Page 50 of The Final Straw

“I can do that. Just know that sometimes the easiest solution is right in front of your eyes if you’re willing to accept it.”

She nods again as Grady and I open the door and step out onto the stoop.

As soon as we’re in the car, I call my attorney, Daniel Crowley. He picks up immediately, his voice coming through the Bluetooth speaker.

“What can I do for you, Kipp?”

“It’s Jessica. She’s been hounding me about Barbi, wanting me to bail her out of jail and pay for her attorney. Barbi is being charged with rape and Jessica wants me to fix it.”

“Are you planning to do that?” he asks.

“No,” Grady and I answer in unison.

“How do you want to proceed?”

“I was thinking of an order to prevent her from contacting me,” I explain.

“I agree. I can have the papers drawn up today. If you can come by the office now and sign them, I can take them to the courthouse and have them filed so she can be served.”

“We’re on the way.” I end the call as Grady reaches across the console and takes my hands in his.

“You’re doing the right thing by not helping Barbi,” Grady comforts me.

“I know, but it still feels as if I’m failing as her father.”

“You did not fail her, you’re sorry ass ex-wife did. Let’s go sign the papers, get some food, and go home.”

There’s nothing I want more than that, other than to have Ollie with us.

Chapter 26

Olivia

The door clicks shut behind Grady and Kipp, and the room is instantly blanketed in uncomfortable silence. I feel like a piece of my heart went with them, and I can't believe it's possible to feel so strongly, so fast. But when you know, you know. I'm not going to question it.

Bre clears her throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. Her eyes are full of concern. "So, shall I stay or shall I go?"

"Stay," I reply. I need someone here. I need her here.

Van looks at me, his brows furrowed. "So now what? Where do we go from here?"

I shrug, flopping down onto the couch. The weight of the situation pressing down on me is almost suffocating. "I don’t know. What do you want, Van? Tell me what you want."

Van takes a deep breath, his eyes locking with mine. The emotion in them is so intense, my heart skips a beat. "I’m still madly, deeply in love with you, Olivia. I want to be with you. You're it for me. Not that it matters now, but I was going to propose when you got back from your trip."

His words hit me like a freight train, knocking the breath out of me. Shock shoots through my body like a bolt of lightning. That’s all I ever wanted. I wanted him, babies, a white picket fence. And Barbi tried to destroy that. The question is, did she succeed? Because I can't let Kipp and Grady go. I don’t know what that means for me and Van. Can one woman love multiple men? Can one woman be in a relationship with more than one man, long term?

"You don’t want to end things with them, do you?" Van asks, but his voice is laced with resignation like he already knows the answer..

"I don’t know," I admit. "I didn’t plan for them. It just happened, and they mean something to me now. I feel like I’m giving up a part of myself if I cut things off with them."

Van's face falls, and I can see the hurt in his eyes. "I don’t know if I can share you, Olivia."

A tear rolls down my cheek as my heart breaks. "I understand," I whisper.

Van stands and bends down, kissing me softly on the lips. “I'll call you, baby,” he says before turning and walking out the door.

And there goes another piece of my heart. At this point, three men own more of it than I do.

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