You without me

Truth too late

Christians POV

I look at her while I wait for her to say something, she doesn’t look the least bit ashamed. I’ve supported her without a question for years since Dean died. He was her husband and my best friend. We all went to high school together, they were high school sweethearts. I know that he would want me to look after her, but to what cost?

“It should have been me.” She finally says coldly.

“What should have been you?”

“You should have married me Christian. I’ve been waiting for years for you to want me, I knew if I pushed you, you’d pull away, but I know deep down you want it too. You’re just afraid of betraying Dean. He would want this.”

“He would want this?!” I’m fuming now, “Not one part of me believes that. You destroyed my marriage Alexis, you know this was something I needed!” I yell, I can’t believe her, I can’t believe I have spent so many years bending over backwards for her.

“I couldn’t have destroyed your marriage if you were ever actually in it. Why do you think she didn’t tell you about me, about the pictures, she never gave her side. She knew you would always put me first.” She says smugly. “That was your doing, and the only person who thinks you have been doing it out of loyalty to Dean is you. Maybe you should think about that.”

I feel like my entire life is shifting. I did everything for her. And now I’m not willing to pay the price. I need to talk to Olivia. Why didn’t she tell me? Would I have listened to her, believed her? I want to think I would have.

“You and I were never for a second a possibility. If I wanted to be with you, I would have. Do you even realize how much damage you have done? Olivia wants a divorce and she has those pictures, if she shares them, my reputation will be trashed. If I can’t convince her to stay with me, the board has the power to remove me as CEO!” I yell at her. “You knew why I married her, but what you don’t seem to realize is I had options, I could have married anyone and I chose her! I want her! f**k!!” I am realizing now that I really do want her.

“She’s a nobody gold digger Christian, you could and should do better. Why you’d ever want her is beyond me.” How have I never seen how nasty she was? I really look at her, and I can see now why she was so threatened by Olivia. Livs shadow is brighter than Alexis in her best light.

I push the intercom button and call Devin in.

“Cancel all of Alexis’s credit cards that I pay for. Have movers clear her apartment, give her a one bedroom on the third or fourth floor. Cancel her car payments and any other bills I pay. Call and get her set up for an entry level job interview at another company, but make it clear that she’s standing on her own work ethic and I do not care if she gets hired or fired. She’s a capable adult, I think it’s beyond time that she stands on her own.”

I am glaring at Alexis the entire time I talk to Devin, and watch as her face gets more pale. When I look over at Devin he looks shocked. I have always taken care of Alexis, I never let anyone get away with hurting her. I thought she had enough hurt in her life, but apparently I just enabled her ugliness, and I’m done. I need to get Olivia back, and I can see now that we will never work if Alexis is in my life.

“Christian, tell him you’re joking! Tell him you don’t mean it! You can’t do this to me! What would Dean say if he was here!” She yells, her eyes welling with tears, but I surprisingly don’t feel the least bit bad. I’ve been feeling drained by her lately. If only it hadn’t take me so long to realize it was because she is a leech.

“What would Dean say if he were here?” I stress the word would, turning her question back on herself. After what I learned today I know without a doubt he’d be disgusted with her, and with me for not seeing what was happening right in front of me.

“You can’t do this, not over her Christian, you never cared about her before! All you care about is your title as CEO. You won’t win her back. We can be together, I’m better for you than she ever was!” She says yelling her face is so contorted she almost looks evil.

“If this is how you act as a friend, I’d never want to see you as my wife.” I say calmly, and then signal to Devin to show her out and look at my computer. I have so much to think about, so much to fix.

“I’m not going to let you do this!” She yells, as Devin tries to get her to leave, “NO, don’t touch me! I’m not done talking to you, CHRISTIAN! Look at me!” She keeps going. I push the intercom for security.

“Escort Miss Riley out of my office, and see to it that she isn’t allowed back in the building.”

Olivia’s POV

I’m in my room playing on my guitar, it was my moms, I saw a picture of it when I was 5 and demanded my dad get me lessons. Even though I didn’t really know her, I feel closer to her whenever I play it. It’s always times like this that I wish she was here, or at least that I got a chance to know her so I could think of what she might say.

“You can’t love me, like I deserve

and I can’t keep, living with this hurt

every time you chose her, my god it burns”

I start singing and playing one of my songs. I’m hoping to get a record deal with Seth, my brothers best friend who runs Global Records, I really want to earn it though, and I’m afraid everyone will just give me what I want because of my dad and brothers.

“You don’t know me, you never tried

Every day I gave you, was just a waste of time”

“Well that’s depressing.”

“Jules!!” I exclaim at my best friends voice, she’s standing in my doorway with a smile I’ve missed so much.

I stand up and she tackles me in a big hug.

“What are you doing here?!” I ask, she should be in Italy. She went to work for a big fashion star a few months after Christian and I got married, and we lost touch. Well, I stepped away. I was embarrassed. Everyone told me marrying him was a bad idea, Jules being one of the most vocal.

“James called me last night and asked if there was any chance I could come back, he thought you might need me, and I was getting tired of Italy. Working for Elisa was amazing, but I think I’ve learned enough to stand on my own.”

“I’m so glad you’re here” I’m tearing up at seeing my best friend, and the thought that my brother brought her back for me. Jules has been my best friend since we were little. My dad sheltered me, I didn’t go to school, he brought the best teachers to our house for homeschooling. It got lonely though, it’s hard to make friends when you never leave your house. Honestly most people probably don’t know he has a daughter.

Jules is our favorite cooks daughter, he brought her with him one day when he couldn’t find care for her and when my dad saw how much we clicked and how happy I was he asked her to keep bringing her, she even started doing school with me here!

“So, I think it’s time you experience night life!” Jules says excitedly. I’ve never been to a club or a bar. I was 20 when I married Christian and not old enough for them, and when I was married to him I was always afraid it would be bad press.

“You know what, let’s do it!” I say, excited for this new experience. “I’m going to need your fashion expertise though!”

Jules looks me up and down and gets a smug grin on her face “yeah, duh” “hey!” We both laugh when I throw a pillow at her.

“I really missed you.” I look at her, she smiles big “I know.”

We’re both dressed and ready to go, but now we’re waiting in the sitting room for my brothers to get ready because they refuse to let me go without them. Usually it would annoy me, but honestly, I missed feel so cared about an protected.

Jules is looking through my messages thread from Alexis as we’re sitting and I can see the rage building on her face. “She better stay away from you now. We both know your dad would save me from those assault charges”

“Yes I would, but who are you assaulting?” My dad says walking in on her last sentence.

“Alexis” she says and makes a face like she smells something gross. I bust out laughing.

“There is no need for assault. She can have Christian. If she does say or do anything I have nothing holding me back from standing up to her anymore. The best part is that she doesn’t know who I am. She thinks she has one up on me and doesn’t have a clue how wrong she is.” As much as I hated how sheltered I was growing up, I’m happy that no one but my family and Christian know I’m a Roberts. It helps me see the true side of people before they know the power behind me.

“Do you think we could sneak out before your brothers finish?” Jules whispers.

“Not a chance, you aren’t taking my girl out for your trouble making without her brothers there to protect her.” My dad says in his ‘I mean business’ tone. I laugh at how bad Jules is at whispering and loudly whisper “I think he heard you” back to her.

“We’re ready” Thomas says as him and James come down the stairs. They both look over at me and shoot each other a look.

“Seriously Liv, we’re going to end up fighting some douche tonight if you plan to go like that.” James says.

“Well then I guess we’ll see if those martial arts lessons you’ve been taking all your life are worth the money.” Jules shoots back.

I start tearing up again and Thomas looks at me concerned. “Liv?”

“I just, feel happy. I missed this so much and can’t believe I waited so long to come home.” I say ashamed of myself once again.

“Well we’ve got years worth of douche dodging to make up for so let’s go!” Jules says and drags me towards to door, but I pull away and give my dad a big hug before leaving.

“Be safe and have fun.” He says as he hugs me right. “I love you dad.” I say and smile. “Love you too sweetheart.”

We’re all in the car headed to X-IT the VIP club in the city.

“Seth is going to meet us there.” James says “I know you mentioned wanting to talk to him and I haven’t had a fun night out with him in awhile.”

“Awesome, I want you guys to have fun too, don’t just watch me all night, okay?” I say, but they both just stare at me like I grew a second head.

“I think that means no” Jules laughs and I roll my eyes.

We get to the club and it’s exactly what I expected. The VIP section is quieter and calmer, but you can look down at the dance floor through a one sided window and I’m excited to go down and join the crowd.

“Can we go down there now?” I ask and put on the eyes that my brothers can’t say no to.

“Okay, but you need to stay close to us,” Thomas says, James seems less sure, but he’s always been more protective.

“We mean it Liv, don’t drink anything that we didn’t directly give you, pay attention to the people around, and don’t wander. You and Jules are going to draw every guy in the place your way.”

I look over at Jules, is she blushing?

“Okay, I will stay close, I promise!” I say bouncing with excitement, ready to go dance.

Jules and I have been dancing with each other and having the best time. A few guys have tried to cut in, but they rarely get by before my bouncers cut them out. The ones that do have taken our rejection well. We’re just here to have a good time with each other. I know that I don’t owe Christian anything, but I am still married to him and it feels wrong to consider dancing with a random guy.

“I’m thirsty, let’s go get a drink!” I say to Jules and then tell my brothers once she nods, so we all head to the bar.

“This is a VIP club, who let you in,” a familiarly snobby voice says as we get there.

“Alexis.” I say coldly “you won, I’m sure you’ve heard. Just leave me alone now.”

“I come here to unwind and have a good time, I shouldn’t have to look at trash while I do.” She says and I laugh.

“Shut the f**k up and mind your business, or you’re going to have more problems than a side b***h like you can handle.” Thomas says angrily.

“Aren’t you a Roberts heir?” Jules asks him, “you should really find better women to spend your time with. Don’t you know she’s married to Christian Jacobson?” She says and bats her lashes, both my brothers make a disgusting face at it and I can’t help but laugh.

“You should find cheaper men to spend your time with because you aren’t worth any man in here” Jules shoots at her with a ‘try me’ glare.

The bartender walks up and my brothers shaft to order our drinks.

“These women are trash and not VIP, they need to be kicked out” Alexis interrupts. James glowers at her and then pulls out his phone and sends a text, the poor bartender looks so lost.

“Ma’am if they got in they’re in. I can’t kick them out because you don’t like them, you’re welcome to a booth if you don’t want to see them.” He says trying to defuse the situation. Unfortunately he doesn’t seem to know Alexis or her inability to understand the word no.

“She is a nobody and this is a VIP club! It took me months to get an access card!” She screeches just as Seth and a handsome man I’ve never seen before walk up.

“A nobody?” Seth asks, “she’s -“ he looks at me and sees me shake my head no, I don’t want him to out me to her. She doesn’t get to know who I really am yet.

“The side chick calling the wife a nobody, isn’t that funny, all those texts about how I have his ring, but you have his heart, and you never stopped to think that he may sleep in your bed and find pleasure in your p***y, but never found you worthy of his ring or his name.” I say and suddenly find the surrounding area much quieter than it was when I started talking.

I look at my lap in embarrassment, and then jump a little when I feel someone touching my chin to push my head up. It’s the handsome man that walked up with Seth and he’s looking at me intently.

“Don’t be embarrassed, you’re right, there is something especially pathetic about a woman who thinks sleeping with a married man gives her power, and any man who could have you and chooses that” he says as he gestured towards Alexis “should be castrated.” He’s looking at me so intently, and seems so angry on my behalf, I feel awkward and shy. I’ve never been this way around anyone, not even Christian. He is as handsome as Christian though, maybe even more, and he has the bad boy look too.

He holds out his hand for me to shake “I’m Damon”

“Olivia” I respond and shake his hand. I can feel myself blushing, and let go of his hand.

“Your parents named you perfectly.” He winks and my stomach flutters. Then he turns and looks at Alexis. I see her on her phone and am sure she’s calling Christian.

“Call and say what you want about me, he’s all yours now, but he holds no power over me anymore. I was having more fun than I have in years and I’m not going to let either of you ruin it,” I say and go to turn but Damon stops me.

“Hold on just a second” I look at him confused but sit back on my stool.

“Close out her tab” he tells the bartender and gestures to Alexis, then he turns to her again. “Don’t come back.” Then he holds his hand out for me, and I surprise myself by grabbing it without thinking. I think it surprises my brothers too because they both look at me and raise their eye brows.

We go to walk towards the VIP section, but are once again interrupted by an unwelcome voice.

“Get your hand off my wife!” Christian growls. Damon looks at me, seeming to see on my face that I’m okay with him continuing to hold my hand because he gives it a squeeze and looks says “I don’t think so, but your side piece is ready for you.” He says an looks at Alexis.

“I don’t have a side piece, and that is my wife! What are you even doing here Olivia? This hasn’t ever been your scene.” He looks at me intently.

“My scene” I say with a small laugh, “and what do you suppose was my scene? The housekeepers and chefs? They were wonderful people, but I think this is more fun. I’m your wife on paper only, and even that won’t be the case for long.” He goes to reach for my arm, but Damon pulls me closer to him and my brothers and Seth step between us.

“I… I didn’t know she was doing all that. I never slept with her, I did stay at her place way more often than I should have, but it was always in the guest room and I didn’t know she was climbing in bed and taking those pictures, I didn’t know she was doing anything she did. Nothing ever happened between us.” Christian says, and I’m surprised by the look he shoots Alexis.

“Does it matter?” Thomas asks, “your lack of respect for her continues to astound me, she sat in that house alone for years, and now that she’s done, she can’t go out for one night of fun without you and your side piece trying to ruin it.”

Damon let go of my hand and put his arm around my waste, protectively pulling me into his side, it feels really nice, in spite of everything going on, I have butterflies in my stomach from his touch and god does he smell good.

“Take your trash and leave my club,” Damon says.