Her - S01 E23

5 months ago

Her - S01 E23

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 23

I have work

. . .

Xerxes Creed

What I felt every time I was reminded that she was far away from me was not dissimilar to what I used to feel before she was ours. I had known of her existence and ached for it to be touched with mine.

At first, I hadn't paid much attention to her. And then suddenly I was saying yes to every woman who looked like her, but then I'd be reminded that they weren't her. Staying away from her was agony. And now when she was ours, she was mine - staying away from her was getting impossible. I hated Arnaud as much as much I liked the fact that Olivia was finally getting the recognition she deserved.

I looked at my Grandmother as she drank her wine, looking over the party beside me. Opening my mansion to host parties was not something I did often, but I could use a distraction. It was another social event. Maybe it was someone's 50th birthday, I wasn't aware.

"You know," she said. "Your woman has social obligations here." She looked at me, dressed in a suit. She would never allow a woman to wear a suit to a party, but rules didn't apply to her.

"She will attend social events when she is ready." I doubted she'd ever want to do that.

"The world doesn't stop for those who lag behind, Xerxes." She sighed. "I say this with love. If you plan to keep her for the rest of your life, she needs to make her place in the mafia, not only in your house."

Gianna wasn't wrong. Our mafia was yet to even know her, and most of them knew her as the cause of Harry's death. Kylie's mother was well known and respected, and every time people saw Kylie in a wheelchair, they were reminded of Olivia.

"Your cousin is getting engaged in two weeks," she said, nodding her head towards Samuel's brother - Malcolm Creed. He was getting married to some woman of my grandmother's choosing. "Bring Olivia."

"I'll consider it."

She gave me a short nod and walked away, instantly approached by people.

I glanced at where Zavier sat, gulping down a glass of champagne. I knew what he was going through, I had gone through the same thing when I left her. It had gotten better only slightly with time.

I spent the rest of the evening playing my part and shaking hands with business associates, resisting the urge to grab my phone and call her. I knew a party like this would be too intimidating for Olivia, but I needed my family to be willing to defend her out of respect rather than out of fear.

Later that day, I sat at the piano as I admired the picture Ashton had sent me. She looked tiny against the giant canvas she seemed to be working on, and Paris glimmered in front of her. My hands craved to touch her.

And now that I knew she was on her period, I wanted nothing more to fly to her. I knew Ashton would take care of her, but it wasn't enough. I wanted to be there, or for her to be here.

"Are you sulking?"

I looked at Kylie who rolled herself into the burnt room. She glanced at the ceiling, and at the part of it which was completely dark. "This is going to collapse one day."

"No," I said. "It won't." I had made sure it wouldn't. I liked the room, it served as a reminder. Everything can be taken from you in a blink of an eye.

She hummed. Her hair was no longer blue. I wasn't used to seeing her hair brown.

"How are you, kid?"

She shrugged, coming closer. "Better. Therapy is helping."

"I'm glad. Why are you here? The party is over." She didn't like lingering, not after what happened.