Olivia
We just finished our lunch and were walking in the pool.
“Can I ask you something?” Stewart started.
“Yeah?”
“You said that you had a little argument with your father last night. Mind to tell me what happened?”
“Oh, that. Well, as I said, a little argument. But it was over anyway. He apologized and I forgive him. It’s more into a family problem and I preferred to not talk about it anymore.”
“I respect your decision.” Yeah. It’s not every day that you learned your biological father was still alive and he didn’t want me at all.
“Tell me about your family, Stewart. Why you didn’t go on holiday with them?” I asked and he looked back at me. He laughed a bit which made me nervous. “Um, you don’t have to tell me if it’s bothering you.”
“No, it’s not like that. We don’t live together. My family is in Melbourne. I’m from Australia.”
“I know. Karen told me.”
“I see. Well, the thing between me and my family is rather complicated. They weren’t…exactly approved of my decision of becoming a model. They’re the type of parents who wanted their child to be something more normal. Normal as what they prescribed to be. Businessman or doctor, something like that. They asked me to be a doctor before.”
“Doctor?”
“Yeah. I wanted to but I remembered my sister. She couldn’t be the model she wanted to be and I became one for her. I was lucky though because a lot of agencies wanted me to be their model. I even got a lot of jobs. I made good money even more than being a doctor.” I chuckled over his statement.
“I guess sometimes there’s something that we wanted but eventually it’s not ours to take. We got something more in the end. Even better than what we really wanted.”
Stewart was right.
His words reminded me of Mr. Graham. He abandoned me but in return, I got Blake. The man who acted more like my own father. I was grateful for it.
“I agree with you,” I said as we continued walking, I asked, “when’s the last time you see your family?”
“About a couple of years ago.”
“Don’t you miss them?”
“I miss them every day. It’s rather hard to meet them now.”
“Why?”
“Well…” he paused and he was like thinking something. “It’s difficult for me to explain but our relationship is not the same anymore. I’m sorry I don’t think I can explain it anymore further.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s your decision to not tell me. We’re just the same,” I assured him and we continued walking again. Maybe he had a fight with his parents. It was not easy to talk about it. It was not easy to tell him that I just met my real father who had abandoned me.
“So, modeling is not your real dream then?”
“No, at first. Eventually became my dream for my sister. I fulfilled it for her but…I still have something that I need to do.”
“What is it?”
“Well, it’s for her true happiness,” he replied and I could see it. When Stewart said that, he looked determined and sad at the same time. I didn’t want to ask about it as I stopped talking about his family.
Later, Stewart escorted me back to my room. “Thanks for today. Thanks for the lunch too. You even paid my bill.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
I smiled at him and he smiled back. “Okay.” As I turned and about to enter my room, Stewart suddenly grabbed my hand. I looked back. Looking at my hand first and then at his face.
“Please, don’t forget my confession, Olivia. I’m serious with you and I hope…you will accept me as your boyfriend. As your forever.”
“Stewart.”
“I don’t tell about my family to any woman I met, Olivia. You’re the first. I trust you with my family. I think of you as my only one and maybe…you see me the same way as well. Maybe you’re hesitating because you haven’t known me better but I want you to trust me. You can get to know me better while we’re dating.”
I didn’t know what to say.
Stewart was nice. He was as handsome as hell. A family-oriented kind of guy. A model. He was literally every woman’s dream. But…
Stewart suddenly pulled me into his hold. Practically hugging me. But that was it. I didn’t feel anything. It was nothing like when Blake hugged me.
No.
I kept reminding myself because Blake was my father. Of course, I would feel a lot safer when my father hugged me. That’s what father did.
“Can you feel it, Olivia? Can you feel how my heart is beating like crazy when I have you right next to me?” he asked and I could hear it. The sound of his heart thumping rather fast. “That’s how I feel about you. You make my heart jumped in every second. I never feel this way with another woman. Maybe you won’t believe it but it’s true.”
Stewart gently pushed me and placed his hands on my cheeks. He moved his face closer as I closed my eyes. Please, don’t kiss me, Stewart.
And he landed his lips on my cheek. I opened my eyes. Blinking them twice and he pulled himself. “I want to kiss your lips but not now.” He let me go and moved back. Keeping a little distance between us. “I will be waiting for your answer tomorrow. Will you come to my hotel and had another lunch with me again? You can give me your answer after lunch.”
“Sure.” He smiled wide. I had to admit that he had a beautiful smile. I should have been charmed by it but…there was just nothing.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then. I’ll be waiting for your answer,” he parted ways with me and left.
Once he was gone, it got me thinking.
Was it normal for me to compared Stewart with Blake?
Was it normal…for my heart to beat so fast to my father?
***
Blake
I just finished my meeting. Hell, it was fucking boring.
Maybe I should just end this partnership with him. I had been thinking about it before. Well, I could think about it once I got back.
I headed back to where my car was and I jumped inside. Before I could ignite it, there was a call. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket as Cindy’s name was on the screen. I rolled my eyes. Feeling so lazy to pick it up but I knew her. Ignored her once and she would bother me for the rest of the day. Well, she’s just like me though.
“What?”
“Is that how you answered your phone call?” she asked.
“What do you want, Cindy?”
“Never mind your manner. Anyways, I heard it from Taylor.” Ah, fuck.
“Is that why you’re calling me?”
“Yes, and I’m worried. Have you told Olivia?”
“I did. She cried. The reality finally hit her hard that Taylor doesn’t want her in his life.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is for me. And to Olivia as well,” I countered. “If he wants her, he wouldn’t act like a jerk to me and in front of Olivia. I let you know that just in case he didn’t tell you about it. And if you want to believe me because I don’t need it, Cindy.”
“I believe you, Blake,” she spoke. I didn’t know if she said that just to make me feel better but whatever that was, I still hated the fact that she was dating that bastard and would be getting married shortly.
“I don’t want to listen or know what Taylor has poisoned you but at least Olivia knows it now and I will appreciate it if you two will leave us alone.”
“Will you be giving up your adoption on her?” Cindy asked, avoiding my request.
I smirked over her question. “Fuck no. I won’t let Taylor having his daughter back. Not after what happened for sixteen years. If he wanted her, he would show up at my house and asked his baby daughter back but he never did that. He is living his shitty life without bothering himself to see Olivia. And that, my dear sister, has proven everything.”
“He didn’t know what to do, Blake.” I could only scoff at her words. How could she be so stupid? “Don’t do that to me.”
“I don’t fucking care. Has Taylor ever told you that he wanted Olivia back?” Cindy didn’t reply to me soon. I knew what her answer would be.
“No.”
“See? And how could you say that to me while the man himself never bothered to bring Olivia into the conversation?”
“He brought it before. He asked me before how Olivia’s doing within your care. I told him she was fine with you but I can see it, Blake. Taylor…regretted his action.” Oh, man. Seriously?
I chuckled dryly. I couldn’t believe my sister just said that. She was absolutely being hypnotized by Taylor.
“Sorry, sister. I don’t believe you at all and since I love you so much, I ask you to tell your fiancé to stay away from Olivia. If he ever tried coming closer to her, I will come for him,” I threatened.
“If you do so, I will hate you forever,” she threatened back. Ooh, scary.
“I don’t care.” I hung up the phone and threw the phone to the seat next to me. I ignited the car and headed back to the hotel.
When I arrived, I saw Olivia was sitting on the sofa with her eyes fixed on nothing. What happened to her?
I went further inside and she didn’t even bother to look at me. To say something. “Olivia?” She finally turned to me and she looked…confused. That boy better not doing anything to her.
She stood up but her eyes were fixed on the carpet. She looked nervous. “Um, Blake? Can I…hug you?” Huh?
Her request confused me. Did she just ask me that?
“Um, yeah, sure.” Once she heard my answer, Olivia slowly came to me and nervously wrapping her arms around me. I didn’t know what happened but I was happy having her hugging me.
I returned the hug. It felt so fucking amazing to had her on my hold. Every bad thing that just happened to me. About Cindy and Taylor. Everything was just puffed away from my mind in an instant.
I needed her. She calmed the raging lion inside me.
Olivia slowly pulled herself from me and she looked up at me. God, she’s so beautiful
“Thank you, Blake.” And she went back to her room.
Based on what I just saw, Olivia didn’t look like she just got hurt and that was a good thing. I didn’t want to do anything here during our holiday.
Although what happened in Vegas would eventually stay in Vegas, the last thing I wanted was Olivia questioning me about what happened to Stewart because she acted weird after she met with him.