That Night in November

Summary: Inspired by Reiyo the Giant's November, That Night In November tells a story about Olivia Braxton, who thought she found real love, only for it to be a love she'll have to heal from.

Author's Note: This is a slight prequel to a novel project that I'm working on.

Content Warning: Infidelty and Emotional Abuse

Words: 6.6k

~~~

She’ll always remember that night in November.

Back when he wanted and craved her love, body, and spirit…or so she thought.

Scott Gertner's Rhythm Room, the best place in Houston to watch live entertainment and eat good food. That night showcased a Neo-Soul singer from the Bronx, who was there to promote their single and upcoming EP.

Olivia Braxton, a beige-brown woman in her late thirties with a dark brown pixie cut, could barely hear the singer as she waited on customers. Scott’s was packed that evening with the singer’s local fans, regular customers, and the randoms that just wanted to leave their homes for the evening. While she took the order of one of those random couples, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she moved her neck like she was trying to massage away a kink, but she was actually getting a glimpse of the figure that caught her attention.

A dark-brown man about six-foot tall with a short, black afro locked eyes with her and grinned. He was escorted to a table in the far corner since he usually came for the food and not the entertainment, so he wouldn't miss much.

Once the couple decided on what they wanted, Olivia wrote it down on her pad and took their menus. She stole another glance at the table and saw that his drink order was taken by Lisa Hail, a golden-brown-skinned woman in her early thirties with black hair styled in a cute perm rod set. When she entered the kitchen to place the couple’s ticket onto the spindle, she waited for Lisa with a ticket for a different table. As soon as Lisa walked in, she waved the ticket for her.

"Handsome, single, software developer, either late twenties or early thirties."

The younger woman gave her a small smile, knowing what she was up to. "Do you always have to wait on him when he comes?"

"Handsome software developer," Olivia reminded her, waving the ticket again.

Lisa rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she took the ticket from Olivia and placed the one from the far corner table onto the spindle. "He wants-"

"A sweet tea," Olivia finished and poured fresh tea into a cup for him, then added the right amount of sweetener and a lemon on the glass rim. "And he ordered the Ribeye Steak meal with an extra side of Mac N' Cheese."

Lisa raised an impressed brow, which made Olivia smirk.

"You tend to remember the order of a regular customer."

"Mhm." The way Lisa pursed her lips showed that she didn’t believe her coworker.

"You shouldn't get too involved with your customers," said Veronica Clarke, the dishwasher who looked old enough to have scrubbed Abraham Lincoln's dishes.

Olivia rolled her eyes, but listening to her probably would've saved her a heartbreak. Then, she was so mesmerized by the tall, dark, handsome man that all she could think about was getting to know him.

Once the glass was made to his liking, Olivia set the tea on the tray and walked out of the kitchen. Pushing through the ever-increasing crowd, she made it to his table and set the drink down. “Sweet tea with the lemon on the side. Just the way you like it.” She winked at the end of that last sentence.

Tall, dark, and handsome looked up at her with a bright smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She returned his smile with one of her own while giving him a straw from her pouch. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“Can I ask for your name?”

“You already know my name,” she told him with a bashful grin.

“I know,” he said with a chuckle. “I just like hearing you say it.”

“My name is Olivia, and I’ll be your server for the evening.”

“Nice to see you again, Olivia,” he said with that charming smile he gave her every time he came there.

His words made her cheeks warm.

“Miss,” another customer interrupted their moment. “Can I get some more water?”

“I’ll be right there.” Olivia gave the customer a friendly smile before grinning at him. “Excuse me.”

“Trevor,” he said before she could walk away.

She furrowed her brows. “I’m sorry?”

He flashed that charming smile again. “That’s my name.”

She smirked before sauntering away.

It took a couple of hours for things to calm down, and by the time the singer finished the songs of their upcoming EP and a couple of unreleased tracks, half the restaurant was gone. Olivia took an unauthorized break at Trevor’s table, holding a conversation with him as his food was in to-go containers inside of a tied plastic bag.

"You didn't," she told him while clutching her sore stomach from laughing at a ridiculous story he told her.

"You really don't believe me?" He asked with a chuckle of his own.

"It's not that I don't believe you, but it’s a little outrageous that you and your friends jumped a bridge, only for the car to land in front of the police station."

“Without getting caught,” he added, before raising his right hand honorably. “On my Bentley, that really happened.”

Her laughter calmed, leaving a smile on her lips.

“You have a beautiful smile.”

Her cheeks warmed for the second time that evening. “Thank you.”

The pair locked eyes with each other before Olivia cleared her throat, ready to continue their conversation.

“What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a Cardiologist at Memorial Hermann.”

“A cardiologist,” she repeated with an impressed nod.

“I plan to open my own practice someday. That way I can help my patient one-on-one without the stress of working in a hospital."

"Here I thought working in a hospital would be exciting. There's always something going on, and you get to make love in the on-call room while Coldplay plays in the background."

"You must watch a lot of TV." He shook his head, but chuckled. "I assure you, it's not like that."

"I would hope not. I assume getting involved with a coworker would cause a lot of mess."

"I was never involved with a coworker, but I dated a lab partner in college. It didn't end well, but I passed the class."

Olivia nodded and gave him a warm smile. "You know, being a doctor explains so much."

He returned her smile with the same charming one he had been giving her all night. "Does it?"

She nodded again. "You come here almost every other night. I know the cost of eating here adds up."

"What can I say? I like the steaks here."

The steaks weren't the only thing he liked. Olivia could tell by the way he looked at her, and not just because of her excellent service.

“Olivia,” Leon, her manager, interrupted the beautiful moment to grab her attention so she could help clean.

"I'll be right there," she told her manager, then gave Trevor a sad smile. “I have to go, but it was nice getting to know you."

"Likewise, beautiful."

"Will you be back in a couple of days?”

“Actually, I was wondering if we could see each other outside of here.”

She chuckled in disbelief. "Are you asking me out?"

"I am. We can get some coffee if you'd like."

"Olivia!" Leon called her again, but she waved him an index finger to give her a minute.

"Coffee would be nice. I know a place, but it could be out of the way."

He flashed that charming smile yet again. "For you. I'd go anywhere."

He made her cheeks warm for the third or fourth time that night; she lost count after a while. Before she could embarrass herself further, she stood up from the table, so she could help with cleaning.

"Wait," he called her back and gave her a $20 bill. "This is for you. I really enjoyed your service."

"Thank you." She took the bill with a grin. It wasn't unusual for him to leave her big tips, but this would be the first time he put the money in her hand. "I'm off Thursday if you're free."

He nodded. "Thursday."

She took out her pad and pen to write her phone number, handing it to him on a folded paper. "I'll see you Thursday." With that said, she turned on her heels and walked away from him.

And that’s how it started. The man who gave her great tips became the man she loved with everything in her, and eventually a man she hated with every fiber of her being.

~~~

Olivia wasn't sure if she believed in soulmates, but Trevor was the closest thing she felt to one.

When Thursday came around, they met up at Java Owl on East NASA Parkway, and Olivia ordered the Chocolate Decadence frappe, her usual.

"It tastes like frozen hot chocolate with a hint of coffee bean," she tried to convince him with a cute smile.

Trevor eyed her suspiciously before taking a sip. It didn't even take a minute for him to nod in agreement. "It's good."

“I told you,” she told him with a shrug, sipping on her drink.

The pair sat on the couch in the corner, having an open and honest conversation.

“My parents split when I was nine years old,” he said, after sipping the last of his frappe. “Then we left Philly and moved to Florida, of all places.”

She sipped on her frappe again and replied, “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”

“Only when you’re adjusting to a place that isn’t your home.”

“Do you ever plan on returning to Philly?”

He shook his head. “I visit occasionally to see my boys from the old neighborhood, but Texas is where the work is.”

Olivia giggled. “Yes. Every time you turn around, someone has a Now Hiring sign.”

“Is that how you became a waitress?”

She nodded. “I’ve worked odd jobs ever since I dropped out of U of H. I’ve done concession stand work, fast food, stocking. I even had a pet-sitting business for a while.”

Trevor chuckled at her. “You’re an ambitious woman.”

“Thank you.” She took another sip of her drink. “I tried different things to see where my passion lied, and I found baking.”

He furrowed his brows in disbelief. “Baking?”

“Yes, and believe me, my mother, the prestigious literature professor, was not pleased with my decision.”

“Really?”

“She wanted me to follow in her footsteps and become a professor or a lawyer. I went to the University of Houston to major in Pre-law, but my heart wasn’t in it. So, I dropped out and used my trust fund to maintain my apartment while I worked two jobs.”

Trevor nodded again. “I’m surprised you didn’t go somewhere like Harvard.”

“Trust me, my mother pushed, but all it did was make me pull away. Enough about her. Tell me more about you.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Tell me what part of Florida you moved to.”

“Boca,” he answered, then sipped on his second order of frappe. “We lived in a retirement community while my mother cleaned houses for a living and went to school at night.”

“What did she study?”

“Nursing. She’s the reason I got into medicine.

Olivia noticed how his eyes lit up when he spoke about his mother. “You two must be close.”

“We were. She died almost two years ago.”

Her lips curled into a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay. I’m still making peace with it.”

“I lost my father to cancer when I was fifteen. I may not understand what you’re going through, but I know what it’s like to lose a parent.”

He gave her an appreciative grin. “Thank you.”

"You're welcome."

As they got lost in each other's eyes, Olivia marveled at how perfect their date was going. He was open and vulnerable with her, and she thought that made her special.

~~~

There was no question about seeing him again after their perfect first date. Phone calls became a daily occurrence when he was between patients and the few nights she was off. She fell asleep on the phone with him a couple of times. On nights when he left the hospital early or didn't have to go in soon, he visited her at Scott's to order his usual meal and distract her from her other customers. Even then, he would still leave her generous tips.

She felt like the only woman in the world from the affection and attention Trevor gave her.

On the day he wanted to make their relationship official, they were having a romantic dinner at his downtown condo when he gave her a beautiful white gold necklace with a heart-shaped pendant.

"What is this?" She asked him with a bright smile.

"Cartier," he told her with a nervous grin. "I got it because I want to ask you something."

"What's on your mind?"

A minute of silence passed while Trevor gathered his thoughts.

"I love you, Olivia."

Those words made her heart sore, and she had to fight the scream that bubbled at the top of her lungs.

"I want you," he continued, "but I don't want to be just your partner. I want to be your best friend, lover, shoulder to cry on, and your reason for smiling. I want to be your everything.”

Tears flowed down her cheeks as their lips found each other in a hungry and passionate kiss.

They made love for the first time that night, and it was an incredible experience. Olivia had never been with a man who could make her feel the way he did that night.

She and Trevor were meant for each other, and she was sure that nothing could stand in the way of their love.

Until Wendy entered the picture.

~~~

Like most people in love, Olivia dealt with her partner's negative qualities, his need to feel special, and the sacrifices she made while asking for nothing in return.

The first change in their relationship happened after she moved into his condo with him. Their relationship had only been official for three months, but living together was a step they were willing to take. One evening, as they were getting ready for a banquet with his fellow surgeons, Olivia put on a simple, but elegant black dress, feeling like the baddest woman walking. While she applied lipstick at her vanity table, Trevor stepped out of the closet to tell her that the dress made her hips look wide, and he didn't want her to feel embarrassed. Despite how good she felt in that dress, she reluctantly changed into something he thought looked better on her.

Another red flag that she overlooked was his need to "educate" her when he didn't agree with her opinions. Once, they were discussing a television show and had different opinions on who the main character is better fitted with–his on-and-off girlfriend since season one, or the sassy new girl that entered in season five. All Olivia said was he should choose the sassy girl from season five, and Trevor launched into a rant about how the character's previous girlfriend is better for him, despite their inability to stay together. She couldn’t even defend her point because of how he overtalked her. Olivia didn’t want to have a massive argument about fictional characters, so she tried dropping the subject only for him to continue their "educated debate". To maintain peace between them, she kept her mouth shut through his rant, but she drank two full glasses of wine to recover from such a draining conversation.

She willingly overlooked these red flags, hoping her love would change him, but the one red flag that changed their relationship went by the name of Wendy Brown.

Wendy was his best friend from Florida, who moved to Houston because Trevor got her a job at Memorial Hermann. They met at and studied Pre-Med at the University of North Florida. Fortunately for Olivia, she discovered she wasn't the classmate he dated, but that didn't make her less uncomfortable around that woman.

The morning he was set to pick her up from the airport, Trevor hummed Usher's U Got it Bad while making sure his tie looked presentable and his cologne smelled nice. He barely made that kind of effort to look nice for her, and it took everything in Olivia not to give him the meanest glare she could conjure. She would've questioned his odd behavior, but she was already walking on eggshells with him since he lost an important patient and some of his confidence. She was careful about what she said or does to keep him from launching into one of his rants.

Another thing that made her uneasy was the fact that Trevor had been texting other women. Olivia wasn't one to invade her partner's privacy and go through his phone, but she saw the messages when he left the phone on the counter, faced up with the screen unlocked. 'Thank you for today,' the message from Liz (Work Wife) read. He told her Liz was thanking him for buying her a donut to cheer up after an argument with a coworker. She didn't believe him, but as she became accustomed to, she kept her mouth shut and drank her wine.

At the airport, Olivia drank tiny bottles of Cabernet while he waited for Wendy with a bouquet of pink roses, something else she bit her tongue about. It didn’t take long for an olive-brown-skinned woman with a dirty-blonde sew-in tied back into a ponytail to walk over to him and wrap her arms around his neck.

"Hey, you," she greeted him. "Long time, no see."

Trevor wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight and spinning her around. “I missed you.

Olivia watched as his hands were dangerously close to Wendy's bottom, and one wrong move would make his hands grip it.

They held on longer than she was comfortable with and it took her clearing her throat to get their attention.

Trevor immediately pulled away and gestured to her. “This is Olivia, my lady.”

Olivia fixed a smile on her face as she stood up to shake Wendy’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Trevor has told me so much about you.”

“That’s funny. He barely mentioned you.” Wendy gave her a polite smile, and Olivia ground her teeth to prevent the scream that bubbled in her chest.

“I don't have to tell you all the mundane details in my life,” was all Trevor said, and she narrowed her eyes at him. He would’ve noticed if he wasn’t giving Wendy the roses he got for her. “These are for you.”

Her eyes lit up as she took them from him. "These are beautiful. Thank you."

"Anything for you." He gave her that same charming smile he used to give her at the restaurant. “You’ve had a long flight. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

“Yes,” Wendy replied while linking arms with him. “And don’t worry about taking me somewhere expensive. Denny’s would be just fine.”

He chuckled as they started towards his car. “Just like college. Grand slam breakfast every Saturday to get those brain juices pumping.”

Wendy chuckled. “We had to have a balanced meal if we were going to spend all day doing homework and reading assignments.”

Olivia walked behind them as they got lost in a conversation about their college days, completely icing her out. It wasn’t until they were halfway to the car that Wendy looked back at her with a friendly grin.

“I’m sorry. I never asked what you did for a living.”

“I wait tables part-time.”

“Ah.” Wendy nodded. “Are you making a career out of it?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s a gig to pay my bills while I attend HCC.”

Wendy furrowed her brows at the acronyms until she understood what it meant. “Oh, community college. Must be nice.”

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Olivia placated her with a friendly smile. "I’ve attended a university before, but as a free spirit, it wasn’t for me.”

Wendy chuckled. “Well, I’m sure you’ll outgrow that eventually.”

Before she could even ask her what that meant, Trevor secured Wendy's suitcase in the trunk. “Let’s go ladies.” He walked over to the front passenger side and opened the door for Wendy.

“Thank you.” She smiled at him while sliding inside.

“You’re welcome.” Once he closed Wendy's door and went around to get in the driver’s seat. He probably would’ve left without Olivia if she hadn’t gotten in the backseat with a heavy sigh.

During the six-minute drive to Denny’s, Trevor and Wendy talked as if she wasn’t there, and it didn’t stop once they were inside the diner. At the booth, she sat on one side by herself while they were side by side talking about how Golden State will always be the best basketball team, why they preferred Storm with the Black Panther instead of Wolverine, and medical stuff Olivia wasn't interested in. They were so deep in their conversation that they almost didn’t notice the waitress taking their order and remarking under her breath that they were such a nice couple, causing Olivia to glare at the innocent woman. She tried to give the two friends time and space to catch up, but she didn’t like being treated as a third wheel.

“So Wendy,” she eventually interrupted them, “when do you start your job?”

Wendy gave her a kind smile. "In two weeks, which should be enough time to settle in and adjust to Texas living.”

“Fair warning, it’s hot more often than not.”

"So basically Florida.” Wendy chuckled at her own words.

Olivia placated her for the second time that day with a smile, but she really wanted to graze her nails against that seemingly perfect skin. “I’m sure Memorial Hermann would be happy to have you.”

“Thank you. I can’t thank Trevor enough for recommending me for the Chief Surgeon position.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he interjected with a charming grin. “You’ve worked hard and deserved it. I can’t believe your old hospital turned you down for a neurosurgeon with nice cheekbones.”

“Their loss is Memorial Hermann’s gain.” Wendy cupped Trevor’s cheek, and he didn’t try to pull away.

Olivia sipped on the Sprite she ordered, wishing it was as strong as the bottles of wine in their liquor cabinet. That way she wouldn’t feel the powerful urge to chuck a sugar container at their heads.

After a couple of minutes of Trevor and Wendy getting lost in each other’s eyes, Olivia cleared her throat to get their attention. “So Trevor once told me he got romantically involved with one of his classmates in college.”

"If you're talking about Valerie Chase, I told him to leave her alone. As usual, he has to find things out the hard way."

“He has a way of making things more difficult than they should be.” As she said this, Olivia avoided eye contact with him while sipping her Sprite, but she could feel his glare on her neck.

"Anyway,” Wendy brought them back on topic, “she chose her career over him. A good man like him didn't deserve someone who would do that to him."

That’s when Olivia caught the sparkle in Wendy’s eyes. She had feelings for Trevor. Olivia wasn’t sure if Trevor felt the same, but it was how Wendy felt.

"We're just friends," Wendy reassured her as if she knew what Olivia was thinking. "We were the only black students in our class, so it made sense that we stuck together. That’s why it’ll feel odd having to work on top of him.”

“I know you’ll figure it out,” Trevor said with a confident smile.

“I’m sure you will.” Olivia grinned to hide her sarcasm.

Wendy placed a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it comfortingly. “I’m sorry you lost your patient, Trev. You did everything you could.”

“Thank you,” he responded, his eyes locked on hers.

Olivia had half a mind to slap Wendy’s hand off his shoulder. Instead, she reached across the table and took his right hand that adorned a ring she gave him as a ‘Just because I love you’ present. He flinched as if he didn't expect her to touch him, then he took her hand with a warm smile, but it didn't reach his eyes as it did with Wendy.

~~~

Of all the places Wendy could've lived, she just had to live in their building on their floor.

When they made it to Wendy's condo, Trevor was nice enough to walk her inside while Olivia stormed past them and into the one she shared with Trevor, unlocking the door and slamming it behind her. She hung her purse on its rack and immediately went into the kitchen to pour herself some wine.

By the time Trevor came inside and folded his arms, she was halfway through her first glass. "Do you care to explain your behavior today?"

"I'm surprised you noticed I existed," she mumbled under her breath while gulping the last bit of her glass.

He raised a brow, a clear sign he heard her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Does it matter?" Olivia rolled her eyes and poured herself another glass. She didn't care to discuss the day's events, just wanted to drown her emotions in glasses of Cabernet, then go to sleep.

"It does if you're acting like a child."

Her jaw dropped in disbelief. "You didn't just say that to me."

He shrugged. "It's the truth."

Silence overtook them as Olivia sipped away the second half of her glass. "Wendy likes you," she finally said. "And I don't mean just as a friend."

Trevor narrowed his eyes at her again. "Is that what's bothering you? You're worried about another woman interrupting our relationship?"

"You haven't exactly made me feel secure. Liz, Stacey, and now Wendy."

"I told you nothing happened." A lie, but Olivia let it slide. "And Stacey was some woman at the bar who didn't understand no." Another lie. He probably led that woman on. "Wendy is just my friend. You're the one I'm with."

"I don't feel like it," she mumbled, pouring her third glass.

Trevor walked around the island and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I love you, Livvy."

Her cheeks warmed at his special nickname for her, and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. She hated how he would make her feel that way when she was mad at him.

"I mean it." His voice was low and husky, making it harder to resist him.

She turned in his arms and gave him a hard and passionate kiss. As he lifted her and placed her on the counter, she didn't care that he knocked her favorite glass on the floor.

Nor did she care he would keep her up half the night, forgetting about their argument.

If Olivia had good friends, they would've told her to leave and move on with her life. That's why it was so easy for her to get caught up in his web and charm and deceit. She loved that man, and he knew how to make her feel good in more ways than just one.

~~~

Olivia ended up being right about Wendy. Yet Trevor had the audacity to gaslight her into thinking otherwise.

She wasn't sure when it began, but it became obvious one day during a trip to the hospital. She often visited on her off days to drop off food because that man would get too caught up in work and not eat. When he hugged her gratefully, she smelled Paradise Passion—a Caron brand perfume—on him. Olivia wore Japanese Cherry Blossoms from Bath & Body Works, so the scent didn't belong to her. She got a whiff of Paradise Passion when she spotted Wendy in the parking lot and gave her a polite smile before getting into her car.

Trevor must've thought she was stupid. The extra hours at work, hickies on his neck, and how she would smell her perfume on him when she came in from work or late-night study sessions. He did his dirt right in front of her, yet he still lied about it. If he had told the truth and said that Wendy was meeting needs that she didn't, she would've tried harder to please him. Maybe then he wouldn't have to step out on her.

Olivia had half a mind to confront them, but she didn't want them lying to her face and making her seem insecure when she knew the truth about them. Leaving Trevor wasn't an option since she had given up her apartment to be with him, leaving her with nowhere else to go. The money she was making at the restaurant wasn't enough to get her an apartment while she attended school.

The stress of the affair took a toll on her, and she would often drink to suppress her emotions enough to focus on her schoolwork. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep her grades from slipping.

If only he knew how his actions made her feel.

And when the opportunity presented itself, it hurt worse than the actual betrayal.

~~~

One thing a man can't take is when his woman dishes out the same treatment he's been giving for a while. And the same treatment came in the form of Vincent Stewart.

Vincent was every cliche Hallmark love interest. Yellow-beige man in his thirties with blue eyes, dirty-blonde hair, a beautiful smile, and the physique of a man that lifted weights four days a week. He was a pastry chef that taught one of Olivia's classes at Houston Community College.

Since living with Trevor gave Olivia a more stable income, she lessened her hours at the restaurant so she can focus on perfecting her baking craft and building her own business.

After class one day, he asked to see her in his office after her last class to discuss her grades, which she agreed to.

Olivia wasn't sure what had happened. One minute she was telling him that her grades slipped because of stress in her personal life, and the next, she initiated a kiss that he didn't pull away from. Soon, she found herself on her back while he trailed kisses from her lips, up to her ear, and down her neck. Her skin tingled at his touch, and he made her feel things she hadn’t felt in a long time. She didn't care about the inappropriate power dynamic between them or the consequences that would ensue. She just wanted to feel something other than pain and despair from her man not loving her the way she deserved.

Afterward, she made Vincent promise this wouldn't affect her grade in his class. It would be unfair to the other students if her grades got better because of their encounter.

Olivia returned to the condo and faced the music, easier said than done. When she walked in, carrying her work shoes in her hands, she and Trevor immediately locked eyes, but she said nothing. She didn’t have to. The scent of lovemaking after a hard day’s work in a kitchen wafted off her.

“Where have you been?” He asked her as if he had the right to question her after his many transgressions with Wendy.

“I needed to speak to my professor,” she left it at that as she walked towards the bedroom. It wasn’t a lie, just half the truth.

“It's 8:30. Why are you just now getting in?”

Without responding, she went into the bathroom and closed the door in his face, locking it behind her.

This prompted him to bang on the door for her attention. “Olivia?!"

The sound of the running shower was the only response he received, and she could hear him pushing away from the door with an exasperated grunt. Once he was gone, she removed her clothes and got in the shower, letting the water wash away the traces of Vincent Stewart. She stayed there longer than she usually would, hoping to stall as much as possible, but she eventually had to get out so she could talk to him. She waited until she finished applying cocoa butter to her skin before opening the door.

Sure enough, he was leaning against the door frame, scowling darkly at her for an explanation. "I want the truth, Olivia."

He didn't intimidate her like he wanted, so it was nothing for her to push past him and walk over to her dresser to put some clothes on. "Let's not talk about this, please."

Of course, her request would fall on deaf ears. That wasn't what Trevor wanted, and his wants were the only thing that mattered.

"So you're running around like a hussy now?" Again, he acted as if he had the right. As if he didn't commit himself to one woman, yet lying in the bed of another.

As she pulled out a pair of black joggers and a black tank top, she contemplated if she should keep her mouth shut and pour a glass of wine as she usually would. However, she suddenly felt bold enough to tilt her head at him and reply with sarcasm, "What's good for the goose should be good for the gander."

He furrowed his brows. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You should know." Olivia had her clothes on by this point and she ruffled her short hair while turning her back toward him and walking out of the bedroom.

Trevor followed behind her and leaned against the door frame."Your insecurities are not my responsibility. Just because Wendy is a beautiful, intelligent woman, doesn't mean you should feel threatened."

She stopped in her tracks and released a frustrated huff, narrowing her eyes at him. "Are you ever going to admit that you're cheating on me with her?"

He said nothing, not that he had to. The elephant stood right there in the room with them, and she looked dead at it while he kept his eyes adverted.

It took two minutes of silence to pass before she realized a mature conversation would not happen between them. "I may not be a doctor, but I'm not stupid." She heaved a devastated sigh as tears welled in her eyes, but she shook her head and fought them back. . "I shouldn't have to compete for a man who wanted to be my everything."

Olivia opened the wine cabinet to grab the usual Cabernet bottle and looked for her favorite glass in the cupboards.

"There you go again with that wine," Trevor complained with gritted teeth.

She shot him a glare. "Either I pour myself a glass or chuck this bottle at your head. Which do you prefer?"

"Are you really acting like this because of your jealousy towards Wendy?"

She rolled her eyes again."I'm supposed to be jealous of a woman with bleached skin and an obvious nose job. What an upgrade."

He glared at her sarcasm."Better than you."

Olivia returned his glare with one of her own. Was he seriously defending another woman over her, his partner?

When she sipped the wine instead of responding, Trevor smirked like an evil man that had her right where he wanted. "You're not saying anything because you know it's true."

She leaned back against the cabinet, sipping her wine. "It's funny how you can't take back the crap you dish out."

"You're the one that had sex with another man."

"And you're the one screwing the woman that lives down the hall. Tell me, does Wendy know about Liz, Stacey, or whoever else you're texting that's not me or her?”

Trevor dismissed her with a wave. "This is exactly what I get for wasting my time with you. I should've left your useless behind at the restaurant I found you in."

Before either of them could flinch, the Cabernet bottle flew off the island and into the wall behind him. Trevor’s face would’ve been cut if his reflexes hadn’t moved him out of the way. Once the shock wore off, he gave her the meanest scowl he could muster.

"Who do you think you are throwing a wine bottle at me?!"

Olivia couldn't say anything because of the lump forming in her throat. She turned away from him, so he couldn't see her cry, and went over to the closet and grabbed her tennis shoe, not even bothering to put them on before walking out of the door.

Fortunately, he didn’t follow her. She needed to get air or something. Either way, she needed to get away from him.

~~~

It wasn’t unusual for Olivia to visit Scott’s on her off days. She loved the food, so she occasionally dropped by to order a plate. Tonight, however, she was there getting a drink. She didn’t have to go in the next day, so her manager didn’t care about her alcohol consumption as long as she was healthy, got home safe, and have a clear head by her next shift.

Olivia rested her head on the bar while tears fell. Soon, she sat up to wipe the tears with a napkin and sip on the now-melted margarita, letting the tequila wash away her sadness. Then, she turned towards the stage to watch the performer, noticing it was the same singer from the night she met Trevor. The singer had just released an album, and they were promoting it by booking smaller venues across the country. Olivia recognized a song from that night, so she closed her eyes and listened intently. The words touched a pang in her heart. The song reminded her of Trevor. How he once loved her, and now that love was a distant memory.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Olivia opened her eyes and realized that her relationship with Trevor wasn’t serving her anymore and she needed to get out. Unfortunately, that would force Olivia to make a hard decision that later proved to be the lesser of the two evils.

She took out her phone and texted her mother: I need you.

Olivia once told Trevor that she would rather walk on a path of broken glass than call her mother for anything. Now, her mother was all she had.

After a couple of hours, the singer finished their set just as Olivia finished her text conversation with her mother. Then, she paid her bill, called an Uber, and left. When she returned to the condo, she didn’t see Trevor there. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was at Wendy's, doing things she didn't care to know about. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t in the mood to see or talk to him.

Olivia walked into the bedroom to remove her clothes and put on a large t-shirt with a pair of shorts before climbing into bed and hugging her pillow. The condo didn't feel the same anymore. A place once filled with memories of two people in love was now the place that destroyed her faith in love and made her feel worthless.

She considered calling Vincent for comfort and revenge, but that would only make her feel worse.

Tomorrow, she would pack her things and leave Trevor for good. Days later, she'll get an essay-long text from Wendy, saying that she was wrong for leaving Trevor, and he was too good of a man for a woman like her. Weeks later, she'll realize that Scott's is no longer his favorite place to eat steak with mac’ n' cheese. And a month later, she’ll stop going to Java Owl because of the memories.

The emotional roller coaster she'll have to ride to recover from the damage the relationship caused will start tomorrow.

But tonight, as she lies in bed alone, she'll remember that night in November.