10. Clear the Air
EVA
After bringing the manager to the beach location and having a brief talk with the other wedding party, we got it worked out. Is the other couple happy? No, but we booked it first, and we’re a televised event that has spots already marked for camera placements. If I had to, I could’ve called in the show’s director, but it didn’t get that far.
I have no idea how the location got double-booked, but after this and the doggie photo mess, I’m starting to wonder if this hotel doesn’t have it as together as everyone says.
But, honestly, I’m grateful for this break from the madness… and glad Skye caught wind of the double-booking mess. Honestly, I was also happy she stepped into the middle of whatever was happening between West and Brielle, that awesome woman I met on the plane. She told me she was going to a wedding, but I thought it was a different one because I hadn’t seen her on the guest list. As it turns out, she’s a college friend of Zach’s and he added her last minute. Brielle’s pretty and cool, and West looked like he was having just a spiffy old time with her. Which irks me even though it shouldn’t. I know it’s not my place, and I really like her, but I don’t think she and West mesh. Just from what I’ve seen from her so far, which isn’t much. But she seems like a natural caregiver, and West seems to want someone he can care for. Not a good fit.
As West and I head back to the resort, I’m walking fast, always on a mission, when I find myself a little short of breath.
“Do you have your inhaler?” West stops walking.
“Yes! Just a sec.” I take it out of my pouch and take a puff.
“You should slow down, Eva,” West says. “You have a little time to enjoy this walk? It’s so nice.”
I have earned a little time for myself, and it is so nice. At least walking beside the water is. Going in it, now that’s another story. “You’re right. Let’s enjoy.” We take our shoes off so our feet squish into the cool sand, and I decide not to bring up Brielle—I know he has to flirt on camera, so I’m sure that’s what he was doing.
West reaches into his suit pocket and holds out a puff pastry wrapped in a napkin. “I snagged this for you. I figured you were so busy you wouldn’t have the chance to eat.”
“Thank you! I didn’t. And you know the way to my heart.” I’m so glad he got me one—it’s all I’ve been able to think about since the sweet, buttery smell permeated the air of the patio.
“It’s the least I can do—since you eat all the Brazil nuts out of the cans of mixed nuts for me.”
I touch his shoulder. “Aw.” West hates those, so I eat them for him.
“We make a good nut tag team.” He sighs. “So how’s it going? With Foster?”
“Good.” I walk slower, and West falls in step beside me. “And if I don’t land him, I’ll definitely be up for maid of honor of the year award.”
“You got that in the bag.” His lips tick up. “But seriously. It’s been nuts. Are you okay?”
“I am now.”
He flashes me that dimpled smile that’s my happy place.
It’s so nice to have no cameras or people, and I love this view of the ocean set against the evening sky of mango and shades of blue. “It’s so pretty. And the air is so fresh.”
I look around and inhale the smell of sea salt, deciding to use this time for some much-needed conversation with my best friend. “Okay, West. Tell me something real.”
“Oh, boy—give me a second.” He blows out a puff of air that makes his lips flap.
“Sure.” The waves crash behind us as a cooling breeze hits.
“Okay, this is something I’m too embarrassed to tell anyone, but I’m gonna tell you now.”
“Really?” My eyes go wide. “I’m honored.”
After a beat he says, “You can’t laugh.”
“No promises.”
“Fine, laugh. I’m tough.” He hesitates, tapping his fingers together. “When I was of an undisclosed age, I wrote a quantum time travel Avengers fanfiction piece.”
I gasp. “West, that’s not funny—that’s awesome. And I can’t believe you’ve never told me before. What was it about?”
“It was a story about how science fiction never gets quantum time travel right.”
Now I chuckle. “And what does science fiction always get wrong? Other than the fact that time travel’s not possible?”
He puts a finger up. “Assuming it’s possible, and we just don’t know how to do it yet. Which is more likely than not given so many parallel universes.” His eyes brighten like they always do when he talks about this stuff. “Okay, ready?”
“I’m so ready.”
“Quantum time travel assumes that the moment someone goes back in time, they split into a parallel universe, which causes an alternate future. That part is fine, but there’s a critical component they overlook.” He hesitates, looking at me to continue.
My smile is bright. “I’m following. And deathly curious.”
“So let’s take an example: a time-traveler, we’ll call him Bob, goes back to the day his parents met. Let’s say he delays their meeting, maybe by only five minutes. But that delay causes one party to be irritated at the other for being late, and now, either they never end up dating, or their dating timeline is delayed—even if only by a few days. If they don’t date, Bob ceases to exist, and most shows get that right. But let’s say Bob just delayed their wedding. At that point, shows will assume Bob still exists, but in fact, he most likely doesn’t. That’s because the time when his parents would’ve conceived him would be almost certainly different, and in that scenario, he would’ve been created with a different egg and different sperm. Or not created at all if either was faulty.” West throws his hands in the air. “Even if his parents procreated at precisely the same time as they did in the original universe, he’d still most likely be a sibling of himself because there are a hundred million sperm ejaculated at a time. That’s only a minuscule one in a hundred million chance it’d be the exact same sperm in a parallel universe. And, again, if that sperm is faulty, Bob ceases to exist.”
I cluck, fascinated. “So if someone time travels, they basically won’t be the same person as before because the odds are too small.”
“Exactly!” West cries out. “No one would time travel because they’d almost surely either be their own brother or sister or cease to exist.”
“Oh my God—you’re right! I’ve never seen that addressed or even thought about it. But it creates a massive time travel issue.” I wave a hand. “Well, besides the one where it’s not possible.”
“Right. So my piece of fan fiction addressed it. When my character returns to his original time, he’s actually his biological brother who never existed in the original universe.”
I bark out a laugh, and he scowls at me. I put up a palm. “I’m not laughing at you, West. I’m laughing because that’s so ridiculously brilliant. And just so you.”
“So me?”
“Yes.” I feel so light, like all my problems have dissolved. West’s brain and his thoughts do that to me. I meet his gaze, my entire body warm. My voice is soft when I say, “You know, sometimes I forget just how smart you are. And then, we have moments like this and it makes me ache for the way we were. I realize this is a one-of-a-kind conversation that I’ll never have with anyone else.”
His chestnut eyes shine, showing the flecks of gold in them. “And do you know what?” His voice is low. “No one else appreciates my random observations like you do. Or even gets them most of the time. They’d just tease me about being obsessed with sperm. Or say I’m boring.”
“West Quinn, you’re a lot of things. But boring isn’t one of them.” Electric warmth spreads through me, and I realize I need to stop this because I’m feeling too much again. So I steel myself and say, “You’re going to make an amazing Groomsman to Groom star.”
Something flashes on his face. It almost looks like disappointment, but then it’s gone. “You think?”
“Of course.” I stop walking and face him. “You’re amazing.”