Olivia examined Durbin’s dumbfounded expression. Doubt filled her mind. “Well, if it wasn’t you, who did it?”
“I don’t know. I’m sorry I have no idea.” Durbin shrugged.
“Hmm. This is strange. I figured it had to be you. My bad.” Olivia scratched her head in confusion and paced the room. “So, umm, is the camera problem fixed?”
“Yeah. For the most part, you’re all set.” Although he towered above Olivia, he appeared lesser with his lack of confidence. “Um. May I ask you a question?”
Olivia huffed and put her hand on her hip. “Of course, you can ask me a question. What is it now?”
“You seem to be short with me at times. Is there something I did wrong to you?” Durbin attempted to make eye contact with Olivia. He resorted to gazing at her shoulder.
Olivia grew warm with a hint of embarrassment. She relaxed her stance and dropped her hand from her hip. “Durbin. I’m sorry for not coming across as friendly. I have a lot going on in my life right now. You haven’t done anything wrong to me. I tend to release my stress out on other people.”
“I see. Life happens and people get caught up in their problems. I hope things ease up on you,” Durbin offered.
“I appreciate your understanding.” Olivia softened her voice. Having this conversation with Durbin seemed weird in her bedroom. She led the way to the living room and he followed.
“I’m glad it’s not me.” Durbin gave a smile. He cleared his throat. “Since it isn’t something I did, will you reconsider going out with me?”
His persistence irritated Olivia. She stopped short, turned to face him, and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Durbin, I’m flattered by your interest. I need time for myself. The answer is still no. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Durbin raised his glasses higher to the bridge of his nose. “It’s okay. I’m used to women turning me down a lot. I guess I still don’t know how to get dates.”
“Don’t think of it as a putdown.” Olivia hated the way he laid a guilt trip on her.
“I get it. I’ll go now. Um. Let me know if you have any more problems with the cameras. Bye.” Durbin darted out the front door. He jumped in his car and drove off in such a hurry, he ran across the curb with the front tires.
Olivia ran her fingers through her hair thinking about how she hadn’t struggled this hard to reject a date since before getting married.
TWENTY-NINE
Olivia
Grey’s Anatomy had gone off and Olivia fought to stay awake on the couch to catch the new show by Shonda Rhimes called Scandal. She had to find out what her namesake planned to do with her crisis management expertise. “Lord knows I should learn something from Olivia Pope.”
Olivia picked up her wine glass. Wearing cream-colored, Winnie the Pooh pajamas and Eeyore slippers, she padded to the kitchen to get a refill. The bottle of Pinot Noir had less than a quarter of wine left, which she emptied into her goblet.
A thump on the front side of the house caused her to jump. “What was that?” She stood still and gripped the wine glass in her hand. She tried to decipher the sound above the commercial playing on the television.
Olivia clicked off the light and eased to the window. She slid the edge of the curtain to the side as slow as possible before peeking out. The motion detector lights illuminated the area in front of the house. Nothing appeared out of place except for a tree swaying in the wind. She made a mental note to ask the lawn guy to trim it back.
She headed back to the kitchen to snatch a can of honey roasted almonds from the pantry and proceeded to the sofa.
Olivia laid on the couch with her head propped on the pillows. She placed the goblet on the coffee table and grabbed the remote to adjust the volume on the TV. A louder thump hit the picture window in the living room followed by a crashing sound of glass breaking.
Olivia screamed and jumped from the sofa as a projectile flew in her direction, smashing into the wine goblet on the table. The glass shattered and splattered crimson liquid across the floor, sofa, and Olivia’s pajamas.
“Oh, my God,” Olivia yelled. Glass crunched beneath her slippers when she ran to the kitchen to hide. A second flying object passed through the window and almost hit her as she dove beneath the table. Using her hands, she covered her head and rolled into a fetal position to protect herself.
Olivia heard the roar of a car screeching away from the front of the house. She continued to lay on the floor trembling, not knowing if anything else would fly into the window.
Pounding on the front door, followed by the persistent ringing of the doorbell startled her. She heard someone yelling, “Olivia. Olivia. Are you okay? Are you in there? It’s me, Dion.”
“Oh, my Lord, Dion.” Olivia scrambled from beneath the table and tiptoed across the glass-covered hard-wood floor of the living room. Weak with fear, she found it hard to move her legs.
She leaned against the door to peek through the peephole. A sigh passed through her quivering lips upon seeing her neighbor standing on her porch with his eyes widened with concern. Dion and Olivia had become fast friends when she moved in. He welcomed her into the neighborhood before anyone else.
Olivia threw open the door. “Dion,” she cried, “I’ve been attacked.”
He gripped her arms. “I know. I heard the glass breaking when I let Coco out to go to the bathroom. I ran over right away,” Dion exclaimed. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I think I’m fine,” Olivia’s hands shook, which she folded beneath her arms to hold still. “I can’t stop shaking though.”
“I bet.” Dion crinkled his eyebrows and scanned his eyes across Olivia’s face. “You have a few specks of blood on your left cheek. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“I do?” Olivia raised her fingers to her face. She drew her hand back and flinched. “Ouch. Some glass must’ve hit me.”
“It doesn’t appear to be serious,” Dion reassured. “It’s a good thing the pieces didn’t get in your eye.”
“Thank God. Did you see anyone?” Olivia asked and attempted to calm herself. She stared at the ruined sofa, table, and floor, covered in wine and broken glass.
“I didn’t see a person. I noticed an old, blue Thunderbird speeding out of the neighborhood. It had to be whoever did this. Do you know anyone who drives that type of car?” Dion asked.
“I have no idea.” Olivia blew out a long breath of air and surveyed the damage. Two squares in the window were now mangled messes of jagged glass and metal. The gaping hole allowed cool evening air to seep into the house. “I can’t believe someone would do this to me.”
Dion inspected the window further. “Man. Who did you piss off? These windows are double-paned like the ones at my house. They had to have thrown something pretty hard to break through both.”
“Unbelievable,” Olivia whispered and made her way around the living room.
“Be careful about walking in this area. You don’t want to get cut,” Dion warned as Olivia searched to find out what object had been thrown.
“Who does something like this in our neighborhood?” Olivia pondered, baffled by her own question.
A sand-colored rock, the size of an orange, lay on the floor near the sofa. “Check this out.” Dion bent to pick it up. “Here’s the weapon. Good thing you weren’t hit by this thing. It would’ve knocked you out.”
Olivia’s eyes widened with the realization of the danger she had been put into. She noticed another stone laying on the floor at the entrance of the kitchen. She grabbed it and held it in the air for Dion to examine. “This is the second one that whizzed by my head when I ran for cover. I can’t believe this. They used the rocks from my garden.”
“We need to call the police right now,” Dion suggested. He removed the cellphone from his pocket.
Olivia’s phone rang. She tiptoed to the sofa and found it splattered with wine on a cushion. She picked it up with two fingers and wiped it on her already stained pa
jamas before answering the speakerphone.
“Perra loca,” a man’s voice screamed through the speaker. “Stay away from my cousin’s man. Or else.” The phone call ended.
“Damn, Olivia. Someone is mad as hell.” Dion’s mouth hung open.
Olivia tilted her head and stared at the phone in her hand.
Twisting her lips and nodding her head with the revelation of the attacker, she gazed at Dion with a sense of calmness. “Don’t call the police. I know who did this. I’ll handle it.”
“Are you sure?” Dion waved his phone in her direction.
“I’m sure. I know what’s going on here,” Olivia replied.
“Okay,” Dion said with hesitation before slipping his phone into his pants pocket. “Well, I think you need some reinforcement around here. You may not think help is necessary. After what happened tonight, I want my friends to keep you company.”
“Your friends? Who?”
Dion reached into his back pocket. He removed a gun and laid it on the living room table. “Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson. Most reliable bodyguards you’ll ever need.”
Olivia chuckled. “Your gun? It’s not necessary. I already have my own.”
Dion nodded his head as if impressed. “Now, that’s what I’m talkin’ about. I love women who know how to care for themselves.”
“I bought one a few years ago after having a crazy bodybuilder boyfriend who stalked me.” Olivia rolled her eyes in remembrance.
“Your man stalked you?” Dion’s eyes bugged in surprise.
“Yeah. A guy named Ross. After I found out he failed to tell me he had a wife and kids, I ended things with him. He didn’t handle it too well. Next thing I knew, he started hanging around my job and house. Fortunately for me, he ended up being arrested for dealing drugs out of a smoothie shop he owned.”
“I remember hearing about him. Wow. You dated him?” Dion raised his eyebrow. “His case was all over the news when he and his ring of dealers were busted.”
“Yep. I think his wife turned him in. He deserved what he got. Thank God, I never had to use my gun on him. I would’ve been ready though.”
“Alright, my sister.”
“A weapon wouldn’t have helped to resolve this situation tonight though. Everything happened too fast for me to respond.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Dion tucked the gun back into his pants. “Well, you need to stay on high alert after what happened.”
“I will.” Olivia peered at Dion with curiosity. “Do you always go around with your gun strapped on you? I heard this area has a low crime rate. I didn’t realize we need a neighborhood watchman.”
“Always. Somebody has to protect our homes.” Dion puffed his chest out with pride.
“Well, I’m glad I have extra coverage since you’re always on the lookout. Like I mentioned though, I know who did this. It’s not someone I would use a weapon on unless they entered into my house.”
“Based on what I’m seeing, they used a weapon on you and didn’t care if they could’ve hurt you.” Dion scowled. “Are you sure it isn’t one of those people who’ve been harassing you after the house fire? A few of those notes sounded threatening to me. You should’ve gone to the police to show them what you’ve been receiving.” She’d been transparent with Dion about her case. He proved to be trustworthy and a good friend.
“I know. I believe the people who sent those are harmless. Probably some kids or their parents. I hope they’ll stop pestering me at some point. I can’t imagine pulling a gun out to shoot one of them unless they attack me,” Olivia explained.
Dion snapped his fingers as if he’d remembered something. “Wait. You’re on probation. Are you allowed to have a gun?”
Olivia nodded. “Since I received deferred adjudication for my crime, I’m able to own a gun.”
“Good. You need to protect yourself.” Dion surveyed the damage. “Those rocks could've killed you.”
“I know.” Olivia shrugged and took another look at the rocks.
“My concern is what will you do if they come back to try to do more serious harm?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep my little friend handy to enable you to sleep in peace tonight.” Olivia threw up her hands in surrender.
“Good. I’ll put some tarp on the window. Let me know if you need anything else. I’ll keep an eye on things tonight in case they come back.”
“Yes, sir.” Olivia swung her hand to her forehead to salute. “Thank you for checking on me.”
Dion crossed the floor to the front door. “Neighbors need to take keep an eye on things for each other.”
“I appreciate you. Have a good night.” Olivia closed the door behind Dion.
She picked up the cell phone and tapped on the screen to dial a number.
“Malcolm, I need you to come to my house. Now,” she demanded and tossed the phone on the stained sofa.
THIRTY
Olivia
“What makes you think Mariah did this?” Malcolm crunched through Olivia’s living room assessing the vandalized house. He stroked his chin before asking, “You said you didn’t see who it was, right?”
Olivia folded her arms and stared at Malcolm. “Who else would have someone cuss me out in Spanish and tell me to leave their cousin’s man alone? I have cameras, which I’m sure caught everything. I haven’t even checked them out yet.”
“Oh. I guess you’re right,” Malcolm grimaced. “Did you call the police?”
“No. I called you. I wanted you to find out first-hand how crazy your future baby mama is. This is the chick you have around our children.” Olivia seethed.
“Well, she’s still mad at me about the other night.” Malcolm rubbed his hand along the back of his head.
“Is the lump on your head one of the results of the pot beating you got from her?” Olivia asked with a slight chuckle.
“It’s not funny. Yes, she hit me hard when she found me in the pantry. I didn’t see it coming.”
“Did she attack you anymore after I called to check on the kids?” Olivia snickered.
“She called her cousin and had him come get her. I haven’t seen her since.” Malcolm scrunched his eyebrows appearing to be distressed. “She’s not answering my calls.”
“Hmm. I wonder why.” Sarcasm saturated Olivia's voice. “By the way, what kind of car does her cousin drive?”
“An old Thunderbird,” Malcolm responded.
“Unh-huh. It was definitely, them. My neighbor, Dion, spotted the car. She’s loco en la cabeza.” Olivia swirled her forefinger in the air on the side of her head to make the point.
Malcolm’s face sagged with regret. “I’m sorry, Olivia. I had no idea she would go this far. You know some women don’t handle things too well…” Malcolm stopped talking and dropped his eyes from Olivia’s face.
“Go ahead. I know what you’re thinking. I’m one of those women. Yeah, I’m not proud of how I handled situations in my past when someone activated my triggers. I can relate one hundred percent. Although I destroyed our house by setting it on fire and she only threw rocks, she’s still crazier than I am. You may want to watch your back. Don’t leave any matches around your house.” Olivia wagged her finger at him as a warning.
“Stop talking like that. No one is going to burn down any more houses,” Malcolm stated with exaggerated firmness.
“I’m just sayin’. You’ve got yourself a wild one,” Olivia teased.
Malcolm covered the distance between the two of them. He removed the broom and dustpan from her before grabbing
Olivia’s hand. Desire filled his face. “All jokes aside, do you mind if we sit in the kitchen for a moment? We need to talk.”
Surprised by his actions, Olivia nodded with uncertainty. “Sure. About what? Do you want to tell me about how you’re going to pay for my window?”
“You know I don’t have any money to help. Your insurance should cover this, right?” Malcolm asked.
/> “Whatever.” Olivia waved her hand to dismiss his words. “I see ain’t nothing changed. What do you want to discuss?”
“What I need to tell you has nothing to do with what happened tonight.” Malcolm waited until the two of them sat at the kitchen table. His eyes softened as he gazed with intent into hers. “Olivia. I know I haven’t called you since I stopped by the other night. I’ve been thinking about everything we did.”
Olivia searched Malcolm’s face listening to the words coming from his mouth. “I’ve been thinking about it, too. I’m struggling with what it all means.”
Malcolm nodded. “I prayed about it. About us. I know I did a lot of wrong things throughout the years. I made stupid mistakes.”
“Okay. What are you trying to say?”
Malcolm dropped to his right knee and took Olivia’s left hand. “Olivia. I want us to be together again.”
Olivia leaned back in her chair to get a better look at Malcolm. She had to make sure he wasn’t high on drugs. “Excuse me? What do you mean by us being together again?”
“Liv, I realize I want you, actually, need you in my life. We need to be a family for the sake of our kids.” A tear slid down Malcolm’s face. “I’m not a perfect man, by no means. You have to believe I will do everything to make sure I do right by you.”
Olivia placed her right hand on her mouth. She couldn’t believe the scene playing out before her eyes. A response stuck in her throat.
Malcolm dropped his head before gazing up at Olivia with his face wet from crying. He massaged her knuckles with his thumb. “Olivia. What I’m saying is, I don’t want us to go through with the divorce. I want you to still be my wife. I’m going to end things with Mariah. I’ll raise my son when he’s born but, I’m not going to marry her. Let’s get back together and make our marriage work,” Malcolm stated with optimistic determination.
Emptiness filled Olivia’s brain. No word, sentence, or paragraph would form in her mind. She rocked in her chair and gripped Malcolm’s hand.
Malcolm continued. “I know we have a lot to grind through. We’ll get marriage counseling and find a way to make it work. You and me. We can conquer anything. I love you and I know you still love me, too. Please tell me yes, Olivia,” Malcolm pleaded.
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