Waves: A Cabenson Fanfiction

Chapter Eleven: Watch Over Me

It was close to midnight when Alex heard the door open.

            “Olivia?” she called frantically and saw Olivia in LAPD sweats.

            “Alex”, Olivia’s voice broke as she ran and collapsed into Alex’s arms. “Alex.”

            “Liv, what the hell happened? Are you okay?”

            Olivia looked up at Alex with tears in her eyes. “I need a drink.”

            Alex led Olivia to the couch. She grabbed a bottle of tequila from the cabinet and a couple glasses. She ran back into the living room and set everything down on the coffee table. “Liv, what happened?”

            Olivia explained everything. She started crying halfway through. Alex gripped her hands and listened with great sadness at the ordeal Olivia had been through in the past few hours.

            Olivia leaned over and filled her glass. She tipped her head back and drank it all at once. “He would’ve raped me.”

            Alex studied Olivia’s face. “He’s gone now, Liv”, she said softly. “He’ll never touch you again. He can’t hurt you now.”

            Olivia filled her glass again. “I did everything I was supposed to and it almost happened to me. It almost happened.” She drank again.

            Alex took Olivia’s glass from her hand. “It’ll be okay. It really will.” Alex felt her own sadness bubbling. “Do you want a shower?”

            Olivia nodded. She reached for Alex’s hand and looked at her face. “I’m sorry.”

            Alex looked into Olivia’s bloodshot eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry for”, she said quietly. She led her friend to the bathroom.

            Olivia turned and looked at Alex once they were inside. She stood, unmoving.

            Alex held Olivia’s gaze for a while. Then, she stepped toward the still brunette. She reached past her and turned the shower on.

            Olivia still stood there.

            Alex reached over and took the bottoms of Olivia’s frayed, police-issue LAPD sweatshirt and lifted it over her head. The sound of the shower running filled the air of the humid, tile bathroom. Then, Alex touched the waistband of the blue sweatpants and, getting on her knees, pulled them slowly to the floor. Olivia tossed her head back slightly and stepped out of them.

            Alex took her clothes in her hands and set them down on the sink. She turned back toward Olivia. She placed her own shaking fingers along Olivia’s jaw. “I’m right here”, she barely whispered.

………….

            Olivia heard the sweet sound of Alex’s voice in her ears.

            She suddenly felt self-conscious of her plain, gray cotton underwear and matching bra. She caught Alex’s traveling hand and held it against her face. “Thank you”, she said quietly.

            Alex looked down at the floor, then back up at the detective’s face. She ran her thumb across Olivia’s cheek before gently pulling her hand away. She gave a small, sad smile, turned and left.

            Olivia’s hand traced where Alex’s had been.

            The spray of the shower did not offer one single distraction. Olivia’s skin was cold, and coming in contact with the hot water sent chills through her body.