Page 87 of Antidote

“I—” Conrad breathes in, his nostrils flaring. “I’m sorry.”

Tilting my head, I wait for more. He seems to take the hint and gets up from the couch, coming to stand toe to toe with me.

“You’re right.” He says slowly. “It’s not his fault, and I should’ve never blamed him. I should’ve been a better dad to him?—”

“Damn right, you should’ve.” I interrupt.

“—And I’m going to apologize to him.”

“What else, Dad?” I raise an eyebrow.

“If this is your choice…” He sighs, giving me a sad look. “I won’t get in the way.”

“Good,” I say with finality. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go see Ollie.”

Dad’s shoulders slump as he nods, and he looks regretful, as he should. I don’t waste any more time though, grabbing my keys from the kitchen island and heading for the door. “Lock the door on your way out, please,” I tell him, then leave.

About ten minutes later, I’m standing in front of Jamie’s apartment door. I contemplate my options for just a moment. Number one: demand to speak to Ollie right fucking now. Number two: give him the choice to talk to me.

It’s safe to say number one wins.

I knock on the door, holding my breath until Murdock opens it. He raises one eyebrow at me, but I don’t give him much time to question me before I push past him. He huffs in exasperation and chases after me, but I’m too fast as I drop to my knees in front of Ollie. He’s lying on the couch in the fetal position, his eyes bloodshot, his face puffy. I knew this would hit him hard, but this just breaks my fucking heart. How could he ever think I’d just let him go? That I would give him up?

My stomach drops when he looks at me with thin lips, and I get a bit dizzy. He sits on the couch and looks at me expectantly, probably waiting for me to speak. But instead, I grip his thighs and bury my face into his lap. I’m fucking sobbing, my body shaking. But I can’t seem to stop. The adrenaline is waning, and all that’s left is my trembling limbs. I could’ve lost everything, but it would’ve been worth it for him. He’s all I fucking care about.

“Please, Ollie.” My heart squeezes in my chest when his fingers thread through my hair. “Come back home. Come back to me. You didn’t even wait.”

“What do you mean?” He asks me, his voice shaking. “It was clear as day you weren’t fighting him.”

“I love you.” I sob, my shoulders shaking, and tears begin to gather in his eyes. They spill over as he takes a deep breath. “I told him to go fuck himself. He’s not going to be a problem, I swear it.”

Ollie strokes the back of my head slowly, yet he shakes his head. I bury my face back into his lap. “No.”

“I’m begging you.” I squeeze his waist with my arms. “I’m on my knees, begging you to give me another chance. I stood up for myself, Ollie. I’m not letting him come between us.”

“Please don’t make this harder.” He replies, pushing me away until I’m looking up at him. He wipes my tears with his thumbs and grimaces. “He’s never going to let this go. Eventually, he’ll tear us apart.”

“I’m not just going to let you go, Ollie,” I reply through gritted teeth, and I can see the fear in his eyes. “I’m fighting for you.”

He smiles, but it’s sad, and my face crumples again. “Sometimes we don’t get what we want, Hunt. And right now—I don’t get you.”

“You could.”

“I need a year, Hunter.” He blurts out. “I can’t handle this between us right now. Things need to settle between Dad and us. For the sake of my sobriety, I need to take this year for myself. I need to be sober.”

My eyes widen. “Be sober with me, Ollie.”

“I don’t think I can do it.” He sniffles, wiping his own tears. With a strong voice, he says, “I’m asking for time, not telling you we’re never getting back together. One year, then I’ll be sober with you.”

I shake my head vehemently, my eyes pleading. “Please don’t do this.”

“I have to do it for myself.” He smiles sadly, brushing his knuckles over my wet cheek. “Please. Please accept this.”

I nod. “You promised, Ollie.” My stomach drops at the look in his eyes. “You promised me we’d be together in New York.”

“I’ll be there.” He assures me.

“I love you, Ollie.” My voice cracks. “I’d do anything for you. So if this is what you need, I’ll do it. Just know I don’t want to—I don’t want to be apart from you for even a second. But if you need this…I’ll force myself to stay away.”

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