Unrequited

Chapter 11

The next two days go by in a blur. There was finally a break in the case and Pippa was able to finally file charges against their suspect. Managing to keep their focus solely on work, her and Pippa managed to co-exist, in the presence of her detectives, never alone long enough to bring up Elliot. And thank goodness for that. Impressed by Pippa's professionalism she almost felt guilty when text messages from Elliot came in while they were discussing the case in her office. When text messages came in from Ed, she felt indifferent. Uncomfortable. Not sure what if anything to say.

Can we talk?

Can I meet you for dinner?

Olivia was turning him down left and right. She really was busy with the case and she just didn't have the strength or the bandwidth to juggle the two men in her life. Trying not to think about how she became this person, her phone goes off again and she immediately rolls her eyes. However, this notification wasn't the usual reminder of the mess of her 'love-life'. It was instead the reminder of something far more important.

In a hurry, she grabs her black purse, blue eye glasses and hurries out of the door. "I'll be back in about an hour Fin, hold down the fort," she hollers over her shoulder scurrying toward the elevator.

A facetime session with Lucy while she walks to her car in the parking garage to check on Noah and a quick call from Dodds who is out in the field and she's finally on her way.

Her phone rings again and this time it's not work. Olivia presses the small button to the bluetooth on her ear and takes the call. "Benson."

"Hey I finally caught you," Ed rasps on the other line. His voice is shaky and uncertain. The first time they've spoken since she got out of his car the other night.

"Yes. You caught me," she mutters noncommittally. It's not until she's actually talking to him that she realizes how much she doesn't want to. It highlights a trait about herself that she's always despised. When she's done she's done. And she feels like she's not giving him a fair shot.

He made a mistake. Haven't they all in some form or another? She definitely wasn't squeaky clean in the situation considering her two lip locking sessions with her former partner. Making a permanent decision on temporary feelings wasn't the route she wanted to go either.

Time, that would help.

Her head was fuzzy and she just needed time to figure everything out. If she ended it completely with him right now she was concerned that once she gained clarity she would regret it. But the bigger part of her, the more rational part that was in tune with all things Olivia let her know that they would probably not get past this.

"You sound like you are in the car," Ed states the obvious and she can hear him moving around on the other end of the line. Probably walking. "Headed out on a case?"

"No, I have an appointment." She kept it brief.

Awkward silence ensues and she takes a right turn, a few minutes away from her destination.

"Can we get together and talk later? I think we need to talk about the other night."

Stopped at a red light, Olivia leans her elbow on the door her left hand squeezing her forehead. "I don't know if that's a good idea. I'm just not up for talking right now."

"I know you think my actions weren't warranted-"

"And you think they were?" Here it goes again. "Ed you've done a lot over the years but this time you actually cost him his career. It's one thing to give us a hard time but Elliot could've still been on the force. I know you had it in for him but if you did this because you were harboring some crush on me I just-"