Ellis tapped his fingers on the bar top, the edges of his mouth turned down in a subtle frown. I twisted my napkin in my lap, waiting for him to scold me or something. It was the first time where I felt like Ellis was a parent about to punish me. And I needed to be punished! I'd been so stupid to think I could pull off an 'innocent' date without hurting Ellis or Paul. "I…" I lifted my eyes and Ellis's stern face shut me up immediately. I chewed the inside of my cheek and shifted from side to side on the barstool. I wanted him to say something, anything! Just when it felt like the silence would stretch on forever, Ellis waved the bartender over and closed out his tab. I stole a glance, hoping he was ready to talk. Ellis beckoned me with his hand. "Come with me," he ordered. I swallowed hard as his deep, commanding voice swallowed me. Unable to control myself, I slid off the barstool and followed him. He didn't look directly at me, but he reached behind himself and grabbed my wrist

**Olivia POVWhile getting caught up on school, I hadn't been able to drop by the hospital and visit my grandmother like I normally did. So, when she called me one afternoon while I was headed back to my apartment, my stomach twisted in guilt. "Grandma Jaqueline," I greeted. "How are you?""Hello honey, I was calling to see how you were. I haven't heard from you in a while," she said. I winced, my guilt picking up again. "I know. I'm really sorry I haven't called or come to see you. I've been really busy with school. I know that's not a good excuse.""Oh, Sweetie, don't worry about me. I'm not going anywhere," she stated surely, chuckling lightly. "How are you feeling? Are you starting to feel stronger?" I asked. She'd been recovering in the hospital, which is why I'd been trying to keep her company. I felt bad she was there alone without family most of the time. "I'm feeling a lot better, thank you. I've got plenty of people around here taking care of me. How are your studies?" I

**Olivia POV"You… what?" I asked. Had Ellis really just asked me to be his girlfriend. When I told him I wanted to give him a gift, that wasn't what I'd had in mind. I thought I could get him a rare bottle of wine or cigars or something. Could I really date Ellis? Could I publicly be with him and have that kind of attention? Being his girlfriend meant the world would find out about us. It was more than that, though. Carl would find out about us. I had no lingering feelings for Carl, but I doubted it would make life easier once he found out I was involved with his dad. Ellis had been good to me. He'd helped me out, protected me, lavished me with fine things. Through it all, I'd had my own insecurities. He was good at flashing money around to get what he wanted and now I was what he wanted. How long would that last, though? His track record with women said that he got bored easily. Not to mention, Ellis frequented auctions where he was willing to spend money on women for his 'dung

Ellis started bringing me lunch every day. The nice weather was holding, so we got to eat outside on the campus picnic tables. Every day, his meals got a little better. I was almost able to actually enjoy them. Of course, he'd always bring something from a restaurant too, something that I could really eat and enjoy after giving his unpredictable cooking a try. I was surprised Ellis never got frustrated or upset with my reactions to his culinary skills, or lack thereof. At least, he was noticeably getting better with consistency."Okay, what do you think of the filet mignon?" he asked as I carved another tender, juicy slice off the cut of meat. "Well, this is definitely the best meal yet," I admitted. I popped the meat in my mouth and let the juices seep out, over my tongue. It wasn't the best filet I'd ever had, but I was able to appreciate it for what it was. "You didn't buy this and repackage it?" I asked playfully.He seemed slightly offended. "I'm just teasing," I assured him.

Waves pounded over my head as I dove deeper into the sea. I surfaced and looked around for that purple silk. "Olivia!" I shouted, my voice hardly making a sound over the waves. Taking a deep breath, I dove back under. My fingers caught on something stringy and loose. Hair. I opened my eyes under the water and saw Olivia suspended there. Wrapping my arms around her, I hauled her above the surface. "Come on, breathe!" I demanded, shaking her as I treaded water. Her head flopped to the side; eyes closed. She was unconscious. "Hang on, princess," I muttered. "I'm here."I kicked my legs out, propelling both of us to the shore. My back hit the sand, and I dragged Olivia from the water. I laid her flat on the sand and patted her cheek. She was so pale, her lips discolored. How long had she been under the water?"Come on," I urged, patting her cheek harder. I started CPR, pressing the heels of my hands hard into her chest. One, two, three, four, I pressed and pressed into her. "Come o