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“Okay, great. I will, then. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. Merry Christmas!”

Perhaps because her own emotions ran a little high, Grace did not immediately notice anything wrong with her lover. But then, it struck her, as Olivia showed her through her workshop for the first time, that she seemed to lack her usual spark.

“Everything okay?” she prompted.

“Sure.” But her eyes had gone strangely flat, and she looked away quickly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Really. Let me show you the—”

“Olivia.” Grace stood in front of her and took her face gently in her hands. Now it occurred to her that she looked shaken. “Did something happen?” she repeated in concern. Then pretty much guessed it. “Did Jeremy have a go at you?”

“While you were in your father’s office,” Olivia admitted. “I know not to take it to heart, but he cornered me and—”

“What?” Grace roared, fury rising. “If he hurt you, I’ll—”

“No, no. It’s okay. He didn’t hurt me physically, but he said hurtful things about you.”

“Gosh, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

“It’s not your fault. And he was just pushing buttons.”

Grace noted her reluctance. So she pushed harder. “Tell me what he said, Olivia.”

chapter 27

Olivia cursed herself for not being able to hide her feelings any better. But it was true that Jeremy’s vicious rant and his obvious hatred for his sister had shocked and upset her. She tried...

“Look, I’d rather forget about it.”

But Grace, of course, would not let it go.

“Just say it,” she demanded. “And don’t try to protect me. I want every word of what that stupid idiot said to you.”

Olivia took a deep breath. She released it sharply.

“Fine.” She suspected this was going to hurt. “He asked me if I knew the truth about you.”

“What truth?”

“That you’d run away from your girlfriend on the day you were attacked instead of helping her. He said you abandoned her. And left her to die. Grace!” Olivia quickly reached for her when she saw all the color leach out of her face. Her lover looked like she might fall. “Have a seat.”

“I’m alright,” came the answer, but her voice was hollow.

“Okay. Sit down anyway.”

“Goddammit. Goddammit, Olivia!”

“Yes, I know.” Olivia led her to the couch and sat down next to her. “It’s okay. I didn’t believe a word he said.”

“I did not leave her!”

“I know that, Grace.”

“Fuck! How dare he say these horrors to you? It’s not okay. I did NOT leave her to die. I was hurt. Almost passed out a few times from my own injuries as I carried her. I tried—” Her voice broke.