3. Secret Wedding
New Year’s Eve was upon them, and they’d enjoyed dressing up and going out to a rather lavish party, hiring Jonathan’s niece to come and babysit Allison so they could go to Jonathan’s friend’s mansion. Though lavish, it was a laid-back party, and he’d noticed that Olivia could dance, like really dance.
The owner of the home had observed that she had rhythm and asked her for a simple tango dance, and it broke the whole house into a dance competition which made everyone’s night.
Sometime later they were back at Colin’s house just relaxing, enjoying each other’s company, wanting to count down the New Year together watching, of all things, a boxing match. Jonathan’s psychiatrist friend, Alexander, had trained the boxer who was the finalist in the match and they were curious to see if he would win.
They were, for all intents and purposes, relaxing in the lounge with the fireplace going and sipping their drinks when it finally hit him.
Olivia was staring down into Allison’s face, as the little girl drifted in and out of sleep with her head in her lap. And Olivia was gently tracing her eyebrows, smiling tenderly at her. He looked over at Vanessa who was curled up on the sofa next to Jonathan and she was pensively staring at Olivia cradling Allison. His breath burned in his lungs as his eyes narrowed.
The key he’d been so adamant at finding suddenly clicked, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but he’d learned over the years to not ignore his gut instinct.
His chest tightened painfully.
No fucking way.
“Vanessa,” Olivia’s sister looked over at him in surprise at his sudden recognition. “Will you please take Allison and put her to bed then join us back down here again?” he quipped, taking another deep swallow of his whiskey, having a feeling the night was about to turn nasty. She saw something in his gaze and nodded, carefully maneuvering Allison and walking around the bend and disappearing to where the elevator was.
Colin had already asked Vanessa if she minded if he asked Olivia to marry him, but no one knew when that time was coming. But he did, and everyone in the house could just fuck right on off if they tried to stop him, especially Olivia.
He had the sickening thought he might have to kill Jonathan if the man didn’t let him do his thing.
Olivia flashed him a smile before looking over and asking Jonathan about the boxing match that was currently on the flatscreen. Colin took a second to get up and walk to his office, locating the manilla folder out of his safe and bringing it back to the lounge with him quickly, putting it on the side table.
Vanessa had rejoined them and was freshening their drinks and laughing, tucking her hair behind her ear and blushing at something Jonathan said.
But Colin couldn’t stop looking at Olivia. Her guard was obviously down, and she was more imbibed than she usually lets herself get. He was grateful that she was finally letting her hair down after the awful events that happened over Thanksgiving, which made it all the harder for what he was about to say.
Taking the remote control and turning the television on mute he’d gotten up and stood in front of Olivia who was currently trading a ‘what the fuck’ look with Vanessa. Sitting down at the coffee table in front of her, he leaned in and spoke softly.
“When are you going to tell her?” he said, placing his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. Olivia’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she took another sip before laughing softly. Her gaze flickered up and down his body teasingly.
“Tell who?” she giggled, ignorant of what he was talking about. He looked over at Vanessa who suddenly had her stare pinned on the side of his face. Her body tensed up slightly and she’d put down her mocktail drink. The woman was incredibly observant.
“Allison. When are the two of you going to tell her?” Colin replied softly. Olivia gasped, her pink cheeks flushing darker as she quickly glanced at Vanessa before flickering her eyes back to him as they narrowed.
“What are you talking about?” she said rather indignantly, suddenly snatching the blanket a little closer to her chest, tangling her hands in the plush cover.
His eyes probed hers for a second before he got up and retrieved the manilla folder, slapping it down loudly on the coffee table before resuming his seat in front of her. His eyes no longer kind but shrewd. She looked at the envelope, her eyebrows raised slightly before once again sliding her gaze over to her sister and now Jonathan who was currently sitting still as stone, watching Colin carefully.
He ignored them both.
“Look at me. Don’t look at them, I’m addressing you,” he bit out authoritatively. She gasped, flicking her eyes back to his and stiffening, her head slightly raising in surprise.
“Colin-what are you-” Olivia whispered; her lips parted as her breathing increased.
“I do not tolerate anyone insulting my intelligence. Least of all you. You will answer me, I’m done fucking around,” he said softly, not easing the authoritative clip in his voice. A vein suddenly appeared in her forehead as she worked hard to control her facial expression.
A sob suddenly erupted from Vanessa’s throat, and he looked over, and noticed her crying quietly. Her gray eyes looking sadly at Olivia, who’d now started shaking her head minutely, pushing herself back into the couch trying to get away from him.
“Ollie maybe we should-,” Vanessa started, sounding like she was choking on her tears. Jonathan had placed his hand gently on her shoulder and was giving her small comforting rubs. She took the sleeve of her hoodie and wiped her eyes.
“NO, Nessie!” Olivia suddenly yelled, making Vanessa jump and place her hand on her throat. Her tears fell harder. “We agreed!”
“He deserves to know!” Vanessa said back, louder.
Olivia pushed the blanket off her and tried to get off the couch. Colin snapped, leaning forward and snatching her up by her hair, roughly scooching forward and pushing her back into the cushions. A tense moment passed while she looked at him in horror and Vanessa suddenly cried out.
“What the fuck Colin! What are you doing, let go of her!” Vanessa yelled, struggling to get up but Jonathan easily held her down.
Colin didn’t care if they saw, they were going to figure this out.
“Tell her,” Colin growled to Olivia who was squirming and crying in his hold. “Tell her I can do whatever the fuck I want to do to you,” he said, gazing into her furious green eyes. When it was clear she wasn’t going to cooperate, he reached over and calmly opened the folder and handed the agreement to Vanessa, his hand still tight against the back of her head. Vanessa took it tentatively.
Olivia’s eyes now changed from furious to frightened and she stilled, pleading now.
“No Colin, what are you doing? Vanessa, don’t you dare read that,” she whispered, watching Vanessa out of the corner of her eye as she read the first page, ignoring her sister’s pleas. Vanessa, no longer trying to get to Colin now, gasped and her eyebrows shot up in the air.
“Oh my God,” Vanessa breathed, placing a hand over her mouth.
Colin relaxed his grip, still carefully eyeing Olivia while he waited for Vanessa to get to the good parts. Her jaw dropped and she’d suddenly slapped the paper to her breast, turning quickly to throw a horrid and embarrassed look at Jonathan, who was reading over her shoulder, his own eyebrow raised in surprise. It wasn’t every day he shocked the man.
“Olivia, you didn’t! No freaking way you signed this,” she said simply, eyeing her sister once more before peeling the packet back and flipping the page.
It was Olivia’s turn to cry, looking everywhere except them.
Vanessa let out a soft cry of shock as she got lower down the page. Under different circumstances, Colin would have found her reactions amusing. But not today.
“Allah. Friend. Page three? Wooow, interesting imagination,” Jonathan suddenly murmured, hitting a certain spot in the paper, putting his hand to the back of his neck and rubbing before reaching over and necking the rest of his whiskey and pouring another bigger drink. He motioned for Vanessa to do the same, clearing his throat and remaining silent.
Colin turned his attention back to Olivia.
“So, I refuse to fuck this one out of you love. We can’t get out of this, the agreement is airtight. And I want some answers. I promised to take care of you, and shoulder your burdens, and not just financially. I’m not watching the guilt eat you up anymore. I already know the truth; I just want the why. You deserve peace, let this go. I’m warning you you’re going to let this shit go one way or another,” Colin said, not having any shame over what was in the contract or having Vanessa or Jonathan to see him talk to Olivia like this.
Olivia’s eyes widened slightly, her tears subsiding. He looked over at Vanessa, who had leaned forward suddenly. Her head dropped into her hands as she cried anew, looking so tired. “And you deserve peace too, Nessie,” he added, addressing Vanessa now, who looked up and shared a look with him.
“Olivia,” she whispered. “It’s time. It’s really time, sis.”
“Can someone fill me in on what the hell you three are talking about?” Jonathan said suddenly, leaning forward as well. Placing his hand on Vanessa’s knee in support.
Vanessa looked at Jonathan. “Olivia is Allison”s mother, not me,” she said softly. She turned her gaze back to Olivia who suddenly began to gasp heaving breaths.
Colin winced as unimaginable pain filled her eyes. Colin leaned forward and placed his hand on her breastbone over her heart. It took her a bit, but she stilled. He swallowed, his heart pounding painfully in his own chest, feeling his own heart break for her.
“I know it’s painful, but we’re done. We’re done ignoring this,” Colin said. “Olivia, I love you,” he said, letting the pain in his eyes show. She now gasped in surprise, not pain.
Jonathan let out another low “wow,” at Colin’s fresh admission.
Colin leaned forward and grasped both of her thighs, firmly rubbing all the way up to her hip and back, trying to comfort her through what he knew was an impossible situation she was in.
“She was seventeen,” Vanessa said softly. Ignoring Olivia’s pained whimper. She’d closed her eyes and leaned her head back, placing her hands on her face. Vanessa slid to her knees on the floor and inched closer, placing her arm around Olivia’s hips. Leaning in for a quick hug.
Olivia made a mournful keening sound. Emotions she’d spent years keeping locked away suddenly flooded forward, making their way out.
“I’ll help shoulder the burden,” Vanessa said softly, “you know that we’ll figure this out Ollie…I’ll tell him okay, I’ll help,” she glanced up at Colin as Jonathan slid over into her abandoned seat, getting closer and lending his support.
Vanessa began to speak, and Colin was elated to see that Olivia was finally letting her.
“Olivia was seventeen when she got pregnant as a senior in high school. We’d been living with Grandpa Stephen for four years at that time and I’d just gotten my CNA certificate and married my husband. We’d just bought our house,” she started, taking Olivia’s hand who was now hiccupping and staring off to the side.
“Then, she was awarded a full ride scholarship to the university through their architectural program. We knew she was talented but damn! And we were so proud because our parent’s death hit her the hardest as she was youngest,” Vanessa stopped, swallowing past the pain that quickly passed over her face.
“The father of the baby suddenly dropped out of school and disappeared, like literally dropped off the face of the earth. The timing was horrible, we didn’t want Olivia to give up her full ride scholarship, so Grandpa and I planned for me to take the baby for just a while until she finished school,” Vanessa paused and took a deep breath, tears slipping from her eyes.
“We just wanted to give her a chance, you know?” Vanessa’s voice cracked and her breath hitched on a pained sob as she glanced down to the floor sniffling. “We’d already suffered so much. Dead parents, moving in with an elderly man who didn’t know how to raise us, then the pregnancy, and then Allison’s father disappearing,” Vanessa smiled wistfully before continuing.
“It took so much convincing. Olivia didn’t want to do it, but the school was across the country and we couldn’t uproot ourselves to move. Grandpa wouldn’t allow her to give up the scholarship program. So, we went through the courts for me to get temporary guardianship of Allison. My husband Nathan was supportive in the beginning. But then it quickly became clear that Allison had medical problems. He became short-tempered, not wanting to help me with doctor appointments, or with anything at home in any capacity. Soon he just stopped coming home altogether. He moved to a hotel and I was summoned with divorce papers. Then Grandpa’s medical diagnosis…and I couldn’t keep up by myself here. She had to drop out and she was so close to being done. It was like one fuck up after the other. Neither of us could catch a Goddamn break,” Vanessa stopped momentarily to place her hand against her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut at the onslaught of memories.
Colin reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a nod and encouraging squeeze.
“Oh Nessie, I’m so sorry. I took so much from you,” Olivia said hoarsely, looking at her sister, misery pulling her face tight. Vanessa leaned forward and wiped her tears away.
“I would do it a million times over Olivia, you’re my little sis, I love you so much,” She said, before sitting back on her heels. “I don’t regret anything; I really hope you know that. Like really know it deep down inside.”
Olivia sniffled, wiping her sleeve across her eyes.
“Thank you,” she said, looking at her sister. “I really needed to hear that,” she leaned forward and hugged her, running her fingers down her sister’s hair before sitting back again.
Colin watched silently as she turned and drank the rest of her drink. She turned her eyes to Colin once more, taking a deep breath. Then another.
She stared at him forever, her eyes going through a myriad of emotions before speaking.
“I love you too,” Olivia admitted hesitantly.
Colin’s eyes crinkled as he felt his face break out in a tentative smile. His heart soared.
“I was just so embarrassed and lost. I’ve been in survival mode for so long I didn’t know what to say or do. I just worked. And dealt with the guilt of ruining my sister’s life, and not being able to be a mother to a sick child. I had to drop out of school because of Grandpa Stephen’s cancer, I had to take care of him because Vanessa had her hands full. And then we had Allison’s growing medical bills, and Vanessa almost lost her house. By the time I was able to be present, Allison was already calling her ‘mommy’ and I knew I’d lost my chance,” Olivia closed her eyes on a pained sob.
“I didn’t want to confuse her. I’d been working a grueling schedule to help supplement Allison’s medical bills. I’d already given my share of Grandpa Stephen’s life insurance money I’d inherited to save Vanessa’s house, so they’d have a place to live and not on the streets. But the medical bills quickly took over again as the money dwindled,” she paused, flicking her gaze slightly between Vanessa and Jonathan.
“I met a friend who introduced me into some…work… and then I took a job at the diner so I could have a proper job and the government wouldn’t get suspicious due to what I did as a side hustle. I quickly found I could make a lot of money doing it. But between the diner, the bartending, and the other work I barely had time to eat or sleep much less be a parent. So, I begged Vanessa not to tell her the truth. I refused to let her lose her mommy, the only mommy she knew, because of my mistakes,” she said, her voice breaking, her green eyes almost black with pain. “I mean, who wants to hurt a little girl like that? I’d rather cut my own heart out than break hers!”
Olivia closed her eyes, jerking slightly when she felt Colin’s lips against hers, softly kissing her. He pulled back.
“You were a victim of some horrible sets of unfortunate circumstances,” he said hoarsely, his heart breaking for these two women and the little girl upstairs sleeping peacefully. He looked at her, silently encouraging her to continue.
Olivia’s eyes widened as she realized what he wanted. She pressed her lips together, shaking her head slightly.
“Colin I can’t, you won’t understand,” Olivia whispered. She flinched as Jonathan leaned forward and poured a small amount of liquor into her glass. He spoke quietly.
“Olivia, you need to get this off your chest, we can see it’s eating you from the inside out. We all care about you and want to see you acknowledge this and start healing. It’s the only way to move forward,” Jonathan said softly, ever the therapy guru.
Vanessa looked up at Colin’s questioning glance.
“I can’t help on this one, she never told me. I already told you this multiple times,” she said, rubbing her thumb on the back of Olivia’s hand.
He leaned forward again, his eyes searching hers, begging her to see that he loved her regardless.
“You won’t want me,” Olivia whispered, trembling. “Not when you hear. You’ll never want to touch me again,” she threw the words out vehemently.
“That’s not possible,” Colin said, seeing nothing but heart break in her eyes.
Her heart was pounding, making her feel dizzy.
Colin sat back, taking his gaze from her eyes. He stood on his feet and grabbed a huge pillow from the couch. He stood and pushed the coffee table back with his foot and dropped it to the ground in front of her. He took a second to release his watch, needing the moment to steel himself for what he was about to do. It dropped to the table with a loud clank.
They all jumped slightly at the sound.
“Kneel,” he said, folding his arms and waiting. Her brows furrowed in shock as she stiffened, her eyes slowly turning to Vanessa and Jonathan.
“Eyes on me.”
An inaudible gasp escaped her lips as she paused.
“What did I just ask you to do?” Colin said sternly, patiently waiting.
Olivia stared up at him. She leaned over and picked up her drink, they all waited as she finished it quickly, wincing at the burn. Looking like a weight lifted off her shoulders, she slid off the couch onto the dark blue cushion and kneeled before him. He paused a second, letting her adjust before he crouched down and turned her, so she was kneeling with her back to her sister and Jonathan. He stepped next to her and placed his hand on her head, lending her his comfort.
After a tense second, she sobbed, and leaned her head against his thick thigh.
Colin could hear Vanessa’s jaw hitting the floor.
He turned his body away from the couple next to him. Stroking her hair slowly, talking to her quietly.
“I’ve got you, in every circumstance. I won’t ever make you do this in front of Allison, or anyone else, but you need our support. They are family, the closest ones to us. I am willing to let them be here to help you through this,” Colin said softly, continuously stroking her head as she leaned against him tiredly.
Olivia let the weight go, lowered her eyes to her lap before sighing, mentally steeling herself to utter the next words. “I spent four years b-beating wealthy men for money. Twenty-five hundred dollars an hour, sometimes more, depending,” she whispered, so low Jonathan had to lean in closer to hear her.
There was silence before Vanessa spoke first. “What. What do you mean you beat them?” she asked, her voice small.
“I had several clients I would meet throughout the month, sometimes at hotels, sometimes in their homes. They paid me to degrade and beat them. Whips, chains, some liked to be burned until they were physically sick. They liked to be choked, some like to be cut until they bled. I saw a couple of them at the charity gala we went to. Judge Carmichael was a client, among others,” Olivia finished quietly.
Biting her lip, she pulled her head away from his thigh and rubbed her hands over her face. Heaving out a big sigh, she moved to stand up, pulling her long skirt out of the way.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Colin asked sternly. His hand suddenly tightened on her head, refusing to let her up.
“I’m going to go pack my stuff,” she said, simply refusing to meet his eyes. Her heart was splintering into a million pieces, she was so hurt she couldn’t even cry anymore.
“The hell you are, Olivia,” he said sternly. Raising his eyebrows when she didn’t move, just sitting there confused with her hands in her lap. “We still have an agreement. For the next four years in fact,” he said, lowering to a squat next to her and getting in her face.
“Do we?” she whispered; a look he didn’t recognize shifted across her face.
Hope.
“I’m afraid so Ollie,” Vanessa spoke up from her spot on the floor still. The papers were in her hand, and she was flipping through them.
“The way this agreement was written, he made it seem like you had an out, but you don’t. You’re stuck, beyond the two and a half years plus whatever time you’ve accumulated according to this. You essentially signed your life away,” she said; the papers falling to the floor from her hands before they were snatched up rather roughly by Jonathan, who quickly scanned through papers before chuckling.
“It’s not funny but…. motherfucker you really had the audacity, didn’t you?” Jonathan said, leaning forward and pulling his phone out of his pocket. “This is the best contract I’ve ever seen. You took your time with this didn’t you?”
“I have all the audacity. I told her that in the very beginning. It took me two solid weeks to write that contract. I have no shame. None. I knew what I wanted,” he replied, staring into her eyes.
Olivia blinked silently at him, her eyes swimming in a plethora of emotion.
“So, you better get real comfortable because neither of us are going anywhere,” he said, putting a hand against the side of her face. “Do you need me as much as I need you, baby?” he asked softly.
Olivia bit her lip, feeling the onslaught of emotions that were assaulting her. Out of all the confusion, her hesitation about Allison, her fear of not being good enough, her disappointment and heartache, her love for him was the one thing that felt natural. And she gave herself permission to nurture what felt just as painful as it was glorious.
“I do,” she spoke softly, putting her own hand against Colin”s face, giving him a small smile. He smiled and nodded at her.
“Jonathan, can you call our lawyer and go get the other file on my desk please?” Colin said, his voice rising slightly.
She half listened as Jonathan disappeared into Colin’s office as he scrolled through the numbers in his phone before reappearing rather quickly, speaking to someone on the phone.
“Yeah, can you get over here to Mr. McDermont’s home? We need that marriage license and your presence, sorry it’s such late notice but there’s been a slight change of plans. How much? I’ll pay for it, let’s call it a wedding present,” he handed the folder to Colin before sitting down on the chair again, facing Vanessa, who’s face now took on a rather alarming expression, shifting from happy to confused, then back again.
Vanessa looked at Colin and mouthed ‘tonight?’ at him. Colin nodded his head back. She broke out in a goofy smile, the same one that Olivia sported sometimes.
“I’ll send it your way shortly, should be deposited into your account by tomorrow. Motherfucker you don’t trust me or something? I’m worth five billion dollars... No, to be clear I AM offended, and I just might beat your ass before you make it in the house,” Jonathan turned his gaze, eyeing Vanessa. “Ok, Ok. Hey, you got another one of those marriage licenses? Ah…well, I’ll try next time. See you in a bit,” he hung up the phone, tilting his head curiously at Vanessa.
Vanessa’s half choked on her drink.
Olivia’s eyes widened as she looked from Jonathan to Colin, her eyes pinging back and forth between the two.
“What’s happening? Somebody please tell me what’s happening?” Olivia whispered, slowly scooching back up until her hips hit the armchair. She was breathing hard, not able to make sense of anything tonight. She briefly wondered about the state of her mind.
Colin didn’t answer her, he was busy flipping through the new document and double checking it.
“Ollie, I think you’re getting married,” Vanessa said, a stunned expression on her face. She slowly broke out into a smile and a giggle, turning and clicking glasses with Jonathan before leaning back and placing her head on his thigh. He put his hand on her head gently, grinning down at her before leaning in and giving the side of her mouth a soft kiss. Vanessa blushed furiously.
“Colin,” Olivia pressed. “Look at me,” he moved the document slightly, looking down at her still kneeling on the floor.
“What is it baby?” he said, a slight frown on his face.
“Did you hear what I said?”
“About what?” Colin’s frown deepened.
“I beat wealthy men for money. I did sick stuff for work; it was essentially prostitution.”
“Yes, I heard you the first time,” he said dismissively, looking back down at the document before finding what he wanted, squatting down and handing it to her. “Look here, this is the most important information, I think. The lawyer will go over the rest with you, but I want to make sure you are ok with this before we sign it.”
Olivia’s jaw dropped. He’d handed her a prenup.
The stipulation he wanted her to look at; ‘Olivia Alexandra Cameron will retain all property assets to any business created during the marriage in the case of dissolution of marriage to Colin Ian McDermont. In the event of infidelity, all parties shall put the accorded value of the home listed address 7790 Feathers Ln, the home shall be put in a trust for all children of either party to be collected upon the children’s twenty fifth birthday. Both parties shall lose rights to the home and all possessions within.’ Although dissolution is in place, the contract that was signed September 9th shall remain active and legally binding.
A tear trailed down her cheek.
“That’s our home. The one you sold me the blueprint rights to,” he said softly, wiping the tear away. “I don’t care what you did, if you killed someone I still wouldn’t care. I love you. Will you have me?” he asked, going down on one knee and pulling out Allison’s ring pop that he stole from her lunch bag. He’d ask for forgiveness later.
They all erupted in shocked laughter at the sight of the blue ring pop that he presented. Olivia took a deep breath and shook her head yes, unable to speak. Standing up he placed it on her finger before leaning in to give her a harsh possessive kiss.
“Thank you for being so brave,” Colin whispered against her lips, gently rocking her side to side as he held her against him. “Thank you for being so stubborn and insufferable and giving me a reason to beat your ass. Thank you for being the yin to my yang. Thank you for loving me and giving me a second chance at life. Thank you for being you,” he said, pulling back to look into her shining eyes.
Olivia sobbed at his words. They were the most beautiful expressions she’d ever heard.
They got married that night, in a small intimate ceremony in the lounge with Vanessa and Jonathan as witnesses.
Colin promised Olivia that they would have a lavish ceremony and invite all their family at another time. Soon, everyone had signed the necessary documents, and they were back together sitting in the living room. Toasting to each other, slightly in shock. But not unhappy. Jonathan couldn’t stop beaming, his bright white teeth soon overtaking his whole face as he was proud of his friend.
As they went to bed that night, he fucked her in ways it really isn’t decent to write about.