I wish to be a fly on that wall.. Readers what do you think??
Olivia's Pov The photos lay scattered across my floor like shards of glass I couldnât sweep away. Every time I looked down, I saw my life splintering all over again.Xanderâs mouth on mine. His hands gripping me. My body pinned against walls, surrendering to him.Proof.Proof of everything Iâd been praying no one would ever see.I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, flashes of cameras haunted me, headlines already forming in my mind: Captain Hayes in Scandalous Affair With Older WomanâBest Friendâs Mom.-----By morning, my hands wouldnât stop shaking. I stuffed the photos back into the envelope, heart pounding so loud it made me dizzy. I couldnât sit here and pretend this wasnât happening.I had to face him.So I drove. No makeup, no calm, no plan. Just me and the envelope burning a hole in my bag, my chest tight the entire way to the arena.The security guard barely glanced at me as I walked in, but I felt eyes everywhere. Like everyone already knew. Like the whispers had al
Olivia's PovThe party had ended, but my body still burned.Back in my apartment, I couldnât stop touching my lips, remembering the way Xander had kissed me in that hallwayâhungry, desperate, like he couldnât breathe without me. My pulse still raced like I was standing there pressed against the wall, his hands caging me in.I shouldâve felt guilty. I shouldâve been terrified. Cassandra had smiled at me like a queen giving a warning shot, her words sharp even beneath the polite applause. But none of that mattered the second Xanderâs mouth crashed into mine.I kept telling myself Iâd made a mistake. That Iâd lost control. That this had to stop.And then Iâd remember the way he whispered, âWrongâs the only thing that feels right anymore.âAnd I wanted him again.So when my phone buzzed, I snatched it up, heart leaping.But it wasnât him. Just Maya checking if Iâd survived the gala. Text me tomorrow, you looked pale on TV, she wrote.I tossed the phone aside and paced the living room.Heâ
Xander's PovThe party was supposed to be over.But Cassandra wasnât done with me.The ballroom still pulsed with music and champagne laughter, but as soon as the cameras drifted elsewhere, she latched onto my arm with nails too sharp to be affectionate.âSmile.â Her lips barely moved, her face a perfect mask as flashes popped around us.I forced a grin for the photographers, but my jaw ached from holding it in place. The heat of her hand clamped down, pulling me into the elevator like she owned me.When the doors closed, silence pressed in. No violins, no applause, no champagne fountains just Cassandraâs breathing and the faint hum of machinery.And then she let go.Her hand dropped, her shoulders squared, her eyes cut at me like knives. The perfect fiancĂ©e act vanished.âDonât you dare play me for a fool, Xander.âI leaned against the mirrored wall, loosening my tie, trying to look bored. âYouâre going to have to be a lot more specific.âShe laughed once, sharp and brittle. Then she
Olivia's Pov The ballroom was too bright, too golden, too loud. I wasnât a guest tonightâI was staff. At least, thatâs what Cassandraâs people made sure of. A therapist dragged into an engagement party like some kind of ornament. My name wasnât on the seating chart. Instead, I was tucked in the corner, standing with the servers in black and white, pretending I belonged.Cassandraâs family didnât do subtle. They had rented the grandest hotel in Chicagoâcrystal chandeliers dripping from the ceiling, champagne fountains spilling into crystal bowls, violins humming in the background. Gold-trimmed invitations. Diamond centerpieces. A show meant for the press, for the cameras, for the magazines that would plaster Cassandraâs face across every gossip column by morning.And then there was him.Xander Hayes. Captain. Superstar. My sonâs best friend. My biggest mistake and my biggest weakness all at once.He looked like a man out of a fantasy in his black tailored suit, cufflinks glinting unde
Oliviaâs POVBy the time the cake was nothing but crumbs and the wrapping paper littered the floor, the night had shifted. The boys had turned my cozy apartment into a frat house, shouting over the music, daring each other to drink more, making up games that had no rules beyond lose and chug.I hovered by the counter, arms folded, pretending I wasnât watching the disaster unfold.âMom,â Ethan called, staggering slightly as he plopped onto the couch. âYouâve got to take a shot with me.âI shook my head immediately. âAbsolutely not.ââCâmon. One.â He grinned, face flushed. âItâs my birthday. You canât say no to the birthday boy.âMaya laughed from her corner, clearly enjoying herself too much. âDo it, Olivia. One shot wonât kill you.âI shot her a look that promised retribution later, but Ethan was already waving a shot glass in my direction.Reluctantly, I stepped forward, took it from him, and raised it. âHappy birthday, baby.âThe room erupted in cheers as we downed the liquor. It bu
Oliviaâs POVThe smell of buttercream frosting clung to my kitchen, sweet and overwhelming, the kind of scent that reminded me I was in way over my head.Streamers hung crooked across the living room, balloons bumping gently against the ceiling from the fanâs breeze. Iâd spent the whole morning running around, making sure every detail looked perfect, and yet my chest still thudded like I was walking into enemy territory instead of my own apartment.It wasnât just Ethanâs birthday. It was Ethanâs birthday with Xander coming over.That thought alone was enough to make me nearly drop the plastic cup tower I was stacking on the counter.âYouâre twitchy,â Maya teased, snapping another balloon with a string and tying it to the back of a chair. âLike, really twitchy. Is this a party or a funeral?âI shot her a look. âIâm not twitchy. Iâm...âShe cut me off with a smirk. âYouâre nervous because golden boy is coming. Donât bother denying it.âI sighed, pressing a hand to my forehead. âItâs not