“Hey,” I tell her, and try to look anywhere but at her. When my gaze finally lands back her way, her eyes are full of contrition.
“I am so very sorry,” Sutton says.
I can’t stand that she actually sounds like she’s in pain, so I hastily say, “It’s okay. I’m good.”
“No, it’s not okay. You’re right…I judged you and judged you badly. I didn’t give you the benefit of the doubt. And what kills me about it is that I did the same thing to Alex when we first met, but I quickly realized he was more than what he projected on the outside. I should have known you would be the same way.”
The remaining vestiges of anger seep out of me and I give her a genuine smile. “It’s fine, Sutton. I get it, and when it boils down, it all worked out great for me.”
She lets out a relieved gust of air and her lips tilt upward. “Oh, thank God. I was prepared to do more groveling if needed.”
Sutton comes out from behind the counter and walks toward me with outstretched arms. I bend down and we hug it out, and when she pulls back, she murmurs, “You said it worked out great for you, but I’m thinking it worked out great for Olivia too.”
“It’s still early,” I tell her as I sit down on at the kitchen table. “I could still fuck this up royally.”
“Fuck what up?” I hear Olivia’s voice as she strides into the kitchen. “I let myself in, by the way.”
Immediately my heart feels lighter and my dick wants to come out and play with her. Man, she gets me worked up on all fronts.
I reach out and snag her hand, pulling her toward me. I bring her right down onto my lap so I can nuzzle her neck. “I was telling Sutton I could still fuck up this relationship with you. I’m so new at this whole dating/commitment/monogamy thing, I’m bound to screw up.”
Olivia wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me. “Well, let’s not set yourself up for failure. It’s really very simple…treat me like a queen, and you can never go wrong.”
“That I can do,” I tell her, and kiss her back.
“Oh, my God…I think I’m going to be sick,” Alex says as he walks back into the kitchen, clacking together a pair of grill tongs. “I’m not used to Garrett being so fucking mushy. Gives me the willies.”
“Fuck off,” I growl, and then kiss Olivia again.
“I think it’s sweet,” Sutton says.
Alex reaches into a cupboard and pulls out a platter. “Steaks are ready, so let’s eat.”Olivia hops off my lap, much to my dismay, and says, “What can I do to help?”
After much bustling while Olivia and Sutton set the table and put out all the side dishes, Alex and I get the steaks off the grill. Well, he actually retrieves the meat, but I have supervisory duties.
After we all pop a few beers to go with our meal, we finally sit down to eat.
“This is so weird,” Sutton says. “Garrett sitting here with a date.”
“I’ve been on double dates with you two before,” I mutter as I cut into my steak.
“Yeah…but never with someone that you actually like,” Alex teases.
“True enough,” I agree, and then I turn to Olivia. “But I’d like to hear what your doctor told you this afternoon, if you’re up for sharing with us.”
Olivia’s face gets tight with unease, but she gives me a courageous smile, patting her lips with her napkin before setting it back on her lap. “Of course, I’ll share.”
I reach out and take her hand in mine, rubbing the back with my thumb. She gives me a little squeeze and lets out a faltering breath. “Yeah…so, it’s definitely stage four. It’s in my bone marrow…the biopsy confirmed that. There’s nothing different to do, as Dr. Yoffman sort of expected that, given my symptoms, and started me on the appropriate treatment.”
“It’s okay,” I reassure her, even though it feels like the bottom of my stomach has just dropped. “It’s still treatable. Doesn’t matter what stage…he can put it in remission.”
Olivia gives me a tremulous smile, but her voice is a little shaky, even though she lifts her chin up with confidence. “Of course it will go into remission. It will be fine.”
“This isn’t the best news,” Sutton says grimly. “But we sort of expected it. The point is, this is a treatable cancer. It’s going to be fine.”
“Absolutely,” Alex chimes in. “You’ve got this beaten.”
I don’t even look over at Sutton and Alex as they’re talking. I watch Olivia and see the way she tries to keep the smile plastered to her face, even as they try to bolster her confidence. She’s struggling with it and looks like she’s about to crack.
I tug on Olivia’s hand and her eyes come up to meet mine. “There’s something else. What else did he say?”
Olivia stares at me for just a moment, then she pushes up out of her chair. Alex, Sutton, and I watch as she walks over to the counter and turns her back on us. Placing her hands on the edge, her head hangs down heavily and she takes a deep breath. When she lets it out, she turns to us and there is stark fear in her eyes.
“I talked to Dr. Yoffman a little bit more about the long-term prognosis.”
The silence in the kitchen is deafening, and I have a sick feeling that Olivia learned what I already knew. My eyes cut over to Alex and he looks at me with sympathy.