“Oh, Care Bear,” she sobbed as her friend pulled her into her arms, hugging and comforting her.

“Come on. Let’s get you warmed up.”

Olivia started sobbing harder, thinking about just a few days previously when she had been followed after her therapy session and Alexander had run down to the street after he received her message. He had said the same thing. Let’s get you warmed up. Olivia was fairly certain that she could find pieces of Alexander dotted throughout her entire existence.

She walked into Kiera’s living room, sitting down on her couch and pulling a blanket around her shoulders. “Do you want some coffee, Libs?” Kiera asked, going into her kitchen and grabbing a mug from the cabinet.

“Yes, please. Might as well make it an Irish coffee, though. I need the alcohol this morning.”

Kiera grabbed a pod from a basket and put it in her one-cup brewer, adding some whiskey. She quickly returned with two steaming cups, sitting on her reading chair opposite the couch.

A movement in the hallway caught Olivia’s eye. “Oh, Kiera. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come over. I didn’t realize you had company.” Olivia got up, ready to leave, when Mo appeared in the living room with just his t-shirt and boxers on.

He walked over to where Kiera sat and planted an affectionate kiss on her forehead. “Morning.” Mo smiled.

“Morning.” Kiera gazed into his dark eyes. Olivia stared, feeling slightly jealous of her two best friends.

Mo tore his eyes away from Kiera, eyeing Olivia. “What’s wrong, Livvy? You don’t look too hot.”

“Great. Thanks, Mo. You really know how to make a girl feel good about herself,” she sobbed out, heading toward the door.

Kiera grabbed a box of tissues and extended her arm. “Libs, sit your ass back down. You’re not going anywhere.”

“Fine,” she said, stomping back to the couch, grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose.

“Now, tell me what happened.”

“Do you want me to leave, Livvy?” Mo asked, a look of concern on his face.

“No. You can stay.”

He sat down next to Olivia, placing his hand on her leg as a sign of comfort.

“Okay, Libs. Spill it,” Kiera said, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Alexander freaked out when I said that the gossip mags had gotten wind that he was involved with me. He said it was some bullshit reason of trying to protect me because everyone would be calling me and staking out my house now. But then it came to me. The reason he was freaking out is because he’s ashamed of me. He’s trying to hide me from all the other girls he’s obviously banging. So I went to leave, and he told me he loved me, that I’m the only girl for him, and that he’s been searching for me his whole life.” Olivia sobbed.

“What did you say to that?” Kiera asked, knowing only too well what the answer probably was.

“I told him there’s no way he could love me. It’s just too soon,” she responded quietly, visibly cringing in anticipation of her friends’ reactions.

“Livvy,” Mo said. “You’ve been seeing each other since August. It’s almost April, for crying out loud. I’m not counting those few months that you pushed him away because that was just fucking stupid.”

Olivia glared at him.

Mo’s voice softened as he looked at his friend. “Love doesn’t have a start date. It doesn’t have a 'use by' date. It doesn’t have an expiration date.” He turned to look at Kiera, his affection for her obvious. “I should have told you years ago that I loved you, but I was too scared of your reaction.”

Kiera blushed. “I love you, too, Jack.”

Olivia had forgotten for a minute that everyone called him Jack. She stared at the two most important people in her life, wishing she could have what they had. She had that for a brief moment, but she couldn’t possibly love Alexander.

“He’s definitely sleeping with other people. I just know it. Why would he be so worried about our relationship being public knowledge? It’s the only explanation that makes sense.”

“Sarah Olivia Adler!” Mo shouted. “Do you have any idea how unreasonable you sound right now?!”

She shook her head and looked over at Kiera, hoping she would understand where Olivia was coming from. Kiera nodded her head, indicating that she agreed with Mo. Olivia mouthed traitor to her friend. Kiera shrugged.

“He loves you and you’re finding any reason you possibly can to push him away. Come here.” Mo grabbed her arm and sat her down at the kitchen table in front of Kiera’s laptop. He punched Alexander’s name into the Google images search and clicked on a photo that Olivia hadn’t seen yet. It was taken the night before, but it wasn’t of the kiss. It was taken before the kiss. Olivia was up on stage singing. It looked like it was taken from the side of the stage. Alexander’s face was in focus and he simply gazed at Olivia as if she was the only thing in life worth living for, a sparkle in his eyes.

“Look at that, Livvy,” he said, gesturing to the screen. “Can you honestly tell me that man does anything other than worship the ground you walk on? I see the way he looks at you. I’ve seen it the past several months. He would do anything for you, and you just walked out on the best fucking thing that has ever happened to you. AGAIN!” Mo’s voice was rising, his anger showing. He took several deep breaths as Olivia stared at him, wide-eyed. He had never raised his voice like that to her before. “I thought you got over all your self-destructive bullshit,” he said quietly.

Olivia continued to stare at him, unsure of how to respond. “I’m sorry,” she apologized weakly.

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to.” Mo stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Olivia shocked.

She looked to Kiera sitting silently in the living room. “What if I don’t love him?” she asked quietly.

Kiera shrugged, not knowing how to respond to Mo’s outburst, either.

Olivia grabbed her bags and walked out the front door, wanting to be alone for a minute to think. She didn’t get her wish. As she opened the door to hop in a cab, photographers were set up, snapping photos.

“Shit. How the fuck did they find me here?” she mumbled. Immediately, a black SUV pulled up in front of Kiera’s house. “Of course.” Carter and Marshall both exited the vehicle, Carter getting rid of the photographers as Marshall tried to get Olivia into the car.