Love Under Construction

33. Secure

Olivia's POV

"Us?" I ask, confused by her words. "Spencer, what the hell is she talking about?"

"I don't know because there's no us. There was never an us! And she knows that!" He stresses and Leah doesn't disagree.

"Whatever, Spencer!" She mouths as someone walks out and consoles her.

"Let's talk in private, please?" Spencer asks me as his hand touches mine and I allow him to guide me outside where there's less of a crowd.

"You dated your co-star?" I ask once we're alone. "Why didn't you tell me, Spencer?"

"I told you I dated. But her and I were never together so it didn't matter to me."

"She's in there crying over you," I say and he shakes his head.

"No, she's crying because a reporter called her out on some shit that has nothing to do with me." He responds while I try to make sense of it all.

"Dating your co-star is different then dating some random girl," I say loudly and he looks around uncomfortably. "Oh, sorry! I forgot it's a secret. It's such a secret that you didn't even bother to tell your girlfriend."

"I told you I went out a few times. It wasn't a secret though. I just didn't think it mattered who, at the time, since we weren't together. And she didn't mean shit to me." He explains.

"It matters because she's your co-worker!" I counter and he sighs. "You were going to continue to let me smile in her face, knowing y'all had a fling."

In between my words, I think back to last week when Pilar and I named Leah, Beauty of the Month in our magazine. We interviewed her and she seemed kind. A little arrogant—- but people labeled her the next Halle Berry, so I just figured it was a part of the persona.

But now my mind is flipping tricks. And thinking, just maybe, her arrogance comes from knowing she's had my man.

"Nothing happened," he says quickly.

"I didn't ask."

"But, you were thinking it!"

"How do you know what I'm thinking?" I counter.

"Because I know you! And nothing happened, Olivia!" He insist.

"I didn't ask, Spencer!"

"Why not? If I'm telling you nothing happened then the conversation should be over."

"Because I don't believe you went out with that attractive woman three times and nothing happened! So please stop putting the image, of you being with he, in my mind."

"Don't do that!" He tells me. "Seriously, stop!"

"What am I doing?" I yell as I free myself from the touch of his hand.

"You're projecting the stupid shit you used to go through, on our relationship. When you know our shit is nothing like what you had with him!" He says sternly and I breath deeply at his words. "So don't put yourself through that!—-I took her on a few dates and that's it!"

I pace back and forth, a little, as my mind races through his words.

About two weeks ago, I invited Spencer to a therapy session with me. He liked it so much, he came back a couple of times after that. And one of the things we learned was not projecting our past onto the present.

So although I'm annoyed, I have to avoid my urge to project.

"I'm not projecting. I'm just caught off guard that you two have a thing." I say dismissively.