Page 48 of The Final Straw

Chapter 25

Olivia

I stand in the middle of the living room. The anger, the accusations, the way I left him shattered—all of it replays in an endless loop. My chest tightens as the reality sets in: Van didn’t cheat. He was hurt in the most unimaginable way, and I abandoned him when he needed me the most.

I glare at Bre, my arms crossed tightly over my chest. “If you knew about this the whole time, why didn’t you tell me?”

Bre huffs, frustration clear on her face. “Because Van wanted proof, not just his word against hers. He went to the cops first, but they wouldn’t listen to him since he’s a guy and Barbi’s a plastic doll. We had to get a confession. I planned on telling you the night at the dive bar, but we got too drunk too fast, and I forgot. I wanted to give you a heads-up because when we met with Barbi at the bar to get her confession, I told her Van and I were dating and she lost it. I got her confession on tape, and we took it to the police. ”

“So now what?” I ask, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

Van shrugs, his eyes tired. “The DA will be calling me for a trial, and I’ll testify against her.”

“I’ll be there,” I tell him confidently.

“So will I,” Bre chimes in.

“Us too,” says Grady, his voice steady and reassuring.

My head snaps to him, my brows furrowed. “For Barbi?” I question.

“No, for you and Van,” he clarifies, his eyes soft but determined.

Van’s eyes widen as his jaw drops open in a gasp. “You’d really come to support me and not Barbi? I know you just said she needs to face consequences for what she did. But you’d come to the trial in support of me?”

“You’re important to Ollie, so you’re important to us. We want to support her and you. What you went through is not some minor thing. My daughter did that to you. I want to be on the right side of things,” Kipp responds.

“Same. We’re with you in this, Van. I know you’ve got a lot to work through with Olivia, but we’re not going anywhere unless she asks us to. So we’ll be there.” Grady crosses his arms.

This.

This is why it’s so complicated. It should be easy for me to say Van didn’t cheat, so it’s over between us and I get back with him. But in such a short time, I’ve grown attached to Grady and Kipp, and I don’t think I can let them go. Fuck!

The silence in the room is suffocating. Van looks at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and pain. “I never wanted to hurt you,” he whispers. “I wanted to protect you from this.”

I swallow hard, my throat dry. “I should have tried to hear you out. I should have trusted you.”

Van reaches out, his hand hovering in the air before he drops it back to his side. “We can’t change what happened. We can only move forward.”

I nod, but my heart is torn. The bond I’ve formed with Grady and Kipp complicates everything. They’ve been my support and stability in this whirlwind of recent life events. I can’t just walk away from them.

Van’s eyes search mine, pleading silently for some kind of reconciliation. “I don’t expect you to forgive me right away. I just want a chance to make things right.”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. “You have nothing to apologize for, Van. Don’t think for one second you owe me that.”

Grady gets up, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Whatever you decide, we’re here for you. Neither of you has to go through this alone.”

The warmth of his touch sends a shiver down my spine. It’s a reminder of the connection we’ve built, the calmness I’ve found in him and Kipp. How can I just abandon that?

I glance at Grady, his sincerity is evident in his eyes. I can’t help but feel a pang of guilt. Van has been through so much, and I wasn’t there for him. But the idea of letting Grady and Kipp go feels like tearing out a part of my soul.

“I need time. I know that sounds selfish but my mind is fucking reeling,” I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

Van’s shoulders sag slightly, but he nods. “I understand. Just know that I’m here.”

I retreat to my bedroom, needing space to sort through my tangled thoughts.

I sit on the edge of my bed, staring at the wall as if the answers to my problems might magically appear. How did everything get so complicated? One moment of mistrust, one misunderstanding, and my whole world turned upside down.

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