He jumped up from his seat, almost knocking it over in his haste, and rushed toward me. We left the building, each taking our own car to Olivia’s condo.
The moment alone allowed me time to reflect on my need to make Nate confide in me his desire for custody. It was my revenge. Olivia had used this child as a trap, a way of keeping me. I didn’t understand why she would want such a thing. It couldn’t be for money. She had that all on her own. It wasn’t love, either. Any fool could see I was a toy to her, which I didn’t complain about at the time because that’s all she was to me. So, what was her driving force?
We parked our cars, side by side, in the garage and rushed to the elevator. Fourteen floors up seemed like a long way, but it became even longer with the amount of tension mounting inside me. My girl was in need. She was hurt, and while I was pissed, I was more concerned about her than me. I could handle Olivia. She’d played with fire and was about to get burned, but McKenzie’s ideals had been shattered. This was her friend, someone she trusted, and now she had to face that her friendship was a sham.
The elevator doors opened and I could hear McKenzie’s voice echoing through the hall. Nate and I cut a glance at one another and rushed to the door. I reached it first, throwing it open. I found McKenzie, towering over Olivia, who sat in her favorite chair. Olivia caught sight of me and yelled, “What the fuck is wrong with her? She’s lost her damn mind!”
McKenzie jerked around to me, her blue eyes filled with burning hatred. “Stay out of it, Andrew.”
Oh, shit. I got the full name. I raised my hands and stepped back, almost running into Nate. Olivia caught sight of him and laughed. She stood up, forcing McKenzie to take a step back. “Now it all makes sense,” she sneered. “So, you told them your silly little tale. Figures. You’re so predictable.”
“Shut up!” McKenzie warned.
Olivia turned her focus to McKenzie. “Are you really going to believe a man who cheated on you God only knows how many times over your best friend? C’mon, Kenz. We’ve been through so much together.” The sickeningly sweet cadence of her voice curdled my stomach. “He’s lied to you before. What makes you think he wouldn’t lie to you about this? He left you all alone when you were at your worst. I was there for you.”
McKenzie’s lip trembled, her eyes swelling with tears. “His pride’s hurt. You’re in love with someone else. Of course he’d lie to get back at you,” Olivia admonished.
“Cut the crap, Olivia,” Nate squelched. “They know the truth. I told them everything, so stop lying.”
“Well, of course you would,” she snarled. The sound of her voice was like ice water running through my veins. “Everyone has to come to poor little McKenzie’s defense. It takes two men to fight her battles. Gah!” Olivia threw her hands in the air. “What is it about you? You bat your eyelashes and they fall at your feet. I’d ask if your pussy was made of gold, but I’ve seen you naked.”
“Back off, you manipulative bitch,” I growled. I stepped forward, prepared for a verbal battle. Olivia had wits, but she was no match for me. No one attacked someone I loved without repercussions.
“I’m the manipulative bitch?” Olivia laughed, venom lacing her tone. “My best friend made a play for my boyfriend, and I’m called the manipulative one, she huffed. “You want to call someone a manipulative bitch, point your finger at her.” And she did just that.
McKenzie stood there, locked between Nate, Olivia, and I, helpless anger bubbling from every pore in her body. It engulfed each of us in an alarming manner. I’d seen her angry before, but this was a whole new level. McKenzie was enraged. Her jaw clenched, her face red with rage, grinding her teeth.
“Boyfriend?” I seethed. “I was never your boyfriend. I was your arm candy.”
“This was all a game to you, wasn’t it? Well, guess what? You lost,” Nate added.
“Stop it!” McKenzie screamed, flailing her hands out over her head. We all shut up, turning to look at her. She stalked toward Olivia, hatred smoldering in her eyes. “I want to know why!” She slammed her fist into the wall. I worried she might’ve hurt herself, but she didn’t even wince. “Why would you do this? How could you be so fucking cruel?”
Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, her sneer haughty and vile. “Are you sure you really want to know why?”
“Yes,” she hissed, a bite to her voice.
Olivia pursed her lips. “Because I could. You see, I knew from the beginning Drew was attracted to you. Hell, the man was drooling all over you that first night. He even gave you his damn phone number.” She turned to me. “Who does that, by the way? Asshole.” Olivia moved to the armchair and dropped down into it again. She propped her feet up on the coffee table. “But I also knew you’d be too much of a saint to make a move. I watched as the two of you grew closer and closer, realizing that he was buying into your sweet, innocent act. You’ve been pulling that shit since college, and someone had to put you in your fucking place.”
McKenzie flinched. “You hate me that much?”
“Oh, honey, if you only knew,” she snapped.
“Basically, what you’re saying is that if you couldn’t have me, then no one could?” I questioned.
Olivia snorted. “Get over yourself. I don’t care who you fuck as long as it’s not her.”
“Then why even stay friends with me? What was the point?”
I approached McKenzie, circling my fingers around her shoulders. She shivered under my touch, which made me want to rip Olivia apart with my bare hands.
“It’s simple really.” Olivia lifted a hand in a shrug. “You’re handy to have around. With you, I had myself a little lap dog who never talked back. You cooked, you cleaned, and you even sewed. Seriously, you’re a regular Suzy homemaker. I’d have been a fool to let you go. Besides, you’re not worthy of him,” she stated as she pointed at me. “And I was determined that you two would never get together.”
“That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard,” I scoffed. “Like you had any control over us.”
“Really? I thought you were smarter than that, Drew.” She looked up at the sky, a vicious smirk curling her lips. “Then again, I did have you convinced that Jared was making a play for her and that they’d be the perfect couple.” She laughed. “It’s funny really. You were so upset about it that you turned to the bottle. You blathered on and on about how much you loved her. It made me sick, so I used your stupid, drunk ass to put on a little show for our darling McKenzie. I just never expected her to move out. Silly me. So, I had to come up with a better plan, and dumbass over there gave me what I needed—a sperm donor.” Her laughter grew louder and more hateful. Nate jolted forward, his fists balled, ready to strike. McKenzie reached out, preventing him from moving any further. “It did the trick, too. She ran away like she always does, because she’s nothing more than a spineless twit who cowers to the world. And if you hadn’t gone off to get her, she’d still be gone,” Olivia tsked. “You’re both so fucking predictable, but you surprised me, Drew. I didn’t think you had the balls to man up and jet off to Texas.” She snarled when she said my girl’s home state, as if she smelled something foul.
“I just don’t get this. Why all the lies?” McKenzie fumed.
Olivia smacked her hand over her face, shaking her head. “God, you’re an idiot. What he sees in you, I’ll never understand. I told you, you don’t deserve him.”
“And you do?” McKenzie demanded, her words sounding strangled.
Olivia pushed herself out of the seat, coming nose to nose with McKenzie. “Yes, I do. I’m part of his world. I understand the life he comes from. I have class, money, and connections,” she ticked off on her fingers. “You’re nothing more than a frumpy, penniless school teacher. Hell, you’re so pathetic you teach retards for a living.”
McKenzie’s chest heaved. I reached for her hand, but she pushed away from me. Her tiny frame coiled like a lion ready to attack its prey. A savage cry of primal anger ripped from her throat. McKenzie twisted her
body, pulling her left hand back. Her palm flattened and her fingers pressed together. With a quick yet calculated blow, her open hand made contact with Olivia’s cheek. It sounded like thunder clapping in the sky the moment she connected with Olivia’s skin.
Olivia waddled back, cupping the imprint that McKenzie’s tiny hand left behind. Her eyes bugged out and her face turned a bright shade of purple. McKenzie’s breaths came in deep, jagged huffs. I reached for her, pulling her into my arms. “How dare you!” I wheezed, my teeth gritted so hard my jaw hurt. “You place yourself above everyone when you’re nothing more than a con artist. What was your plan, anyway? You knew I wanted a paternity test. How did you figure you’d get past it?”
Olivia rubbed her cheek, shell shocked by McKenzie’s outburst. “Her,” she snapped. “I knew I could convince her to talk you out of it.”
“And what about me?” Nate pressed. “Were you ever planning on telling me about my child?”
“Who says it’s yours?” Olivia vociferated.
Nate covered his mouth. McKenzie’s whole body trembled against mine. Anger radiated from her, volatile and explosive. “Stop it! Stop fucking with people’s heads. Be honest for once in your life. Tell the man if the child is his!”
Olivia pushed her belly out, rubbing it, a snide smirk twisting her features. “Fine.” She focused her fury on Nate. “Yes, the baby’s yours. Happy, now? You’re going to be a daddy. As if you could ever be a real father. You couldn’t even be one for a woman you claimed to love.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Outrage surged through me.
McKenzie pressed her hand to my chest and stepped away from me. Her lips flattened in a grim line as she stepped toward Olivia. Complete and utter anger etched across her face. “All this time I’ve defended you. Everyone told me you were evil, conniving, and I stood up for you. I told them to give you a chance because I knew things about you that they didn’t. But look at you. You’re everything they claimed you to be and more. Our friendship was always one sided. Me doing for you. You used me. You manipulated me. You treated me like a servant, and I, being a fool, let you.”
Her body quaked as she spoke, anger rolling off of her in waves. “We’ve all been nothing more than pawns in your sick, twisted little game. You care for no one but yourself.”
“Not anymore,” Nate proclaimed. Without hesitation, he moved between McKenzie and Olivia. “As of today, I hired an attorney. There’s no way in hell I’m allowing my child to be raised by the likes of you.”
“Seriously? As if any judge would grant you custody with you globetrotting like you do. Face it. I’m this baby’s mother,” she splayed her fingers over her stomach, “and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“On the contrary,” I piped up. “You see, Nate has the best family lawyer in all of Florida, and believe me, I’ll gladly show a judge just how unfit a mother you will be.”
Olivia’s face turned deathly pale. “You can’t represent him.”
“Actually, I can, and because I’m a nice guy, I’m taking this one on pro bono. So you better get you a good attorney, lady, because you’re going to need it.”
Olivia balled her fists tight at her sides, her knuckles turning visibly white. Her eyes moved from mine to McKenzie, then to Nate, almost as if searching for a chink in our armor. She released her hands and let out a blood curdling laugh. McKenzie jumped at the sound of her laughter.
“You don’t care, do you?” McKenzie questioned. “All of your lies, all of your secrets are exposed, yet you stand here laughing.” McKenzie looked up at me. In her eyes, I witnessed a broken heart. It pained me to see what this woman had done to her. She’d destroyed the trusting, loving woman that made up my angel. Innocence was lost because of Olivia and her deviousness.
“It’s funny. What can I say?” Olivia smarted off.
“Find yourself a new patsy, because I’m done.” She squeezed my hand. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get my stuff.”
“Want help?”
McKenzie pressed a sweet kiss to my lips. Her hand cupped the side of my face. “No. I’m ready to go home with you, where I belong.”
“Oh fuckin’ A. Really?” Olivia scoffed.
McKenzie turned to her. “Shut up. You, ah!” She exhaled, “You’re not even worth it anymore.” McKenzie stepped out of the room to collect her belongings. The three of us stood in silence, and when she returned with two bags hanging from her shoulders, I rushed to her aid, taking the bags.
“I’m parked downstairs. Let’s go home.”
“I hate you! You hear me? I hate you. You ruined my life!” Olivia wailed. “I wish I’d never…”
Nate, McKenzie, and I left the apartment with the echoes of things breaking behind us as Olivia went into a tyrannical rage. “She won’t hurt the baby, will she?” Nate asked with fatherly concern.
“She won’t. Olivia might be heartless, but that baby does mean the world to her,” McKenzie stated.
“And you think I can really get custody?”
I wrapped my arm around McKenzie’s waist, escorting her from the elevator. “I don’t think, I know you can and will. Come by my office tomorrow. We’ll get the paperwork started.”
“Okay.”
McKenzie kissed my jaw and removed herself from my arms. She stepped up to Nate and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Be happy, Little one.”
“I am.”
“Then you’re welcome.”
We bid our goodbyes to Nate, and I helped McKenzie into my car. My only thought was to get McKenzie away from that place as quick as possible. It might’ve been a bad idea to leave her car where Olivia had access to it, but I figured with the weather and McKenzie’s broken heart, she wasn’t in any shape to drive. Besides, if Olivia damaged the car in anyway, I’d simply buy McKenzie a new one.
The rain came down hard and thick, somber as the mood in the car. Although it was mid-morning, the sky was as dark as night. Heavy clouds floated through the air, crying along with my girl. We were free, but it would take time to heal. Olivia’s reign of control was over, but the memories would last a lifetime. Sure, they would fade, but they would never go away.
“You okay?” I reached over, taking McKenzie by the hand. She linked her fingers with mine.
“I will be.”
“I love you, you know.”
“I love you, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
McKenzie
A loud rush of harsh rain pounded against the French doors. Heavy winds roared outside. My eyes flew open. In my chest, my heart pounded like a jackhammer. Covered in sweat, I swiped my brow with the back of my hand. A strike of lightning brightened the windows. Loud, aggressive thunder quickly followed, causing me to jump.
I kicked my feet, disentangling myself from the sweaty sheets. The memory of my dream was already fading away in my mind, but the images tickled inside my head. My first instinct was to try to hold on to the memory. There was something important there I needed to remember, but with each fleeting moment, it faded away with the washing rain.
My eyes blinked, adjusting to the darkness in the room. I stretched out; the bed felt familiar yet strange to me. My hands rubbed the soft sheets, exploring the empty side of the bed. That was when my heart thudded. It all came back in an intense rush. The talk with Nate, the dramatic argument with Olivia, both of their confessions, and finally a tear-filled night in Drew’s arms. I clutched at my chest, warding off the pain that threatened to once again violate my senses. More than anything, I was angry with myself. Everyone had told me, time and time again, about the person Olivia really was, but I wouldn’t listen.
The sound of purring came from under the covers. Two little paws revealed themselves, followed by a little black head poking out from underneath the sheet. Mackie yawned, her long pink tongue curling out of her mouth. She patted the bed, her big yellow eyes honed in on mine. I reached over,
scratching under her chin. “Where’s Drew?” I asked.
Mackie meowed, letting me know she had no clue. She’d been asleep just like I was.
“It’s okay. I’m sure we’ll find him.” She bumped my hand, urging me to scratch behind her ears. I complied.
For a moment, I lay in that bed petting my kitten, the weight of the world bearing down on me as harsh as the rain hit the gulf outside. Everything Olivia said, each sneer, the sound of voice, her body language, it all screamed out my foolishness. I’d been blind, a blindness I’d induced on myself. Tears burned the corners of my eyes, but they never surfaced, for there wasn’t a tear left in me to shed.
Drew had been more than understanding throughout the whole ordeal: my pillar of strength. I was in awe of him. There were times I thought my Neanderthal might appear, but Drew held him back, taking control of a volatile situation. It pained him to watch Olivia attack me as she did, that much he admitted. Of course, we both had a good chuckle about me slapping her. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been appalled at the idea of smacking a pregnant woman, but these weren’t normal circumstances. In truth, I shocked the hell out of myself with that slap, but it felt good.
Still, so much had happened that my mind struggled to wrap itself around it all.
The crack of thunder echoed through the room. Mackie hissed at the sound. I picked her tiny body up and placed her on my chest. It was the same way I held her my first moments back in this house during my conversation with Jared. I wasn’t sure who called whom, all I knew is within minutes of us walking in the door, Drew handed me the phone. The sound of Jared’s voice sent me into a wave of emotions.
“You could say you told me so,” I whimpered, sniffling. “I wouldn’t blame you.”
“I’d never do that.” He spoke with true sincerity.
“How could I have been such an idiot, Jare? I let her use me. I let her torture me. All in the name of saving our friendship. But what friendship? They say hindsight is twenty/twenty, and boy were they right. You, Drew, and even Andie all saw her for who she is, but me…how did I miss it?”
The Truth Be Told (The Truth in Lies Saga #3) Page 23