Single and Seeking Barson story

Chapter 45

"I'm telling you Amanda, the weekend rapist is alive." Immediately, after Olivia hung up the phone with Barba's voicemail, she packed. She left his home in a taxi, dropped off her bags at her apartment, called Lucy to check on Noah, and headed for the precinct. She had been working for the past 8 hours, and was now sitting with Amanda in the break room.

"I don't think so. He was smart, and he knew it, we didn't question him, he was arrogant, if he were alive why wouldn't he just keep raping ?. No one has come forward, we need to let it go for now, and deal with the cases we have."

"So you don't think he's dead, you just don't want to deal with him. Amanda, I know you're preoccupied with your wedding, you're excited about your marriage, but when you're here, I need you to work. "

"What are you doing here Liv? Shouldn't you be recuperating?"

"She should be, but she's too busy avoiding me." Rafael Barba said, before Olivia could answer the question. He was standing in the doorway.

"Amanda, if I have to recuperate for another second, I'm going to jump out of my skin!" Olivia said. She hated when Rafa was truly angry at her. Amanda smiled in Barba's direction.

"May I have a word with you?" Rafael asked, stepping into the break room, and walking to Olivia.I In response to his question, she rose from her seat, and started walking toward the door.

"OK." She replied. Rafael followed her, and he quickly found himself walking out of the break room beside her. "Let's go outside." Olivia said.. Rafael Barba followed Olivia Benson out of the building, and into the cold. He would follow her anywhere.

"You just left." He said, disappointment, and sadness in his voice.

"No, I called you first. I didn't want you to worry."

"Too late." He saw her shiver. He immediately took off his coat, and draped it over her shoulders.

"I'm sorry." She said sincerely.

"That's it."

"What do you want, Rafa?"

"I wanted to have a conversation. We should have had a conversation before you picked up and left."

"I had to go!"

"Since when? When did you make this decision,Liv?" He waited for an answer, but she was silent, so he continued. "You had to leave when there's a maniac gunning for you?" He yelled.

"I had to get back to my life. I had to get back to normal."

"How's that working for you?"

"Did you expect me to stay in your apartment forever? I had to go."

"If I didn't come here, were you ever going to talk to me again?"

"Yes. Rafa, why would you ask me that?"

"I don't know, because when you were dating The Good Doctor, you didn't talk to me for 6 months." He replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm, and hurt.

"I'm sorry, Rafa. I just... I didn't want you to see what was going on."

"How did that work for you?" He saw a single tear run down his friend's cheek. He felt sick about it. "You're always welcome in my home, Liv."

"I just had to leave. Rafa. I can't explain why... Not now. I have to get back to work."

"Paul Gibson was found guilty."

"Good, it was a tough case, but I knew you could get a guilty verdict."

"That's why I wasn't home when you woke up this morning. Did my mother take good care of you?"