Mafia Collateral: The Calm After The Storm

Confrontations

Olivia

I pull onto my dads street my heart thumping twice it's usual rate. So many emotions rolling off of me I feel insane. I pull into his driveway and right on time Lucas car is parked out front. He wanted to be here while I talk to my dad and I should have said no but I couldn't because honestly I want them in the same room. Last night I went home and showered and cleared my head as much as I could even though it didn't help much.

Luca is alive. My dad knew. Pierre knew. Two of the most important men in my life knew and watched me suffer day in and day out and said nothing. Luca the man I wanted to spend my life with hurt me in the biggest way possible. Does my uncle know? Does Alonzo know? The men in my life suck ass and do nothing but hurt me.

I put my car in park and climb out. I realize I look like a mess in my leggings and a baggy T-shirt but I'm too shook to give a damn. I march my way up to the front door with Luca hot on my heels I don't have to turn around to know he is following me I can hear his footsteps behind me.

I don't knock I yank open the front door letting it smack against the wall. I stomp inside and find my dad sitting in the living room with folders and folders of case files strewed about the floor.

"Pumpkin? What's the matter?" My dad frowned taking in my demeanor and then Luca stepped to the side from behind me.

"Fuck." My dad gasped and jumped up from the floor. His eyes wider than I'd ever seen them before.

"You knew." I state frozen in my tracks.

"Yes." He sighs answering me even though I wasn't asking.

"How could you do that to me? You knew how bad I was hurting. You watched me suffering for a year and said nothing! My own father!" I snap trying to wrangle in my emotions but was struggling.

"Livy Lou you were in danger so I agreed to do whatever it took to keep you safe plus I knew about your relationship with Marino and I thought that this would make you get over him and maybe even find someone else maybe even be happy, get married or hell even have kids. I wanted you to have a chance of normalcy." I hear Luca suck in a sharp breath I know my dads words hurt him but I couldn't care about that.

"Normalcy? You knew he'd come back eventually and what did you think would happen then? This isn't normal dad! This is fucking insane!" I yell throwing my hands in the air.

"You thought I'd just what? Get over him? I can't just do that. I can't move on like he didn't exist because he did, he still does! I gave him my heart over a year ago dad. Everything I have done this past year has been for him. I wake up and go to work and run his businesses ones I didn't even want but I do if for him! I force myself to get out of bed every morning when I don't want to because my chest hurts so fucking bad but I do it for him. He still has my heart and I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive him, I don't even know if I even want to try. But you? You're my dad and I'm fucking heartbroken. All the men in my life betrayed me and all at once and then two of them proceeded to be around me like nothing happened because y'all knew the truth." I wipe tears that had started falling sometime during my speech.

"Olivia I am sorry that you are hurting. I'm sorry I had a part in breaking your heart but I won't apologize for doing what I thought was best for you. I trusted Luca to handle Joseph and apparently he did. I knew he'd come back for you Livy Lou. I wanted you to find happiness, I want you to be happy. If that means being with him then I'll learn to accept it. If that means you leaving him and finding happiness on your own well I'll be just as happy with that. My only concern is you. It always has been, it always will be. You can be mad at me all day and all night but at the end of the day you're still my babygirl, you are all I have left other than Felix and Alonzo but you? You're are my world and I'm sorry for hurting you." My dads voice cracked at the end of his own speech and tears pooled in his eyes.

I get where he is coming from as a parent. If the roles were reversed I'd make the same choice if it meant keeping my kid safe. Is it a tough call to make? Absolutely! But it doesn't make any of this okay.

"I understand dad. I love you, I always will. I need some time and a little bit of space from you and from Luca. I can't think straight right now. So for a while I won't be coming to family dinners. I need to think things through to process this all." My dad sighs but nods understanding what I'm telling him I need.

"Olivia don't push your father away. I asked him to help me, I told him my plans and he knew it was a bad idea but he reluctantly agreed. Don't push him away. Push me away, it's my fault." Luca spoke the first time since being here at my dads. Push him away? He has been gone a year, he couldn't be further away than he already is.

"I'm going to do what I think is best for me. I don't need you or my father telling me what I need to do not anymore. I'm a grown ass woman."

"So what does that mean for me?" He asks and I turn around and face him. He looked so casual in dark wash jeans and a black V-neck shirt showing off his perfectly sculpted arms.
He looked mouthwatering and I felt my hormones stirring heavily under my skin. A year without him and I'm ready to jump under the sheets with him but can you blame me? A girl has needs.

"You can have all of your businesses back. I don't want them, I never wanted them. Since you're back you take over again. And as for us? Well I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you. Him I have to because he is my dad and he is all I have left but you hurt me. You broke me Luca and you promised never to hurt me and you did. I know you had your reasons for it and believe me I get that big time because I'd do anything to keep you safe if I had to. I just need time and space that's all." My chest hurt saying the words out loud. I didn't want space from him. I missed him for a whole year and I wanted to be with him but in the last twenty four hours my world was rocked so hard I still feel like I'm spinning.

"Liv if you think I am going to let you go forever, you're wrong. I told your dad a year ago that I planned on asking you to marry me when this was all said and done. I still plan on doing that. So take the time and space you need but I'm warning you I won't stay away from you forever. I'm back and for good, nothing or no one will keep you away from me, not even yourself." He offered me a small smile but his words ring in my ears. He told my dad he planned on marrying me? A year ago I would have been over the moon about this and I feel my stupid heart thumping violently in my chest beating for him, I know he is my forever. I know I'll never love another man the way I love him and I don't even want to try but I refuse to give in so easily to him right now.

"I will meet you at the hotel tonight at six to give you all the paperwork to your companies. I don't need them anymore since you are taking them back over. Now if you'll both excuse me I can't be in the same room with either of you right now." I push passed Luca and leave him and my father frozen in their tracks. I walk away holding my head high even though internally I'm falling apart. I have dealt with Luca and my dad but there is still Pierre. I pull my phone out and send him a text to meet me at the hotel at six as well even though I'm sure Luca will bring him along anyway.