Olivia
Blake and I were on our way to Javier’s house.
I had to do this. I had to explain that I couldn’t hurt him anymore. And Blake was willing to come with me to explain everything. Also, I wanted to hear about what he wanted to say before. Blake immediately went home once his office hour had finished, leaving John with Carol alone and the two of them didn’t look pleased they had to face each other, especially John. I could see clearly those two were natural enemies. But just for today, John would let it slide.
“Does John hate Carol?” I asked.
He scoffed. “He despised her.”
“Well, that’s not the first time John was seen hating a woman.”
“I know.”
“How’s he going to get a girlfriend if he continued being like a jerk?”
“Well, he’ll find one. Eventually. The one who matches his nasty personality.”
“I know he will.”
“So, you never saw Javier again after Saturday?” I shook my head and even though he was currently driving sometimes he would look at me from the corner of his eyes to see that I was paying attention. “He’s must be in shock and I feel responsible as well. I didn’t do that on purpose.”
“So, you knew?”
“Yes. I’ve found him in the alley after I went drinking with my partners. He looked a mess and heavily drugged. I still remembered everything. He looked like a lost bear and his eyes weren’t focusing. There were too many drugs inside his system so I took him home but when I brought him home, you were on a school trip. I took care of him for one night and questioned him the next day. He looked…very wary of me when he was sober but I couldn’t blame him. He told me that he needed money and he,” Blake paused like he was getting to continue. To let me know the truth.
“He told you he was working as a porn star?”
“Yes. Imagine, Olivia. He’s been doing that for more than eight years.”
“Eight years?” Oh, God.
I couldn’t imagine Javier did that for a quite long time. “He wanted to quit but he couldn’t. He was scared no one would want to hire him with his background.”
“But you saved him?”
“I did. I paid his nasty agency to let him go and some of his colleagues who don’t want to be there anymore.”
“Why you have to pay?”
“They were on contracts. If they dare to get out before their contract end, the stars have to pay the money back. Not all the porn stars worked as one willingly, Javier was one of them. He had to. So, I paid the agency and I managed to rescue some of them, including Javier. You might know one of them. The Italian guy who works at Black Onyx.”
I tried to recall back the people I came across after meeting with Javier. The Italian guy. Oh! “Antonio?” He nodded his head. Wow. I figured that was how Javier and Antonio were close.
“The agency said that I could only take two people but I insisted that I had the money, enough to save a lot of them, and I was willing to pay. We were on arguments non-stop until Javier told me to give up and asked me to go. He was on the verge of giving up and I didn’t want that. I could see Javier wanted to leave but he couldn’t so I pulled out the ultimatum and paid three million dollars. That’s how they were finally agreed and the people who were close to Javier and didn’t want to be there were free.”
I couldn’t imagine the horror that Javier had to face before. I used to think that profession was bad. They were willing to film a sex scene and showing their body around the world. I never thought there was something behind their full-of-pleasure faces and how they enjoyed doing those scenes. But I was glad.
“You’re really nice for doing that, Blake.”
“I’m not that evil, Olivia. At least, I’m trying to.”
“You are to me.” He smiled while looking at me and returned his attention on the road.
“All of them are working with Javier at the club, except Antonio,” he added. I guessed that’s how they looked close to each other. Because they were from the same place. From the same hell. They never questioned Javier when he was with me. They were thankful to Javier as well because he didn’t abandon them and saved himself. They cared a lot about him. “You should hear the rest from him.”
“I will.” And we reached his house. This would be the first I went to his house, and probably would be the last. It looked pretty with a modern style and glassy garage. I looked at his house with my mind was stuck between going in or go home. But I needed to do it. No more running away.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Blake asked and I turned myself to him and shook my head.
“I’ll be fine.” I took off my seatbelt and ready to get out until Blake’s strong grip wrapped on my wrist.
“Wait.” He moved closer and landed his lips on my lips for a few seconds. “Call out to me if anything happens inside.”
“Nothing will happen, Blake,” I assured him. I knew Javier. He won’t do such a thing.
I walked out of his Aston Martin and headed to the door. Blake remained in the car as I took a better look at Javier’s house. It looked tidy and when I reached the door, I pressed the bell. The door was opened from inside as Javier showed up with no shirts. But at least he was wearing pants and he was sweaty like he just finished a workout. He looked surprised having me here. Like he didn’t expect my arrival at all. “Olivia?”
“Hey.”
Javier opened the path for me. “Come in.” I walked past him with the corner of my eyes found him looking at the car outside. He knew that expensive car belonged to one person only. He closed the door once I was inside and led me to the living room. “Would you like a drink?”
“Just water, please.” I was left alone in the living room as Javier went to the kitchen. I sat on the couch and scanning the living room. It looked massive with a fireplace. Even the inside was so clean. Javier returned while bringing a glass of water, just for me, and he sat next to me after handed the glass to me. And he already put on his T-shirt. I took a sip and put it down on the table. “I tried to call you.”
“I know. I’m not ready to accept it, not after what you have heard on last Saturday.”
“I’m willing to listen.” And he was quite suddenly. Looking down while biting his lower lip. He was preparing himself. He said he was not ready, well, he had to now. He had to face me and I was ready to face another truth. This time, coming from his mouth.
“You’ve come with Mr. Morgan.” That came out as a statement more than a question. He had seen it already.
“Yeah.”
“So, you two are finally reconciled.” Again, he was stating not asking. Like he knew this would happen. I couldn’t even say anything. “That probably the best way.”
“Javier, I—”
“He told you about me?” he cut me first. His eyes were still on somewhere, anywhere, but not me. I slowly nodded my head because I knew he was looking at my answer through the corner of his eyes. “And what do you think about me?”
I was looking at him and said, “You’ve gone through too much. Antonio and the rest of your staff. You and them deserved better.” This sounded sad. I couldn’t imagine the life Javier had been through.
“My friends didn’t want to be part of it. They were the same as me. They needed money, the men, and the women. Those immoral bastards promised would let them go if they followed those bastards’ rules but it was all fucking lies. I even had to use drugs to numb the pain. I had to make those scenes real or I had to repeat them all over again and it disgusts me.”
I could feel it. The pain. The anger. The shame.
“Those memories still haunt me until now. Those ladies’ faces when they were under me or on top of me. They looked like they were enjoying it but they were forcing themselves. Even me. I had to moan like fucking them was pleasuring to me. I’m not proud at all, Olivia. There was the time I had to play as the punisher and I had to hurt my female co-star who happened to be my best friend. I refused but they threatened me they would kill her.” What?
“And what happened?” I didn’t know why but I hated to hear the continuation. It was definitely not something good to hear. Even Javier was hesitating. “Javier?”
“We did it and she killed herself right after. She couldn’t take it anymore and it made me crazy so I chose to live like that, heartless. Since her incident, I asked them to give me a role where I could hurt my co-star. Hoping it would scare them and made them quit.”
My tears were escaping me. My heart was hurting. “You were punishing yourself because you couldn’t save your friend.” Javier accepted the punishment but at some point, he was trying to save the other girls. This explained a bit about how Javier became so kind. He didn’t want to be the version of himself who enjoyed hurting people. He disgusted that version. He almost snapped because of Carol before and with Blake as well.
“I thought I might not be able to escape from that hell until Blake found me. I was so high after five endless scenes and it tired me. He reached out for me while the others practically ignoring me and he saved my dark soul. He took me home and nursed me for one night. You weren’t there.” Javier finally turned to me and smiled.
“I was on a school trip.”
“Well, you have to consider yourself lucky because maybe I will steal you away that day.” His joke made me smile. “I told him everything. I don’t know why I didn’t know this person but I thought…I could trust him that day so I told him. He promised he would help me and my friends. So, after I came back to my feet, Blake went with me and paid for everything so I could be free. With Antonio and the rest of my friends. Some of them continue their life with their loved ones, the remaining stay with me.”
This was why when he attacked Blake that night and how he was cruel to him, he felt like Javier had disappointed him. Blake helped him yet that was how Javier paid him back. He was angry but at some point, he regretted doing that. “I felt guilty to him.”
“It’s not your fault, Javier. It’s mine.”
Javier turned fully to me. “That’s not true. You’re confused. You didn’t know what to do. It was me who willing to play with the fire and ready to face the consequences.” I broke down with his words. Even until now, Javier was still being kind to me.
“I’m sorry, Javier.” He immediately pulled me to his chest.
“Please, stop. You deserve to be happy and as much I hate it to say this, only Blake could make you happy. He’s a good man.”
“I know he is.” It was proven how he saved Javier and his friends. He let me go and kissed my forehead. This gentleness of him…would belong to someone else one day. I hoped Javier would someone who loved him despite where he came from, his past, and she would accept him as a whole. I sincerely hoped that would happen.
He pulled himself a bit so he could see me and I would look into his eyes. “It was a short journey, Olivia. But I enjoyed every single second I spent with you.”
“I enjoyed it too. I’m sorry I couldn’t be the one for you.”
“It’s okay. We could remain friends and I will see you tomorrow for our training. Drew has practically begged me to come back ASAP because the ladies were asking about me.” I chuckled over his terrible joke. We stood up together with Javier led me out. Once we were outside, I saw Blake was standing by leaning his back on his car. He kept his promise to stay where he was.
I looked up and found Javier was smiling at me. He escorted me to Blake and once I was close enough, Blake opened his arms for me as I entered his hold in an instant. Feeling his warmness surrounding me. “I’ll take her away if you dare make her cry again,” Javier threatened.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry,” he smirked and squeezed me hard. “I won’t. You have my words.” Blake led me inside the car and he went to his door. I pulled down the window and smiled at Javier with him waving his hand. I waved back with Blake slowly accelerating the car away from him. Until Javier was so far away from me.
Thank you, Javier. And goodbye.