Chapter 21
Olivia
I didn't need the doorman to warn me that Grayson was upstairs waiting on me. I saw his car parked on the street out front. It was unmistakable because it had such a stupid license plate. "Rch Boyz" was the dumbest thing he could possibly have put on the thing but it was just his personality. And despite being so upset with him and hurt, I still smiled like a damn fool when I saw it.
"Just wanted to give you a heads up," Henry said with a tip of his hat as I sighed.
"Yeah, thanks... I'll deal with it." I didn't know why he refused to let this go, but now I wasn't just upset with him. Lanie had to have given him the door code. She was the only one who knew it other than my mother, and I knew Grayson couldn't even contact her. Besides, Mom wouldn't have given it out either. She'd seen the news and called me to console me after the breakup but I told her I was fine. Of course that was a lie, but I didn't want her knowing my personal business.
The elevator rose slowly and each floor the passed made dread swell in my chest. I wanted to run away, not face Grayson's devilishly charming smile. He hurt me, and this whole scandal was damaging my company's reputation and affecting my ability to market well. When Victor and the board heard that I was going to refuse to date Nevil, I'd be up shit creek. Probably have to go back to Vernon across the hall for more capital, and I'd end up being stuck taking him on a date too.
At my floor, the doors slid open and I stepped out. I saw him immediately, sprawled out across the hallway like a homeless person. He was leaning on my door with his head back, mouth gaping open, snoring loudly. His phone was clutched in his hand and it looked like he was going to have a bad neck kink when I woke him.
I kicked off my shoes and picked them up, then walked silently toward my door and stood over him for a second. I didn't know how we went from being perfect strangers to knowing so much about each other and loving each other so intimately, and now we were strangers again. I looked at the tired features on his face, a scar I'd traced a few times while having sex with him, part of his eyebrow that grew in crooked.
Grayson was a handsome man, and he was a good man too; I didn't doubt that. But whether or not he really had intended to slither into my life to take over my company didn't matter at this point. I knew he loved me for real and I knew he wanted to do the right thing by me. At this point it wasn't about him anymore. It was about me. I couldn't trust him, and I needed to make my heart whole before I got into a relationship with anyone.
I just knew even if I healed, I'd never trust him again. The sad part was it wasn't even his fault. Things just went pear-shaped and confirmed every fear I had. Even the giant billboard across town with my name plastered in a huge apology wasn't going to change that fact.
I heard Vernon's door crack open and turned to look over my shoulder at him. He was usually in bed this time of night but had obviously waited up for me. He had taken a special interest in me since investing in Dating Game, and rightly so. His money was precious, but he believed in me. And even when everyone else was judging me and my choices, he was still supportive.
"I tried to get rid of him." Vernon's jaw was set, but his eyes were soft. "If you want, I can stay here until he leaves." It looked like he'd been waiting up to catch me.
"Thank you, Vern. But it's okay." I whispered so as not to wake Grayson, but he stirred anyway. "I can handle it." I smiled at the older man who nodded once and shut his door.
"Hey..." Grayson said, and I turned back to look at him. He looked pitiful and sweet too. "I've been waiting for hours."
"I had a date." I reached into my clutch and grabbed my keys and slid them into the lock over his head. Grayson scrambled to get out of my way and stand. I was nervous, hands shaking, because I knew we would end up shouting at each other, and I didn't want it to be in this hallway. The neighbor next door was always really cranky if I woke her.
"Can I come in?" he asked breathlessly. His eyebrows were high in hope and I was defeated. I had no fight in me, so I shrugged and pushed the door open and walked in, leaving it wide behind me. I heard it click shut and knew he'd followed.
"Olivia, I need to talk to you so bad. I'm so sorry about all of this, and if you'll just--"
"Just say what you need to say and go home." I dropped my purse and keys on the couch and stood there staring out the window that overlooked Charlotte's night skyline. It used to bring me such joy to look out over this view but tonight it felt heavy and heartbreaking. Those twinkling lights reminded me of the stars overhead the night I realized I was madly in love with this asshole standing behind me. I just wanted him to leave now.
The room was quiet, except for his footfall. He was moving closer to me and every step he took made more emotion swell inside of me. My eyes welled up and I still didn't turn around to face him. I couldn't look at him. Everything I feared about him before we even went on that first date had come full circle. I had spent weeks wrestling with my own better judgment, listening to Lanie tell me how wrong I was, only for it to come out that he was everything I thought he was and worse. Ethan had been right the entire time.
"Olivia," Grayson said quietly, then I felt his hands cup my shoulders and slide down my arms until his fingers were laced through mine and the heat of his chest pressed against my shoulder blades. "I need you to listen to every word I have to say before you respond. Can you do that?"
I nodded, afraid that if I spoke my voice would crack. I was on a fucking yoyo, being tossed around and bounced up and down so hard I couldn't think straight. I was in love, so why was I fighting it? But I also wasn't stupid. I couldn't trust him at all, except to trust that he would be who he was--a sneaky, conniving jerk.
"Before we had that first date, I tried so hard to get you to go out with me. Remember?" I nodded again and he continued. "I tried so hard because I knew you and I were a perfect match. I knew it before the app, before the date, before I fell in love. I knew it because of how fiercely you fought for Lanie and Ian." He kissed the back of my head and I blinked and tears drained from my eyes.
"When you reached out and agreed to a date, I was so thrilled I told my financial advisor, Miles. He was the one who suggested that I cozy up to you and try to make a go at some sort of business agreement, if nothing more than buying user data..." I tensed as he confessed the truth to me, a truth I had known in my core at the time but Lanie convinced me I was wrong. It made the tears angry and hot instead of mournful, and I had to keep myself from pulling away or reacting.
"I agreed with him for like two seconds... Until that date." He breathed me in and sighed. I felt his forehead resting against the crown of my head. "When we had that date and I remembered just how incredible I thought you were--you are--I knew I couldn't do it. I fought him. I told Miles it wasn't going to happen. Yes, I brought it up once or twice, but I'd never have gone behind your back. Those hack attempts really were someone else..."
"Ward?" I asked, starting to put the pieces together, but it was too little too late.
"I got into some trouble gambling and owed some dangerous people a lot of money. He loaned me the money to pay them, but after the shit with Ian and Lanie, Ward called in the debt. I was scrambling to pay him back and he overheard how we had a fake relationship... and..."
The pressure fizzled out of his chest like air leaking from a balloon and I couldn't help myself. I turned around to face him and swiped at my angry tears. I expected to see a snake lying and manipulating me, but what I saw broke my heart. Grayson was distraught, gutted even, and I cried harder.
