by Nicky Shanks
We both hurriedly tug back on our clothes and there’s a sour look on his face. At first, I think it’s because his clothes are still soaking wet. But he knows something, and he’s keeping another secret from me. Since Staci is standing outside in the rain I don’t have time to prod him for information, so I let it go to the back of my mind where I can retrieve it later and clobber him with questions.
Oliver takes a quick glance at his body to make sure he’s fully clothed, smiles at me to show me that he’s trying hard to be nice, and opens the door for her. Staci’s smile fades when she sees him, but he moves to the side so she can step in out of the rain and get warm.
“Staci.” He nods at her.
She scoffs and closes her neon green umbrella. “Oliver.”
When she fully enters the pool house, she hugs me and puts her large, baby pink tote bag on the sofa so she can place both of her hands on her hips. Her index finger wiggles in between me and Oliver, wagging at us like we’ve done something wrong. “So, you two are back together then?”
Oliver growls. “We never broke up.”
She snorts. “Well, whatever you call it…you’re back?”
He looks at me for help but I don’t know what I can do that I haven’t already done. I’ve asked her to be nice, I’ve asked him to be respectful and so far…he’s the only one delivering. I’m not going to talk to her in front of him and embarrass her, so I paste a fake smile on my face and try to ignore her distaste for the love of my life.
“Is there something you want, Staci? Are you here to share some information, perhaps?” Oliver glares at her and something in her demeanor changes when she has time to think about what he’s said. Now I know they’re both hiding something from me, and I don’t like it.
“Are you sharing any information?” She glares at him and scoffs.
“Okay…” I clap my hands together and shake my head. “I don’t like secrets—you both know I don’t like secrets, so what’s going on?”
Staci looks shocked. “I just came to see if you wanted to go to dinner.” She puts her hands in the air in defeat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Oliver groans. “She deserves the truth.”
Her eyes grow wide, but she doesn’t make eye contact with him. “I can’t be here with him.” She snorts and picks up her bag. “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
He starts to cough and moves to the kitchenette to find something to quench the tickle in his throat. What he’s doing doesn’t matter as much to me as what she’s hiding. I know that Oliver and I have some unfinished business to talk about, but Staci—one of my best friends—has never hidden anything from me.
That I know of.
“I’ll call you later.” She smiles sweetly at me.
I let her take a few steps before calling her back. “Freeze.” My voice is stern and startles Oliver; a wicked grin paints his lips, but I don’t have time for his cuteness right now. “Turn around and tell me what’s going on.” I wiggle my finger around in a circle until she turns to face me again. “We aren’t having any more secrets between each other; do you guys understand that?”
Oliver pouts. “Hey, I’m just the fiancé here—don’t drag me into this drama.”
I shake my head. “What do you even mean by that?”
“He means that your brother and I are dating,” Staci blurts. “Randy and I have been seeing each other for a few weeks. That’s my big secret.”
My gaze finds Oliver and he nearly spits out the water that’s just passed his lips. “You knew about this and didn’t say anything?”
He holds up his hands. “It wasn’t my business to tell you. Randy wanted to tell you himself, but that was a week ago.” He grins at Staci because he’s amused. “But it looks like he didn’t get around to it. Tell you what…why don’t I go find him and give you two some privacy? I need some dry clothes anyway and something tells me he’s not asleep yet.”
Staci growls. “Don’t act innocent—I’m surprised you didn’t run to her and tell her the first chance you got. We all know you’re not forthcoming with your own information.”
Oliver’s eyes grow dark and he locks them onto her like I’m not in the room. “You better fucking watch it.”
“Would you two stop it?” I scream as loud as I can to shake them up. “I’m sick and tired of the fighting! Grow up! Why do you always have to stir things up?” My chest heaves up and down as I glare at Oliver.
He looks at me and his eyes fill with sadness. He puts the cap onto his water bottle and glides toward me, kisses me on the forehead, and leaves the pool house. The rain has stopped enough for him to get to the main house without drowning; I know I have to apologize, but that can wait until later.
My eyes find Staci’s. “Spill.”
She sighs and puts her bag back down on the sofa. “Okay, here it goes. Randy and I have been seeing each other for a few weeks. It’s nothing serious.” Her face darkens and her head full of newly ruby red curls bounces as she shakes it. “I mean, it’s not serious yet. I really like him, Julie, and he likes me too. I’ve never met anyone like him. He’s just so…gentle.”
I pretend like I’m gagging. “Oh, okay. You can stop with the details. That’s my brother, remember?”
She doesn’t laugh with me; I’m sure she’s still figuring out how upset I really am underneath my brush-off, but she’s wrong. I’m happy that they each found someone they can feel something magical for; it’s not every day that kind of thing comes along.
The smile that was meant for her turns into a smile for Oliver.
A man that drives me crazy a million ways to one.
“So, are you pissed?”
“Huh?” My throat is dry from taking in so much air to clear my thoughts from naked Oliver. “Oh, are you serious? Of course I’m not, I’m happy for you two. Let’s just keep the PDA to a minimum when I’m around, okay? As much as I’m okay with this, it’ll still be weird for a while to see my brother with someone—anyone, regardless of who it is—because it’s been forever.”
She sucks in air through her perfect white teeth. “Not forever…”
“Dude!” I groan. “That’s really none of my business!”
Staci giggles and throws a sofa pillow at me. “Oh, come on! You know I’m not one for subtle things in life. I’m a firecracker and I always have been. It’s nice to have someone calm to be around without the awkwardness of trying so hard, you know? I’ve been through some boyfriends, trust me—”
“Staci.” I narrow my eyes. “I get your point. Let’s just leave it at that, okay?”
“Okay.” I can tell she has more to say and letting the air around us be so still and silent is a new thing for her. I’m sure Randy has his reasons, but they couldn’t be more different. She’s right, he’s calm—for the most part—and doesn’t like attention or loud places. The last time I checked, she basically lives at nightclubs and her laugh is so loud that it shakes the walls.
Opposites do attract sometimes.
I mean, Brandon and I were different too. I was a cheerleader running from her past, and he was a loner with publicly horrible parents who was trying to escape his miserable life. I guess that maybe in retrospect we weren’t so different after all. When two people are scratching and clawing out of a dark hole of life and they find each other, it’s natural to latch onto something they’ve been desperately seeking without even knowing.
“So, can we talk about it a little, though?” Her fingers pinch the air. “I need someone to talk to about this stuff. Nora has abandoned us for some new dick she just met, and I don’t know where the hell Amber even moved to—she just up and left us. You’re all I have left, Julie.”
Guilt. Trip.
I sigh. “Okay, but spare me embarrassing details and don’t use his name so I can pretend it’s someone else. It’s still new and weird for me.”
She doesn’t hesitate. “Okay, so he took me on our first date last week, right? Spared no expense an
d reserved like, the best table at Dilaggio’s. He ordered expensive wine and he talked to me and not at me, which made everything ten times better. Even though we’ve kissed before—” Her lips turn into a grin when she notices the green look on my face. “—even after dinner, when he took me on the swan boats, he didn’t try anything other than holding my hand. Then when he dropped me off, he walked me to the door and kissed my cheek before making sure I got in okay.”
I have to admit, I’m impressed. I never imagined Randy dating because he never expressed an interest in it before, at least not to me. Then again, I haven’t exactly been available much to him lately.
Or Clyde.
I wonder how he feels about this.
But, back to her problem. What was her problem?
“Sounds like a nice first date, what’s the issue?”
She squeals and jumps up and down. “Nothing! That’s the issue! There was absolutely nothing wrong with the entire night. Isn’t that weird?”
I snort. “No, sounds like a dream come true.”
Her eyes lower to the ground. “Oh, I forgot about what Brandon did to you.”
I wave my hands in the air. “No, don’t let that get you down. Look, if you overthink this, you’re going to do something to ruin it. Randy is like a bunny rabbit; he’ll run away the first time he’s startled. You’ll have to be yourself for it to work…you don’t want to become someone you’re not just to keep him.”
I feel sick.
I didn’t change myself: Oliver changed my outlook on life.
That’s different.
“I guess.” She shrugs. “I just feel like this silly little kid next to him.”
My laugh booms through the pool house. “That’s the age difference, I guess. You’ll have to get over that—that’s something you can’t change.”
The questions brewing in her eyes are making me uncomfortable. “So…how is that, anyways?”
“How is what?”
She wiggles her manicured finger in between us. “You know, he’s so much older than us. Were you a surprise?”
“No, Randy and I don’t share a mother, but we share a father. Randy’s mom, Aunt Helen—she’s my mother’s sister. My father cheated on Aunt Helen with my mother, and well…here I am.”
I can tell she doesn’t really want to know about those things right now. The sour look on her face makes it known that she’s got bigger problems inside her head.
“I just don’t want to get bored and screw everything up.” Her fingers wiggle in between us. “What if Randy and I decide not to see each other and our friendship gets fucked up?”
“It won’t.” I smile to reassure her. “We’ll keep it separate. Trust me, if there’s one thing I believe in…it’s other people not getting into other’s relationship business. I don’t like it when people question what I have with Oliver, and I’m not about to do it to someone else.”
I may be a liar, but I’m not a hypocrite.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand so I climb over the messed-up blankets to grab it. The reason the blankets are tussled up makes me smile until I see Brandon’s name flash across the phone. My smile fades quickly.
“It’s Brandon,” I tell her. “I shouldn’t answer it, right?”
“Maybe it’s important.” Her eyebrows rise. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
I want to scream for her to stay, but she’s gone before I can open my mouth. The phone feels heavy in my hand; it’s weighing me down into the darkness inside myself.
“Yes?” It’s all I can manage to spit out.
His breath is heavy in the phone. “It’s Brandon.”
“I know.”
“Okay. How are you?”
I look around nervously; I don’t feel right about this, but I’m still the same person I’ve always been. As I sigh into the phone, I lock the pool house door so no one can interrupt. “I’ve been better, but I’m okay. Just a bruised eye and some scratches. How are you? You got most of the injuries.”
He laughs and I’ve never realized how cold and short his laugh is compared to Oliver’s warm, honey-down-the-throat laugh. “I’ll be okay. Look, my boss found out about our marriage, or whatever you want to call it. He expedited the hearing. It’s Monday at three.”
“And I have to be there?”
“It’s uncontested, so no…you don’t have to be there. I thought you might want to be for peace of mind that it’s finally over.”
He’s right. I didn’t think about that. I still don’t trust him, no matter how hard he and Heather tried to redeem themselves by attempting to rescue me. I hardly trust them any more than I did before, but he’s still holding my secret close to his chest so I have to try.
“I’ll be there. Meet me outside and we can go in together.”
“Sounds good. See you then.” He rushes and then hangs up. I’m thankful for the shortness of the call because when I open the door to the pool house, Oliver is walking back toward the now-open door. When he sees me, even though it’s starting to get dark, a fire lights in his fierce, emerald green eyes.
A fire that burns for me.
The thief that stole his heart.
Chapter Four
Brandon
I fucking hate Fridays.
I mean I really, really hate them.
Everything bad—since I can remember—has happened on a Friday.
My parents were arrested for drug trafficking on a Friday.
They were sentenced to fifteen years in state prison on a Friday.
I was taken into social services custody on a Friday.
I aged out of foster care and got put on the street on a Friday.
Julie and I broke up on a Friday.
I found out she was sleeping with Oliver on a Friday.
The list goes on and on.
Nothing could’ve made that phone call any more awkward. I hung up on her so fast, she might’ve even still been talking, I don’t know. Things in my life haven’t exactly been top-notch since we escaped Oliver’s crazy mother and her equally as fucked-up boyfriend. I put Heather in danger just to redeem myself in the eyes of someone who loves her better than I ever could, and that doesn’t sit well with me now that the dust is settled.
I love Heather.
I love everything about her.
I love that she’s a fragile little bird who needs me to help her find her way. I love that she knows how to handle me at my worst and put shit back into perspective. I get so lost in my own head sometimes and dwell on my past mistakes that it’s hard not to fall back into that hole again.
But she won’t let me.
The phone rings almost immediately after I put it down on my desk. It startles me; I don’t want to talk to Julie again—or Oliver if he’s calling to scream at me. I can’t even look at the phone as it rings over and over right beneath my eyesight. It’s tempting, but I’ve had enough for one day.
I read the email on my computer one more time.
To: Brandon Whitehouse
From: Vernon Trumbull
Brandon,
I just caught wind that you have applied for a divorce. This concerns me because I was never notified of you getting married and you know how much I like to get to know my employees. I’m a little beside myself wondering how you could tie the knot and not say a single word to anyone.
Not to mention the rumors that went around the office about you and another woman.
I’d like to meet your future ex-wife and apologize for the fact that we haven’t met sooner. I’ve had your hearing expedited to this Monday at three p.m. and I expect both of you to be there. After the hearing, I will be treating you and your then ex-wife to a late lunch at Newson Galleria if that would be acceptable.
I will be bringing a guest with me as well.
I look forward to seeing you at the hearing.
Best,
Vernon Trumbull, Esq.
Fuck.
I’m so fucking screwed.
I should’ve taken more
than three days off of work to heal myself; the bruises are fading and the deep gashes Mac gave me with his fist are closing up already, but I should’ve taken more time. I passed out from the searing pain in my head when his fist kept meeting my skull, but other than that…I’m lucky I got out of there alive.
At least I got Julie to believe that she needed to be there by playing the trust card. I know she doesn’t trust me—and probably never even will—even after I helped rescue her from being kidnapped. In Julie’s eyes, Oliver will always be her one and only hero. I know Heather wanted the chance to do the right thing, and we did. Still, it’s annoying that no one notices the breakthroughs we’ve had or the people we’ve become because Saint Oliver shines over the entire world.
I click my tongue against my teeth. I don’t bother answering Vernon; he knows I’ll show up because I’m loyal…and I don’t want to lose my job. The hardest part of not knowing how this will end is wondering how Heather is going to react if I do, in fact, lose my job.
I won’t be able to take care of her and she’ll leave me.
My fists slam down on the table as the phone rings again. Heather’s name flashes on the screen and it freaks me out now more than if it were Julie calling back. I have to answer her call, I know I do, but it’s going to take me a few seconds to cool my shit.
I pick the phone up and stay silent.
“Brandon? Hey, are you busy?”
The air I’m holding in seeps from my lips slowly.
“I was thinking about making something special for dinner tonight. Something romantic so we can start a tradition to make Friday our date nights.”
The air catches in my throat.
Friday date nights.
Friday.
I open my mouth to answer, but she gets there first. “What’s your favorite thing to eat?”
Okay, I can save myself here.
I snicker into the phone and she gasps softly. “You know the answer to that one. You’re my favorite thing to eat.”
She snorts. “Gross…but kind of sexy. I mean food, dummy.”
I lick my lips and think about burying my face between her legs, and she doesn’t skip a single beat even from the returning silence.