olivia sighs.
“God, I wanted to punch his smug-ass face last night. He thought he was king of the castle. I was this …” I put my fingers almost together, “… close to punching him.”
“Axel did … in the stomach.” Olivia smirks. “Even though Axel was mad, when Eddie started insulting me, he hit him.”
Because that man likes you, and deep down inside, he knows that Eddie is a dick and you deserve better.
“Axel has feelings for you, strong feelings,” Vanessa tells her.
I notice Liv’s hand shake. “I know. And I know you all don’t understand my decision when it comes to Eddie, but I love my father more,” she says softly.
No matter how much we argue with her, she’s never going to change her mind because she loves her family, and she believes what she is doing is the right thing even if it’s not what she wants.
She is sacrificing herself for the sake of her family, and I guess that is admirable.
Olivia is such a good girl, and her family doesn’t deserve her.
“Well, it sucks that you’re leaving,” Isla tells her.
“Yeah, we have so much more stuff to do together,” Vanessa adds.
“I know, but it’s your special time, and me being here is going to make Axel uncomfortable. He doesn’t deserve that.”
“See, you care for him.” Sienna pushes.
“Of course, I do. I’ll never forget Axel.
He has my heart, but that’s all I can give him, the rest of me will belong to another,” Olivia announces.
This all seems unfair, especially since Olivia is saying she has feelings for Axel, too, it’s not one-sided.
“I love you all, but please let me do what I have to do,” she states.
“We all love you, we’re just worried about you, that’s all,” Camryn says, giving her a hug.
“I appreciate that. And I’m sorry that my private life has caused such drama during your special time, Ness.”
“My wedding has been magical. Don’t ever think you have done anything to taint my memories of this. I want you to be as happy as Christian and I are,” Vanessa tells her.
“Not everyone can have a fairytale,” she says sadly.
“You’re the fricken princess, you of all people should have the fairytale,” I tell her.
“I’m a Lady not a Princess, D,” Olivia states.
“You know what I mean.” I pout at her.
“Axel and I were only ever going to be a holiday fling,” Olivia explains.
“But it seems like feelings may have been caught along the way?” Isla asks.
“I wasn’t expecting the connection between us, I’ll be honest about that, he isn’t at all what I thought he would be.
There’s no scenario where I can see Axel and I ever being together.
He lives in LA I live in the middle of nowhere, England.
Our lives are so polar opposite that whatever connection we may have wouldn’t be enough to sustain any kind of longevity.
Please, leave whatever romanticized idea you have about Axel and me out of your heads, he isn’t my future, he’s my past.”
Well damn.