Trials and Tribulations - [Bensler EO]

Part Thirteen - Unmasked

It was the first time that she had stood less than a few inches away from him in what felt like an eternity. His eyes were just as red and swollen from the tears as hers were. She wanted to crumble. Her open jaw shivered from the threat of another sob breaking free.

"You lied to me," he bit out the venom-laced words slowly and carefully.

"I didn't lie to you," her voice was weak, barely above a whisper. She tried to fight back but within a second, he was inside of her apartment, his voice already louder than the moments previous.

"You lied to me, Olivia!" he cried out. His hand lifted as if he were going to run it through his buzzed hair, but then fell back down to his side. "You said —" he stopped, biting his lip and closing his eyes to fight off the oncoming tears. His hand rose again, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "You said you were fine,"

She could hear the drop of an octave in his cracking voice. All she could do was stand and watch the hurt rain over him. It broke her, hearing how he was practically pleading with her. She'd lied, she knew it. The guilt wasn't absent, not this time.

"Like you haven't lied to me before,"

It was a low blow, and she knew it.

His eyes shot open wide, staring at her in disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me? Not with something as serious as this! You told me you were fine and I believed you!"

"This isn't about you, Elliot." she warned. Even in her own tone, she could hear the way her pitch rose. It was like lightning striking the air before the rain even hit the ground; this was the tip of her iceberg.

"How could you not tell me, Olivia!" he roared. "We've been partners for ten fucking years! How could you keep something like this from me? What is it? Do you just not trust me? You can tell everyone except for me?"

"You know it isn't like that!" she shot back.

"Then what is it then?!" his voice boomed as he took an angry step towards her. She stood her ground, her chest rising and falling with harder breaths. Stepping back meant letting him win, and this wasn't a fight she wanted to lose. "Huh? What is it?"

She bit her lip as the tears fell down her cheeks. She knew he wasn't as angry as he was hurt. His hurt came out as anger, it wasn't a surprise to her. Deep down, she had known this was going to happen. The longer she prolonged telling him, the harder the outcome would be.

But it broke her heart to see him just as shattered as she was.

So, she stood. She took the verbal lashing that she knew was coming. She wasn't afraid of him, and he had never given her a reason to be. He'd yell circles around her and that's as far as he'd go, so she had no choice but to let him.

"Say the words, Olivia." he stepped closer, his volume dropping once again. There was a numbness, she could hear it. He was bracing himself for the downfall.