"I CANNOT even..." I'd been spouting off at the mouth to poor Charlotte, who'd been nice enough to come over and listen to me ramble for the last hour about insensitive Eli had been.

"Is it so terrible that he wants to marry you?" Charlotte was curled up in my couch, as I paced in front of it.

"I...don't know. But..."

"But?"

"He ONLY wants to marry ME so he can rub it in his ex girlfriend's face! Not because he really loves me!"

"How do you know that, doll?" Charlotte hoists herself up off the couch, coming to me, putting her hands on my waist.

I try to twist away, but she holds me fast, refusing to let go.

"You're so mean sometimes," I grumble. Charlotte lets go of my waist and puts her hands on my cheeks.

I WANT to slap her away, but she seems so earnest that I just can't.

"Sweetie, I really do think that Eli is madly in love with you. And yes, I think his marriage proposal is a bit premature. However, I really think you should still consider it."

I do push Charlotte away now and turn my back on her. I realize I'm trembling and before I know it, I'm crying.

Dammit! This is all Eli's fault! I KNEW I shouldn't have gotten so comfortable with that sneaky bastard. He's too damn charming. And handsome. And kind.

And...exactly what I want. Charlotte comes to me, wrapping her arms around me and I cling to her. I cry for a few minutes.

"You're right." Charlotte smiles smugly.

"Damn right I am."

"Except, I still feel...kinda weird about Eli's ex being in town."

"Well, honey. There's more than one way to smoke out a rat." I give her a puzzled look.

Charlotte just smiles.

"We're gonna run that bitch out of town so fast, her head will spin."

>>>>

I end up going to see Eli and apologize. (Again.) This is REALLY starting to get monotonous.

Eli accepts my apology AND even admits that asking me to marry him probably wasn't the best choice.

"No shit, Sherlock." Eli chuckles as he pulls me against him.

"Charlotte has a plan to rid of us of this terrible evil that's come into our lives unannounced."

"Does she now? Are we going to perform an exorcism?" I laugh. Actually, that wouldn't be the worst idea.

"No. But Charlotte wants us to thoroughly embarrass your ex girlfriend to the point where she'll be running for the hills."

"Charlotte has this all planned out?" Eli seems skeptical. I don't blame him. I'm not entirely convinced it'll work myself.

"Not completely. She wants all of us to come over to her and Luke's place and we can brainstorm."

"All of...who?" Eli asks.

"You, me, Charlotte, Luke and Zane." Eli does not look convinced.

"I thought you guys hated Zane. And Luke's kinda dumb. I'm not sure he'd be much help." I roll my eyes.

"Wow. Is that how you talk about me when I'm not around?"

Eli blushes to the roots of his hair and I have to laugh.

"What? Of course..not." I smack his fine ass.

"Whatever, asshole. And I do not hate Zane. He's just easier to take in small doses."

Eli laughs. Ooh, those dimples are dangerous!

I can just see it now; Eli and I end up getting married. Then he discovers how powerful the effects of his dimples are on me.

He'll constantly be using that to his advantage and getting away with murder.

"If you SAY so." Eli holds me against him.

"I just hope we really can get rid of her. No offense."

"Hey, I'm not in the least bit offended. I totally want the crazy bitch gone."

"Did she really think you wanted to get back together with her after what she pulled on you?"

"Some people get some strange ideas I their heads. Especially when it comes to ex boyfriends and girlfriends."

"No shit."

>>>>>

"All right, everyone," Charlotte says. "I called all of us here today so we can figure out to get rid of Eli's ex. Any suggestions?"

"Let's kill her and bake her in a cake!" Zane says, grinning like an idiot.

"Let's not resort to murder."

"Well, shit. That's the only good idea I had," Zane pouts.

"While I appreciate your enthusiasm, Zane, I really don't want to end up in prison," Charlotte says.

"I wouldn't tell." Charlotte shakes her head.

"Somehow I doubt that." She looks around the room, at each of us.

"She's YOUR ex girlfriend, Eli. Any thoughts on how to get rid of her?"

"You mean, what annoys the shit out of her?"

"More or less."

Eli sits there, chewing on his bottom lip. I can also see the gears in his mind, turning trying to come up with something that might help with getting rid of Emma for good.

He finally sighs, rubbing his temples. I gently massage his shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I just can't seem to think of anything useful at the moment."

"It's okay," Charlotte says. "We'll come up with something." Her brows are knit together as she thinks.

"I STILL think we should just, you know," Zane wiggles his eyebrows. The rest of us ignore him.

"What if there was an 'accident' at your bakery," Charles asks.

"What sort of accident?" Eli asks.

"A baking accident. Like Emma ends up getting covered from head to toe in cake batter or pudding ot icing. Would that discourage her any?"

Eli shrugs.

"Maybe. Maybe not." I lean against him.

"You've been awfully quiet this evening, Liv," Charlotte says. "You doing okay?"

"As good as I can be, with having my boyfriend's ex girlfriend in town and thinking she's going to take him back."

"Not happening," Eli states firmly. I give him a little smile.

"I know that, you dork. I just wish we could find a way to make Emma leave. On her terms."

Eli kisses my forehead.

"We will. I promise."

>>>>>>>

Our meeting ends not long after. I'm depressed because we weren't productive and couldn't think of a single GOOD idea.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Eli asks. "If you want to."

"I'll stay. Not sure how much I'll sleep, with all this shit on my mind."

"I know what you mean." Eli pulls his keys out of his back pocket and unlocks the door.

Emma suddenly seems to materialize out of thin air. She completely ignores me, pushing me away from Eli and getting right up close to Eli.

I have to count to ten before I completely lose my mind and grab her by the hair, yanking her away from Eli.

"Come on, Eli. Do you REALLY want to throw away EVERYTHING we had?"

"I didn't," Eli says, scowling. "But then YOU decided to leave. I'm sorry, Emma. I don't love you anymore. I want you to leave town. Before something bad happens."

Emma scowls now.

"Are you threatening ME?"

"Not yet." Eli gives her a smug grin. Emma turns on her heel, flouncing off.

"We gotta do something about her," Eli says. I agree. But what?

Chapter 11-Olivia

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