Olivia

Cat came up to the car, opened the back door open, and chucks her things in, slamming the door after. Obviously, Alex was home and things did not go well.

She plopped into the passenger seat and pulled on the seatbelt, which locked up because she pulled it too hard. She wrestled with it for a second or two before she let it go and screamed.

Oh, I know that feeling. It's a hurt that goes so deep you feel you can't breathe. So, a scream is the only way to relieve the pressure. I said nothing.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Cat yelled, pounding her fist on the dash. 

"Cat, the baby."

She has a wild look in her eye. At that moment, I knew I was taking a chance her wrath was going to be turned on me, but then her face crumpled and she sobbed. I gathered her up in my arms.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. You don't know how sorry I am." I sat there and held her until she stopped. Cat pulled away slowly and grabbed some tissues from the console. Her mascara ran down her face. She tried to dab it away.

"Come on let's get you home."

Cat nodded and buckled her seatbelt. We weren't too far from the sorority house. I had called ahead and the girls made sure Cat's room was ready for her. When we arrived, I told her to head on up to her room and I'll take care of the rest.

She nodded, opened the back door, grabbed her stuffed animals, and slowly trudged up the stairs. I could kill Alex Bragin. Liam was bad but Cat, even though she didn't want to recognize it, knew the breakup was coming. This, however...

Alex totally blindsided her. Why do men do this? What a sick joke they play with our emotions? Making us believe in fairytales and happily ever after just break our hearts, leaving us in our own personal hell. Always wondering, why?

I pulled out Cat's things from the car. The door was shut to her room and I heard her crying. I left her bag and case outside to give her some time alone. Several of the other girls asked me questions which I blew off because it really isn't any of their business. If Cat wants them to know what's going on, it's her choice to tell them.

I go to the kitchen to make myself some coffee. My thoughts drift to Dillion. I thought of the day he told me he was breaking up with me. I like Cat, I was completely blindsided. He loved me, or at least I thought he did. He made love to me. He was my one and only but then he stood there saying nothing when I asked him why? When I pressed for an answer, he said the words that destroyed my heart. "I just don't love you anymore."

All men are bastards.

My mind, playing the devil's advocate, chose to remind me of how he saved me from drowning. How sweet he was letting me know about Cat. Telling me when his parents weren't around so I could come by to visit Cat without having to run into them.

I know it's wrong but I loved seeing him. I am being stupid. I know I shouldn't care. He didn't even hang around when I got there. Always, he used getting coffee as his excuse to leave me and Cat alone.

Coffee. That's right, I was making coffee.

There was a knock at the door and one of the first years answered it. "Can I help you?"

"I was hoping to talk to Cat Fischer. Is she here?"

Alex! Oh, hell no! I sprinted to the front door and pushed Cynthia out of the way.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here."

Alex took a deep breath and then sighed heavily. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better, but I need to talk to Cat. Is she here?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Fine, have it your way. I'll call her later. This way when she's pissed off when she finds out that I was here and you wouldn't let me in, that will be all on you."

He turned to leave. I'm not used to seeing this side of Alex. He's always so nice, sweet, gentle. Something was going on here. "Wait?"

"I'll go and see if she wants to see you. Stay right here."

I turned to Cynthia since she was still nearby eavesdropping. "He is not to set foot inside. Do you understand me?"

Cynthia nodded.

I run up the stairs and knock on Cat's door. "Cat, it's me. Alex is here. He says he wants to see you?"

There was such a long pause I thought perhaps she had fallen asleep. "I can't. I don't want to see him right now."

"Okay. I'll tell him."

I come down and Alex was exactly where I left him on the porch. "She doesn't want to see you right now. She's too upset."

Resigned he held out a note for me to take. "I'll be gone for a little while. Family matter. Can you give this to her?"

I don't want to be in the middle of this but I took the note. "Yeah, sure."

"Thank you," he said and turned to walk away.

"Why are you doing this to her?" The words came flying out. I couldn't stop them. He paused on the walkway but refused to face me.

"I'm not doing it to her. I'm doing it for her. Not everyone leaves because they don't care. Some of us are just trying to protect the ones we love."

I didn't know what to say to that and he moved on. I shut the door and looked at the note in my hand and sighed.

Another trek up the stairs. This time I don't knock. I just opened the door and found Cat in the fetal position hugging her stuffed tiger. She was still crying. Slowly she sat up.

"Is he gone?"

I nodded. Alex's words are echoing in my head. Dillion springs to mind. Would Dillion leave me to protect me? Damn my traitorous heart. That's the wish of a naïve girl whose heart was broken and I will never be that foolish again. Besides he didn't have any reason to.

"What is it? Did he say something?"

"He uh... he wanted me to give you this." I held out the folded piece of paper. Cat's hand shook when she took it. "Do you want a moment?"

Cat slowly nodded.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you want to talk. Just come and get me. Do you want anything to eat?"

Cat shook her head no.

"Okay." I left but I don't like it. Not one bit. Cat has been through enough. I only hoped whatever Alex wrote wouldn't upset her further.

I searched for the ingredients to make myself a side salad for a snack. I no sooner sat down to eat it, when I heard someone running down the stairs yelling my name.

Cat found me in the kitchen. "I'm going to the apartment. I need to talk to Alex."

"He's not there," I told her.  It kills me to see that hopeful look back in her eyes. I don't know what Alex wrote to put it there but I knew this wasn't going to end well.

"That's right! He's staying at William's. Okay. I'll be right back."

I shuffled my salad around with my fork. "Cat, he's not at William's either."

"What do you mean he's not at William's? Alex said he was going to stay there with him."

I shrugged. "Alex said he was going to be away from campus for a while. Something about a family matter."

"Family matter?" Cat appeared confused and then pulled out her phone and made a call.

Someone answered and I heard her say, "No, but I'm hoping you can help me with that."

She's silent for a few seconds and then she said, "Sounds perfect. Thank you!"

Cat hung up and slipped her phone into her back pocket.

I'm guessing she called William and Alex must still be there. "You're really going to do this, huh?" I really don't want her to be hurt any more than she already was.

"I can't let him go."

I knew the feeling, but how do I warn her. I decided to leave Alex out of it and focused on my concern for her. "Cat is it really worth putting yourself through all of this? You just got out of the hospital. Remember how you felt when they pulled me out of the water? That's how I feel every time you end up in the emergency room. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Cat walked over and hugged me. "I know and I'm sorry, but Olivia, if Alex still loves me, which I know he does, how do you expect me to walk away from that? I have to stand by him. I have to convince him we are in this together."

"And Liam?" I purposed.

"I'll figure out a way to deal with Liam."

"I hope so. Your dad seemed pretty convinced if Liam fought for custody once the baby is born that he can win."

"I know, but I have a few months left before that happens to convince Liam otherwise."

She can't see. Cat is too full of hope and I know there is nothing I can do to discourage her. No matter how much I want to.