22. Oliver
22
OLIVER
I ’m not sure that Hailey realizes how hard this is. She’s bouncing around like a kid in an ice cream shop. She’s always loved party planning, so much so that it seemed to slip her mind that we are in a room surrounded by everyone we’ve been lying to.
This is the ultimate test.
Then again, I think we are all distracted by the blue decorations on the deck of the River Bell. It’s early evening and the river is still, but the conversation amongst friends and family is buzzing.
A table of buffet food is along one side, a chocolate cake with who knows how many candles or perhaps one of those sparkler things is coming out later. Everyone has a drink and they’re all busy with a conversation with someone next to them.
Looking across, I see that Hailey is talking to one of the young bar staff members with tattoos on his arm who I’m positive is eyeing her up in her casual summer dress that covers all the right places, which fuels me with annoyance, but when Hailey glances my way with a small smile, then it reminds me that she has no interest in him.
My brother interrupts my thoughts and dread fills me.
“Happy birthday, little brother. All the none wiser.” It sounds like he is taking pleasure in my predicament.
“Carter.” My tone is curt.
He takes a long sip from his gin and tonic and surveys the party. “Liam arrived. Back from his honeymoon. Hmm, I wonder if he will notice anything new.” He has the balls to smile contritely at me on my birthday.
I glimpse down to the ice cubes in my own drink, and I swirl the glass. “Would you like me to bring up your ex-wife? Because you’re being a little bit of an ass right now.”
Before he can reply, Liam smiles and heads my way.
“Going to say hi to Mom since Dad is away on business again. Have fun ,” Carter taunts and leaves me to face my good friend.
“Hey there. How was the honeymoon?” I ask as Liam approaches.
The guy is near giddy. “Great. Nice to be in our own little world. Now it’s back to reality.”
I search over his shoulder. “Where is your wife? Already run away?”
He laughs. “Nah, she’s under the weather at home. Happy birthday! I’m so grateful that my sister did this. Don’t hate me but I wouldn’t have been able to swing this. Just too much going on.”
“Say no more. It’s cool.”
Keats joins us and clinks his glass with ours. “What did I miss? Hopefully no sordid details of honeymoon escapades.”
“Funny. You have a wedding coming up, so be nice, otherwise you are getting a dirty-as-fuck speech at dinner,” Liam warns him.
“Eek. Someone’s a little grouchy,” he replies in good humor.
I can’t seem to control how my eyes keep drifting back to Hailey who is now talking with Esme near the bar, both laughing. I’m still not thrilled by the barman who seems to insert himself into their conversation, though.
“You okay there, buddy? You seem a little distant considering it’s your birthday,” Keats comments and looks at me strangely. He follows the direction of where my sight leads, and his lips can’t help but twist before he takes a sip of his drink.
It’s my birthday, and my brain seems to take that as the memo that the birthday boy gets to do what he wants. And apparently, what I want rolls up inside me and straight off my tongue.
“Hailey and I are together,” I spit out.
Liam’s eyes laser in on me, as if he’s checking that he heard me correctly.
“Yikes. You just ripped that band-aid off,” Keats mutters and can’t help but take amusement.
“What did you just say?” Liam’s voice is sharp.
I sigh, about to lay out some truths onto the table. “Hailey and me. We’ve been seeing one another. I know it goes against all of the rules friends have, but it is what it is.”
He puffs his shoulders and gives me the death stare.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” he grits out, and I see the fume boiling.
I stand taller, because I’m no longer scared of his reaction. I’ve already said it.
“You heard me. I’ve been seeing your sister.”
In the corner of my eye, I see Hailey and Esme arrive, oblivious.
Esme rests her hand on Keats’s shoulder. “Catching up?”
Liam doesn’t flinch, and his gaze remains directed at me. Hailey skates her eyes between her brother and me, her smile fading.
“Hailey, you’re dating Oliver?” Liam doesn’t bother glancing at her.
Esme lets out a big sigh and hangs off her fiancé’s shoulder. “Oh, thank God, the obvious is out in the open. I was waiting for this.” We all turn our attention to her, and she is quick to sip her wine. “I mean, I totally didn’t know, and this is such a surprise,” she utters as she looks away and takes another sip.
“Obvious?” Hailey sounds puzzled.
Keats shrugs. “Well yeah, I mean the whole neighborhood is aware that Hailey suddenly power walks after parking her car, and then sometimes Oliver throws bones at the new neighbor’s dog so he can walk through their yard. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist.”
“You knew?” Hailey is still confused.
“Sure,” Esme answers as if it’s all nothing.
But Liam doesn’t seem to follow that sentiment.
“Liam, please don’t go brother bear on me. I’m old enough to make my own decisions,” Hailey implores.
He takes notice of her, only to slide his set eyes on me. It’s a few seconds of silence and then his demeanor melts and a smile begins to form.
What the hell? I was waiting for him to throw me off the boat.
“I knew it would happen eventually. Finally, you two.”
Hailey’s jaw drops, and I freeze for a moment.
“What do you mean?” I’m still weary.
He slaps a hand on my shoulder, his grin getting wider. “I was hoping this would happen. I mean, we all obviously knew it would eventually.”
“Wait, what?” Hailey is still suspicious of her brother. “You’re not mad?”
“Yeah, what she said,” I deadpan.
Liam chuckles and his grin stays pasted to his face. “Don’t get me wrong. Hailey, I’ve always had the rule that friends can’t go after you. Up until recently, I would have killed Oliver. But it’s Oliver. He’s a good guy. I haven’t been blind that you two have had eyes for one another for a while. Maybe it was planning my wedding that softened my rules, but I kind of began to accept it. I just thought I shouldn’t push you two or raise that point in case it all went wrong. Didn’t want to rock the boat. You two kids needed to figure it out for yourselves.”
“What the fuck?” I swipe my hands through my hair. “Are you saying we didn’t need to hide behind your back?”
We made this whole situation harder than it needed to be. We’ve been worrying about nothing.
“No.” He shrugs. “The road trip probably made you two realize. I had no issue insisting she tag along.”
“Truthfully, we thought you would be pissed. But kudos to you for forcing them on a road trip,” Esme comments from the sidelines and lifts her glass in the air.
“I mean, my best friend and my little sister. It can’t be fucked up, but it’s pretty cool.”
“Again, what?” Hailey is still in awe.
Liam holds his hands up as if his sister might throw something at him, and quite frankly, I want to throw something myself.
“Chill. All is fine,” he repeats his sentiment. “I’m not that blind. At Sunday’s brunch at my wedding, you had the same look on your faces: guilty. Besides, just add the clues together then it isn’t rocket science. Road trip, the rehearsal dinner, and yeah, I fucking noticed the looks across the room.”
“Why didn’t you say anything? Let us know that it didn’t bother you?” she implores, because, like me, she’s a mix of annoyed and angry that he could have made one of our challenges disappear.
But I’m not sure it would have altered the fact I have a wife now; it just would have made it a hell of a lot easier to be out in the open.
Liam holds up his ring finger. “Oh, let me see. I was in the middle of my own fucking wedding weekend. A little occupied there, Sis.”
Fair enough.
She shoves her brother, now visibly annoyed. “You made us think that we could never happen, and this whole time it wasn’t a big deal!” she shrieks then jabs her finger at his shoulder.
He fakes pain and just finds it funny. I blow out a breath, trying to refrain from committing murder. He could have given us a fucking clue of his thoughts long ago.
Our tense air is interrupted by the tattooed bartender personally delivering a new tray of drinks. Esme and Keats happily take another.
“We’ll be needing these. This is fun.” Keats is having the time of his life.
Hailey grabs a glass and chugs down the wine until it’s half empty then sets it back on the tray, and asshole bartender gives her that look again.
“Seriously, can you stop looking at my wife like that!” I nearly shout.
Then it happens.
The entire party grows quiet, to the point someone dropping a fork is the only sound. All eyes are now on Hailey, Liam, and me. Hailey appears to wince, and I feel the weight of attention on us.
“Excuse me. Did I hear that right?” Liam’s happy demeanor vanishes into thin air.
Silence stretches, and my jaw flexes side to side as I gather composure. “We’re married,” I mumble.
“You’re what?” He blinks repeatedly.
“Whoa, I did not have this on my bingo card for the year,” Keats mentions, one-toned, to himself but loud enough for us to hear.
My brother joins the circle as the whole party watches. “Uh-oh. Cat is out of the bag.” He grins and seems to take satisfaction in this.
Liam ignores them all.
“We’re married,” I repeat, this time with more firmness.
He laughs to himself. “Funny. This is a joke, right?” He bends his head in different ways to examine Hailey’s and my fingers. “I mean, no rings on your fingers. Nice try.”
Hailey pops her lips and tucks her fingers into her dress to pull out her necklace. “I mean… technically it’s on my neck, so …” She drags it out.
Esme gasps theatrically. “It’s not your grandmother’s ring? Not cool. You lied to me.” Esme shakes her head, but her voice isn’t angry.
Liam’s anger returns, and he steps forward. “What the fuck!”
“You just said you don’t mind us being together,” I reiterate.
“Married is a whole different level. So what fucking game did you drag my sister into?”
“It’s not a game.” Hailey grabs his arm, but he shakes her off.
He looks at both of us as if we are insane, and we probably are.
Hailey is receiving the brunt of his brazen face. “Not a game? You’ve been together for a hot second and you’re already married?” His voice rises an octave. Hailey grows quiet, and he directs his attention back to me with his nostrils flaring. “You,” he seethes.
Liam’s palms shove into my chest, causing me to stumble back a step, and instantly I retaliate. Hailey and our friends make a commotion, and Keats intervenes with his arms separating Liam and me. “Come on, no need for this.”
“He crossed a line,” Liam booms his statement.
“We’re adults,” I point out.
He pinches the bridge of his nose as if he is dealing with a headache, and truthfully, we all are having one right now.
Carter intervenes and presses his hand against Liam to keep him at bay. “Allow me to handle this.” My brother steps to the side and turns his focus to me. “Secret’s out, so allow me to voice what we should all be thinking. This is some twisted shit. Who even suggested this marriage? Because the thing is, marriage plays with emotions. You shouldn’t just jump into marriage with no expectations for the consequences. You’re supposed to go in with the view of forever.”
Liam’s face screws up, and I attempt to listen patiently because I sense a bit of underlying anger in my brother, and I’m not entirely sure if it has to do with me or his own life. Which is probably why our friends watch on, doing their best to hide their apparent shared sentiment that my brother is ranting about his own emotions.
My mother appears out of thin air with a bright smile. “What’s going on, boys? I return from the ladies’ room and everyone is in a circle. Did we already do toasts?”
Carter snickers. “Not yet. We’ve taken a detour and need to change the toasts to a new marriage.” He steals the glass of scotch from Keats’s hand and takes a decent swallow.
My mother doesn’t understand. “But it’s Oliver’s birthday.”
“And your son is deranged and married my sister without any of us knowing.” Liam glares at my mother whose smile wilts.
“Huh?”
Hailey steps next to me and swoops up my hand to hold. “If we want to look at the law then you’re my mother-in-law now.” She smiles weakly at her.
My mother begins to grasp the situation, her eyes traveling between me and my wife. “Married?”
I blow out a deep breath and look up to the sky for a second. “Yes. Now everyone knows the fact. You heard us, and we don’t need to keep repeating it.”
“I was supposed to set you up with the James’s daughter next week!” My mother sounds inconvenienced, but then she looks to Hailey and her smile returns with her hand on her heart. “But my son is no longer a bachelor.” She pretends to pray to thank some spiritual force for her wish having come true.
Carter glances to her strangely. “Your son deceived us all and has a wife,” he says dryly.
Her sour face scowls at me. “Oh, don’t you worry, young man, we will be discussing this tomorrow.” But then she retraces her line of sight to my wife and her smile returns. “Welcome to the family. I knew you looked different the other week. I just thought you were pregnant or something.”
“Is she pregnant?” Liam screeches in horror and points to his sister.
Hailey holds her hands up, eager to stop this chaos. “No. I’m not pregnant.” She mocks her brother. “We’re married and that’s that.”
If she’s holding down under these hurricane-force winds, then so am I.
“Accept it,” I demand to Liam.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I mean, maybe.” It’s apparent that he is still digesting the news and calming. “I guess if I was okay with you and her together then marriage is just, well... you’re my brother-in-law now. It’s just fast.” He’s coming around, I can tell.
My brother? He’s growing irritated. He stares coldly at me before his gaze drops to our hands where we don’t let go of one another. “Marriage. Seriously, playing with her emotions because sometimes you’re going too fast you forget to use your brain.” He snaps his eyes to me. “Who even woke up suggesting that a quickie wedding while nobody even knew you two were together was a great idea?”
Hailey attempts to open her mouth but only a scratchy sound escapes from her throat.
“Does it matter?”
My brother tilts his head to the side to examine me. “Ah, it’s my brother who lives in a fantasy where marriage can be taken lightly.”
“Should we intervene?” I hear Keats ask Esme from the side as they look on.
I throw him a glance. “Don’t. If my brother would like to voice his views, then by all means, let him.” I drive my sight back to Carter and give him a pointed look.
“You’re a coward. At least let your wife know the real reason you asked her to marry you, and don’t give me some bullshit about necessity. You’ve had strong feelings for her for God knows how long.”
Hailey touches my arm, encouraging me to give up. “Just leave it. I think he needs the news to sink in.”
Carter takes another drink and sets the glass down. “No, Hailey, it’s perfectly sunk and anchored into my brain that you two should confront reality before you decide that signing divorce papers is the only way, only to regret it later.”
“ Yeah , I’m sensing this isn’t about my sister anymore,” I hear Liam comment to Keats.
I drop Hailey’s hand, and my palms face forward in front of Liam’s chest. “Take it down a notch. It’s not like we woke up in Vegas with no recollection of the ceremony. We were sober and well aware of what we were doing.”
“You both have no clue what you are doing. Zero to a hundred in the span of fuck knows how long. Are you telling me that you two are so in love that it couldn’t wait to, I don’t know… let all of your friends and family know that you are even together first? Because up until fifteen minutes ago, you two had some secret marriage that you hid behind. Trust me, you two might want to have a little more honesty with everyone, most of all yourselves.”
“Wait. You two aren’t even living together.” Keats still seems to be trying to adjust to the news. He lifts a shoulder. “Meh. To each their own.” He cooly takes another sip from his drink.
Hailey blows out an exhausting breath before she claws her hair from exasperation.
We knew this was probably coming, it’s just sitting through the experience is a little excruciating, even if it will soon be over and we get the hell out of here.
“You two are so unhinged that I don’t even what to do right now.” Carter isn’t cooling off in the slightest.
“What am I supposed to do in this moment?” Liam asks, slightly bewildered.
Hailey’s eyes bug out as her hands fall, causing hair to cascade behind her shoulders. “Nothing. You need to do nothing. I’m a big girl who makes her own decisions. Oliver is my husband, and I’m his wife”
Rubbing my face with my hands, we’re going in circles. The sun is disappearing over the tree line due to sunset, but I’m beginning to believe the sun is running away from watching this scene unfold.
“Don’t make me disappointed in you for your choices,” Carter drills into me.
Our mom begins to tug his arm. “Come on, stop it.”
I hold my palm up to encourage my mom to leave it. “It’s fine. I’m a man. I can handle what my brother would like to voice so openly. After all, he’s the one so wise on the topic of marriage.”
Fuck, that was a little low for my standards.
The boiling anger on Carter’s face turns fuming at record speed and fists form at his sides. If he had it in him, he would shove me right now, but that’s just not him. Instead, his nostrils flare before he pivots and storms off.
My mom lifts a finger in the air. “I should probably follow him.” She scans the area and pauses on Hailey, a smile tugging on my mother’s mouth. “I guess I’ll be setting an extra plate at our next family dinner.” She attempts to make a joke, but it falls flat. Realizing that, she adds, “I think we should all give the apparent newlyweds some space and interrogate them another time. Well, actually, sooner than later, but not now.” She offers Hailey a sympathetic look before she walks away.
I turn to face Hailey in the still silence of the boat. “I’m sorry, I think the party mood has changed.”
She musters up a tiny smile on her face. “It’s okay. At least, my brother isn’t going to murder you.”
Liam scoffs from the sidelines. “Still debatable, but I’m not going to have a meltdown at least.”
“This has been unexpected.” Esme hums a sound as she leans against the railing, and she looks into the empty glasses in her hands before setting them on the nearby table. “What a honeymoon you two have found yourselves in. We can all agree that the party is over. Oliver, your birthday present is over by the bar.” She propels herself off the railing and gestures her hand as a phone and mouths something to Hailey.
Liam takes a few steps to us, and he has softened to us. “I think… just give it some time… for me, I mean. Carter?” His face turns contorted. “That’s going to take a little more maybe. I’ll be in touch and maybe then I can congratulate you both.”
“Thanks.” Hailey sighs. Liam touches her shoulder gently in passing as he leaves.
With guests dispersing, Hailey and I face one another.
“I’m sorry. Being married just kind of spilled out of my mouth.”
Her shoulders lift, and she touches my upper arms with a little squeeze for reassurance which puts me in admiration because she should be a complete mess right now.
“Bound to happen. And I don’t think you and I go as planned. That seems to be our thing.” The way she describes us causes me to tighten the line on my mouth with an urge to smile. “Well, that was confronting.” She is trying to lighten the mood, even if it’s the truth. "Probably time to address our situation.”
“I, uh, guess we have a lot to talk about, but I’m not sure my energy is there.”
She nods in understanding. We both grow quiet until it seems a lightbulb goes off in her head. “I’ll be right back.”
“Not going anywhere, especially the parking lot,” I retort.
While she is away, I take the opportunity to look out on the river that is slowly turning dark from the change of daylight. The sound of the current sending tiny little waves is a comforting noise.
It’s all unraveling.
The mess I got us in. I had to go and make it so complicated. At least it’s one thing off my chest. It’s a few minutes later when I’m now alone on the empty deck that I hear Hailey approaching from behind me.
“Turn around,” she requests.
Instantly, I smile as she is holding a chocolate cake that seems to have seen hell, topped with a lit candle. Her hand is cupped around one side so the wind won’t ruin her attempts to turn this evening around.
“It’s still your birthday, and you have a wish to make.”
My brows knit together when she is close enough for me to study the cake.
“I dropped it on the table. Three-second rule. We’re fine. Now make your wish,” she presses.
“Don’t get bossy on me,” I tease her and do as directed by leaning over to blow out the flame, silently wishing that I can admit to her that I’m insanely in love with her and won’t let her even contemplate divorce. One puff and then the smoke from the candle dances in the air.
She proudly holds the cake up. “That wasn’t hard, was it? I would say tell me what you wished, but it’s bad luck. I just hope it was a good one.”
Very good, it’s about you. I’m just waiting for the sign that you won’t walk away and will tell me the same.
“Okay, let’s eat cake.” She sets the cake on a nearby high table and notices that there are no forks. “Hmm. We don’t need them.” She digs her fingers into the icing and offers me a piece crumbling between her fingers. She’s unpredictable this one, slightly eccentric at random moments, too.
I wrap my lips around her fingers, and the taste of the moist chocolate cake mixed with the subtle saltness from her skin is electrifying. Slowly, I pull my lips from her finger, moaning in the process as our eyes latch. I take my time until my lips pop off.
“That’s good cake. Perhaps the best birthday cake yet.” I mirror her actions and bring cake to her mouth.
This woman knows how to suck, and I think I would pay every waiter in sight to all disappear so I can take Hailey against the railing of the boat.
But for now, this is the next best thing.
Her eyes are sultry when she licks my fingers clean; she knows she’s turning me on.
But then her face turns delicate. “Oliver…”
“Yes.”
“My head is spinning from tonight, but you’re eating your birthday cake and made a wish. That’s all that matters.” She is hopelessly beautiful because she also cares and wants me to be happy.
I have the urge to cup her face and slam my lips down on hers, but we will both be covered in cake.
I do the next best thing. I close our distance, and I swipe against her nose with mine to leave a small mark of chocolate. “It only matters if it’s with you.”
It earns me her yearning eyes to illuminate and her lips to tug. “I guess I won’t need to sneak around anymore. I’ll be able to walk right into your house with you.”
“Is that your plan for tonight?”
“It is. I don’t want the birthday boy to have a bad evening that has been a colossal experience. But most of all, I don’t want my husband to be alone on his birthday.”
I dip my head down to place a chaste peck on the tip of her nose before I kiss her lips softly but intently. Pulling away, I whisper, “And I wouldn’t want my wife to go anywhere else but with me.”
“Come on. I want to escape the world for a while. Everything can wait until tomorrow.” She eagerly walks away, only to quickly pivot and pick up the cake. “We can get a doggy bag for this.” Her smile is infectious.
She’s right. Everything can wait until tomorrow.
We just don’t know if it’s the clarity we need.