Life Happens | ONC 2024

Chapter 14

LEX

Marisol handled the situation well with Blanche when she took her to the ER, but it should've been me to hold her hand and tell her we'd be alright. Me.

We informed Joe together when she came back from the hospital and she took a couple of days off to rest at home. Surrounded by all the care we could give her. I expected Joe to lose his marbles, but he kept his opinion to himself to focus on Blanche.

Together with Marisol's Spanish relatives, we managed all the orders at Hotcakes and ensured that everything was caught up. I had still some overtime I was storing away for a payout, but I clocked some hours to show up for Blanche.

Olivia and I are meeting at Hotcakes. I haven't told her anything over text, because the only way to do this properly is in person.

I'm wearing an apron with the googly eyed cupcake, attending customers when she arrives through the door, announced by the little chime above the entrance.

"Hey," I say awkwardly.

Olivia raises her brow as she takes me in. "What are you doing, Lex?"

"Helping Blanche out." I shrug my shoulder a bit like it's no big deal because her hackles are already up and my alarm radar is beeping like crazy.

I feared this wasn't going to go well, but now I'm dreading the conversation. "Marisol, can you take over for a moment?" I ask her and wipe my hands on my apron, before motioning to a table in the back.

We sit opposite each other. Olivia reaches out over the table, but I clutch both my hands into the apron in my lap. "You haven't been to work this week, which got me worried, but now I see you working here." She accuses pointedly. It's a whiny voice, like she doesn't like to be kept out of the loop.

"Like I said, Blanche is going through a difficult time, and I'm helping her out with the shop." I punctuate my words, not leaving room for arguments. "It is her busiest time of the year."

Olivia's eyes widen as she has something dying to get out, but she thinks better of it. "That's sweet of you."

I'm going to be the bad guy of the story, anyway. Better get it over with. "It's Blanche we need to talk about—my relationship with her, actually."

Olivia sits up straighter, confusion written over her face. "She's your best friend. I knew that."

So it's going to be harder than I thought.

"Blanche was pregnant, Olivia." The words clog in my throat at the emotions of losing our baby, but I need to have this conversation. "It was mine."

Olivia's face reddens, anger flowing from her every pore. "You cheated on me?" She stands up and I look around quickly, glad that there are only a couple of customers and they aren't paying attention over the loud Christmas music playing. "I can't be a stepmother to a child you have or are having with Blanche!" Olivia keeps rattling her thoughts off out loud before her gaze lands on me. "I'm not your Plan B."

"I didn't know." I say honestly, keeping a neutral voice. "It was from before that we started hanging out." I sigh, holding on to all the strength I have to say the next words without choking up. "She lost the baby."

Olivia sits down again, fuming. "Was she even pregnant at all?" Olivia tells me in a condescending tone after a pause.

I'm baffled by her assumptions. "Why wouldn't I believe her? She's my best friend. We've been through so much together."

"Maybe she's so controlling of you that she couldn't stomach the fact that you had a girlfriend." Olivia bites back.

"What are you implying, Olivia?"