FicWad

Patrick weaved his way through the dancing bodies in the club as he made his way to the bar. The bass pounding in his bones. He had caught a glimpse of the familiar outline of his friend standing there. He wanted to be so much more than her friend. She was so sweet and smart, and he thought she was beautiful. However, she was dating his best friend and that made her off limits. So he contented himself with being her friend and holding a small flame of envy for Pete.

“Hi ‘Liv. I thought Pete said you were still in New York.” He said as he wrapped his arm around her waist from the side.

Olivia turned in his arms to flash her gorgeous green eyes at him. “My meeting with my editor ended early. I changed my flight and thought I would surprise Pete.” She returned his hug and kissed him on his cheek. She noticed how good he smelled.

He always smells good, the thought floated through her mind.

“I’m sure he’ll be surprised. He’s been missing you.” Patrick answered her.

He took the opportunity to admire her. She was a petite redhead, with a smattering of freckles over her nose, big bright green eyes and all the right curves. He had always thought she was beautiful. He had never thought she would be attracted to him. He was five years younger, pudgy and just a big geek at heart. As these thoughts rushed through his head he noticed Olivia’s face fall. She was looking over his shoulder at something. Patrick turned to see what she saw.

Pete was sitting at a table across the dance floor with some tart in his lap. As Olivia watched, Pete slipped his hand up the skirt of the tart and kissed her deeply. Olivia knew Pete liked to flirt, she knew he would kiss and make out with just about anyone, but the hand up the skirt was pushing the limits. Then she watched as Pete stood up and grabbed the hand of the tart and pulled her in the direction of the restrooms.That was just too much for her to take. She felt her heart break. But she wasn’t surprised, she had suspected he was cheating.

Olivia turned her eyes back to Patrick as he started to go after Pete. She reached out and grabbed his arm. “Patrick. Stop.”

The tone of her voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned to face her, questioning her with his eyes. Searching her face for what she was feeling.

She put a small sad smile on her face and said to her friend “I’ve had a long day. If you will please excuse me, I think I’ll go home now.” She let out a small sigh and slipped past him to the door.

Patrick stood rooted to the ground for a second, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened, before turning to follow. He pushed past the moving bodies around him, following Olivia out the door.

“Olivia! Wait! Please stop!” Patrick yelled after her. She stopped at her car and waited for him to catch up to her. “’Liv, are you alright? Can I do anything for you?” He asked her with real concern in his voice.

Olivia stood with her head down, car keys in her hand. “I’ll be ok.” She looked Patrick in the eye and said. “I’m a big girl. I know how to take care of myself. But you could do one thing for me.” He only nodded his reply. He would have done anything for her, anything. “Don’t tell him I was here. Let me get a head start.” She looked Patrick deep in the eye. Hopping he understood.

“Sure. W-What are you going to do?” He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, like he was never going to see her again. He was afraid all of a sudden that she was going to disappear into the night like a mist.

Her eyes dropped to the ground before she said “I’m going to leave. This isn’t working anymore and I’m going to end it with him.” She didn’t want to look him in the eye.

“Livie” he breathed as he pulled the older girl to him. “If you need some place to stay, come to my place. Anytime you need to. You know where the spare key is.” He held her tightly to him and felt her hold him back just as tightly.

“Thank you Tricky. I just may take you up on that offer.” She whispered into his ear, before she kissed him softly on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you soon.” And with that she slipped into her car and drove away.

Patrick turned to go back to the club. If he hadn’t promised Olivia he wouldn’t say anything he would have kicked Pete’s ass. He was so angry with his friend. How could Pete do that to someone he’s supposed to love? Patrick couldn’t understand it. Patrick didn’t stay much longer. He made the rounds, talked to who he needed to and then said his goodbyes. He decided to head home, hoping Olivia would show up sometime tonight.

Olivia pulled into the driveway at the house she shared with Pete. She had only moved in a few months earlier. Pete had insisted. He thought it was silly for Olivia to pay rent on a place she hardly ever slept at. When he was home she was with him, so why keep an apartment? She pulled herself out of her car and opened the front door. Her bags from her business trip were right where she had left them an hour before. She grabbed the suitcase and headed for the bedroom. She hurled the suitcase on the bed and ripped open the closet door. Rummaging through the closet she found the other bags and suitcases she had used to move in. She pulled all of them out and stacked them on the bed. Olivia opened the already packed bag and pulled out the dirty clothes, putting them into another bag. She filled her smaller bag with clothes she would use in the next few days. Then she opened her drawers and started to dump their contents into her bags.

About an hour and a half later Olivia was standing in the kitchen giving the house one last look over. She had everything that was hers packed and loaded in her car. She was ready to leave but wanted to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind. Pete still hadn’t come home. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. She had a lot she wanted to say to him, but didn’t know if she would be able to stay strong if he was in front of her.

She grabbed a pen and a piece of note paper. Her intention was to leave him a note telling him what was going on, but her words failed her. Finally she wrote ‘I was there tonight. I saw you. I’m leaving. Your key is in the mailbox’ Before she walked out the door she reached up and unclasped the locket she wore. Pete had given it to her for her birthday last year. She loved it, and always wore it. Olivia left it on the kitchen counter next to the note. She left the house, locked the door and dropped the key in the mailbox.

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Patrick got home and let himself in. He dropped his keys on the table in his front hallway and headed to the living room, flopping down on the couch. He grabbed the remote and started to flip through the channels, hoping to find something to keep his mind occupied. Just as he found something the doorbell rang out startling him. He jumped up and ran for the door hoping it was Olivia. He pulled it open with more force than needed to find her on his doorstep.

“Hi.” Olivia said. She stood on his doorstep with a suitcase in her hand. “Is your offer still up for grabs?”

“Yeah, of course. Come in.” Patrick said, stepping to the side and opening the door wider. Giving her room to move through the door. She was familiar with his house. She walked through the hall and put her suitcase in the guest room. Patrick busied himself in the kitchen making coffee. He knew Olivia would find him when she was ready. Before the coffee was done she came into the kitchen.

“Thanks for taking me in Trick.” Olivia said.

“Of course I’d take you in ‘Liv. So, what happened?” Patrick asked as he offered her a cup of coffee. Milk and two sugars, just like she liked. Patrick always remembers how she liked her coffee, but Pete never did.

Olivia took the cup and sat at the breakfast bar. “I packed up all my shit and left.” She told him.

“How did Pete take it?” Patrick wanted to know what he would be dealing with from his best friend.

“He didn’t come home. I left a note.” Olivia smiled slightly, picturing Pete finding the note. He would be pissed, she knew that, but she wondered what else he would feel. Shame? Guilt? She hoped so.

“That explains why I haven’t heard from him yet. What are you going to do Olivia?” More than anything Patrick didn’t want her to leave. His heart had a hard enough time with her not being his, having her leave would break it completely.

“I’m going to go home.” She said.

“Home?” Patrick repeated. “Why so far away?” He sounded heartbroken.

Olivia heard the desperation in Patrick’s voice. She studied him and wondered, not for the first time, if maybe she had dated the wrong friend. She wondered if maybe he had feelings she didn’t know about.

“I can’t stay here. I don’t know where I’ll end up, but for now I’m going home.”

“You can stay here. You can stay with me, you’ll always have a home with me ‘Liv.” Patrick was trying to talk her into staying with him.

Olivia leaned over and placed her hand on Patrick’s face, looking deep in his eyes. “Thank you for your offer, but I can’t. I need to get my head straight. Please understand.” Olivia wanted to beg for his understanding. Of everyone she knew in L.A., he was the one that mattered. He was the one she would keep in touch with and he was the one she wouldn’t stop loving. And she did love him very much, maybe too much for just a friend, or her boyfriend's best friend.

Patrick looked back at her over the top of his glasses. “I understand. I wish you didn’t have to, but I understand.” He finally said. “Will you keep in touch?” He asked her.

“With you? Of course.” She said as she smiled at him.

“When are you planning on leaving?” He didn’t want to, but felt compelled to ask.

“Tomorrow. It should take me two days to drive up to Portland.” Olivia watched his face as she told him, he looked hurt and defeated.

“I’ll miss you.” Was the only answer he had for her.

“I’ll miss you too Tricky.” She told him.

They were interrupted by the door bell ringing again. Patrick got up to see who was at his door at 1:30 am. Pete was standing there, apparently he had been home and found the note and locket.

“Pete, what’s going on?” Patrick asked his friend.

“I know she’s here. I see her car in your driveway.” Pete said as he pushed his way into Patrick’s house. “Olivia!” Pete yelled into the house.

Olivia walked out of the kitchen and said. “I guess we need to talk.”

Pete stopped where he was. He plastered a fake smile on his face and said. “Baby, what’s going on? I come home to find a note telling me you’re leaving. Your stuff’s all gone. I don’t understand.” Pete had taken a few steps toward Olivia.

She stood her ground, arms crossed over her chest. “You’ve been cheating on me and I finally have proof. I’ve suspected for a while now, you know. Tonight just proved it to me.”

Pete’s face fell. He had thought he was being careful. The other girls had meant nothing to him. He loved Olivia, he was just having fun with the fan girls that threw themselves at him. “But, I love you Olivia.” Pete told her, feeling lost all of a sudden.

“I know you do Pete, but your love is meaningless if you can’t keep your dick in your pants and out of other women. I need someone who can be faithful to me. I deserve better.” Olivia said in her coldest tone. She was angry. She hadn’t really had much time to process any of her feelings yet. “I deserve better than you.”

Patrick just stood to the side quietly, hoping they wouldn’t remember he was in the room. Watching as his friends ended their relationship.

“I’m sorry Liv. I really am. I don’t want to lose you. Please come home.” Pete begged.

“I can’t Pete. I can’t trust you anymore.” Olivia said, shaking her head.

Pete realized he wasn’t going to get anywhere with her. He knew her well enough to know when she had made up her mind and wasn’t going to change it. “Here.” He said reaching into his pocket, and pulling out the locket. “This is yours. I gave it to you. I still want you to have it.” He handed Olivia the locket.

She reached out and took it from him. “Thank you.” She said in a whisper.

Pete turned on his heel and walked out the door. Patrick followed Pete out to his car. “Pete, wait.” he called out to his friend. Pete stopped and turned to Patrick. “Are you going to be alright?” As angry as he was at the way his friend had acted he was still worried.

“How long is she going to stay with you?” Pete asked.

“She says she’s leaving in the morning.” Patrick said.

“Will you call when she’s gone?”

“I’ll come over after she leaves.” Patrick promised.

“Take care of her. She’s right, you know? She does deserve better than me.” Pete sounded lost and hurt. Patrick was concerned for his safety.

“Pete, are you going to be ok?” Patrick asked, worry in his voice.

Pete turned to his friend and said. “Yeah, I’ll be ok. Don’t worry I won’t do anything stupid.” Pete got into his car and drove off.

Patrick went back in the house and went to find Olivia. He found her sitting on the sofa looking at the locket with tears running down her face. It was the first time Patrick had seen her cry. He went and sat on the sofa with her, putting an arm around her, pulling her head to his shoulder. He just let her cry, offering the only comfort he could.

The next morning Patrick walked Olivia out to her car and had to say goodbye to the woman he loved for good.

“Thank you for everything Tricky. Thank you for being a good friend. I’m going to miss you the most.” Olivia said to him.

“You’re welcome Liv. I’d do just about anything for you.” Patrick had to tell her how he felt before she left forever. “I…I…I’m going to miss you.” His courage failed him.

Olivia looked at him, wondering again what his real feelings for her were. She took a chance, she had to know before she left. She stepped close to him and put a hand on his face, liking the way his sideburns felt. She leaned in and kissed him. He returned the kiss with more heat and passion than she expected. When she pulled away from him she had a small smile on her face. Now she knew she had dated the wrong friend. But now it was too late.

“Good bye Patrick. I promise I’ll keep in touch. I…I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say.

“Sorry for what?” Patrick asked, confused. He had finally had the chance to kiss the one he loved and now she was apologizing.

“For picking the wrong friend. Please don’t forget about me. I’ll be back, once I’ve had a chance to figure things out. I’ll…We’ll see each other again.” She said before she slipped into her car and left him standing alone in his driveway.

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Olivia kept her promise. She called Patrick a couple times every week. She had found a small house in a small town on the Oregon Coast. She seemed happy there. She told him she was working on another book. This one had come quickly to her and her editor loved it. This one was going to be the one that put her name on the map. The one she had finished before the breakup was coming out that summer. They never talked about Pete, or the kiss they had shared.

Patrick and the rest of the band went on tour over the summer just like they had planned. But he was miserable. He still loved Olivia and wanted her badly. Pete had moved on quickly, to a wanna-be pop princess. The girl had very little talent and was annoying. Pete had insisted she come with them on tour. None of the guys cared much for her, but putting up with her was better than listening to Pete bitch about her not being there.

They reached their stop in Portland, the closest city to where Olivia was living. She knew they would be there, but he wasn’t sure if she would come or not. He wanted to see her. She had promised him they would see each other again. But that had been months ago.

Dirty came on the bus and told the guys a package had been delivered for them. It was something they were going to want to see. The package was waiting for them in the dressing room. It was a big box from Olivia. Inside was a wrapped package for each of them. A letter addressed to all of them was on top. Patrick opened it and read it out loud to them.

Guys,
I’m sorry I can’t make it to the show.
I was looking forward to seeing you all again.
Please forgive me. I’m stuck in New York, promoting my new book.
It’s being released tomorrow. I was able to get you each a copy.
Read the dedication. I think you’ll like it.
All my love,
Liv.

Patrick handed out the books, each one had a post-it with a name on it and everyone opened their copy to read the dedication. It said:

For Joseph, Andrew, Peter, and Patrick.
Without you this book wouldn’t have happened.
Keep making music and love what you do.

Pete was the one to read it out loud. He was taken aback by the words. He thought he had lost Olivia forever. Now he wondered if maybe she still loved him, or if she still wanted to be friends. Patrick wished she could have been there. Her words meant so much to him. He took his copy and sat down to start reading it. He flipped the pages and found a letter tucked inside the book.

Patrick,
I meant what I said. I want to see you.
When the tour is over please come visit me.
Love you,
Liv

As soon as the last show of the tour was over Patrick grabbed the bag he had packed and left the guys. He had made arrangements to fly to Oregon and visit Olivia. She knew he was coming and was as excited as he was. It was a late night flight and when he landed he picked up the rental car and left for the coast. It was a long drive to where Olivia lived. It took him almost three hours to get there. But her directions were spot on and he didn’t take a single wrong turn.

By the time he got there it was early morning, about 4:30 am. The lights were on in her house, as if to welcome him. He didn’t care if he was tired. He didn’t care that he hadn’t slept in almost twenty hours, all he cared about was seeing the woman he loved and telling her how much he loved her. He got out of the car, grabbing his bag from the back set, and headed for the door.

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Olivia was sitting in her small kitchen waiting for Patrick to arrive. She had missed him more than she thought she would. She knew now that she had made the mistake of dating the wrong friend. She still had feelings for Pete, but they were more of the friendship kind of feelings. She loved Patrick. He was the one she wanted. She only hoped she was right about how he felt toward her.

She jumped when she heard a car door slam in her driveway. She ran for the door and threw it open. He was there, just like he had promised. She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight.

“I’ve missed you so much.” She told him.

Patrick held her tight and said. “I’ve missed you too. More than you know.”

Olivia let go of him and let him in the house. She showed him where to put his things and offered him some breakfast and coffee. When he accepted she busied herself in the kitchen cooking for him. As they ate they made small talk. She wanted to know everything about the tour. He wanted to know everything about the new book.

As Olivia got up to clean off the table she looked at Patrick and saw how tired he looked. “Tricky, you look so tired. Do you want to try to get some sleep?” She asked him.

Patrick looked up at her and nodded his head. He stood up and walked over to her and said. “There’s one thing I want to do first.”

“What’s that?” She asked.

Patrick placed both hands on her face, letting his thumb run over her lips lightly. “This.” Was all he said before he leaned in and kissed her. She kissed back with a desire neither of them expected. When they pulled apart to catch their breath he whispered to her. “I love you Liv. I always have.”

“I love you too Patrick. I love you too.” She said before she led the way to her bedroom.