Coffee, Brownies and the Ruthless CEO (MxM)| FILLING THE VOID series, BOOK 1

41. Chapter - Boundaries

OLIVER's POV

This was a terrible idea. I knew it from the moment I came up with it. But it had to be done. I had enough of the uncertainty and problems this situation was causing. It was affecting my life in a way I didn't want to acknowledge, and I couldn't let it continue like this. If I did, I was sure I would lose everything once again, and that was the last thing I wanted. I wouldn't survive it for the second time.

"Are you ready?" Josh asked and peeked at me from behind the doorframe of our bedroom, smiling. He was already dressed up, ready to leave for our agreed meeting, and his smile was giving me a headache. He was smiling all day. And I wouldn't say a word if it was a real smile. But I knew him too well. He was all tense, and the smiles he was giving me were as fake as the face of a barbie doll. I knew he was trying to make me feel better by doing it, but it wasn't helping at all. If I should be honest, it was making everything worse.

"Josh, you look like someone whose muscles are finally starting to move again after Botox. Please, stop," I whined, putting on one of my t-shirts. I couldn't believe we were seriously doing this. Why did I agree to take Joshua with me to a meeting with Victor? Yes, having him there was going to give me more confidence, and I didn't have to worry about anything happening. But those two in one room, while we would be discussing our future, was a recipe for disaster.

My lovely fiancé stepped into the room, coming closer and wrapping his arms around me.

"Sorry. I feel nervous. And I know you have it much worse so I tried to make you feel more at ease. Guess it didn't work." He looked down at me, grinning, this time more naturally.

"No, it didn't. You've never been good at pretending. It's one of the things I love about you." I smiled, getting on my toes to give him a kiss.

"Now, let go of me or we're going to be late. He is going to be pissed off simply because of your presence there. We don't need to add fuel to the fire by coming late." I broke free from his hug, reaching for a sweatshirt I prepared before. We didn't have time to waste.

When I called Victor a few days ago, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. All I knew was we needed to talk and discuss our current situation. From what had happened the last time, I could tell Victor definitely thought I would get back together with him. It was absurd. I would laugh if it didn't make me sick. Who, in their right mind, would think I would start dating a cheater who already broke me once when I had such a sweet caring guy waiting for me back at home? Right, not a chance.

After the night of my meltdown, I found myself terrified of any other potential contact with Victor. He was too unpredictable, and as much as I hated him for what he did to me all those years ago, the day we spent together reminded me just how easy it was to be around him when I didn't think about the past, and that was the last thing I wanted. My feelings for him were long gone, but I lived with him for a long time, and he used to be my best friend, not just a lover. Feeling this comfortable in his presence was scary. Not just because of myself, but because of Josh too. Getting cozy with your ex-partner, with whom you have a child on top of that, wouldn't be pleasant for any lover out there.

Of course, I had a serious conversation with Joshua about this. There was no way we were letting it be, ignoring the uncomfortable atmosphere surrounding this stupid predicament. And to say I was shocked by how much he actually believed in me was an understatement. He trusted me and was confident our relationship wouldn't change at all. Even after everything I told him about my feelings and thoughts, about how insecure I felt in Vic's presence, he just smiled and repeated his words of trust over and over again. It was unbelievable.

But despite his deep trust, there had to be some boundaries set. I couldn't risk any future misunderstandings. And to make sure of that, some things had to be made clear. Which was why we were here, getting ready to meet with Victor, together.