16. Elliot
Chapter sixteen
Elliot
I t’s happening again. I wake up with that same heavy, suffocating feeling in my chest, my heart lodged somewhere between my throat and my ribcage. One name echoes in my head: Olivia Reed.
I’ve had this same dream since I dropped her off the night of Daniel’s disastrous rehearsal dinner. Since she smiled at me. Maybe I shouldn’t have suggested friendship. Not when I’m dealing with all these conflicting emotions. What was I thinking?
A hand waves in front of me, snapping me out of my thoughts. Daniel’s staring at me like I’m a complete stranger. “Have you been listening to anything I’ve been saying, Elliot?”
I rip off my flour-covered apron and slam the pantry door shut, Daniel trailing closely behind as I make my way to my office.
“Of course I’ve been listening. Do you have to keep coming here? You’re making my staff uncomfortable,” I sigh, tossing the inventory on my desk.
My desk is a mess—crumpled papers from failed recipe attempts, empty coffee cups littering the surface. It’s hard to focus when my mind is as chaotic as the pile in front of me.
Daniel isn’t backing down. I guess stubbornness runs in the Reed family. He sits across from me, leaning in so close I can see the flecks of gray in his blond beard, highlighted by a streak of sunlight sneaking through the slightly open curtains.
“You can’t blame me for reacting this way. Friendship with my sister? Unless you’re dying or losing your mind, forgive me if I think you’re lying,” he says, and I can’t really blame him.
It’s hard to believe it myself. We’ve spent years hating each other—it’s not easy to just flip the script. But my heart’s getting too comfortable with the idea. Maybe enjoying it a little too much, and I’m not sure that was ever part of the plan.
“If you’re so doubtful, you can stick around. I invited Ollie over so you can see for yourself that I’m not planning to harm your sister,” I say casually, though inside, my nerves are buzzing like I’m a kid confessing his crush for the first time.
Daniel’s eyes widen in disbelief. “What! Why? What are you planning to do to her, Elliot? I will break your bones if you hurt her, El!”
He fires questions at me so quickly I can barely process them. If I weren’t worried about him having a heart attack—and dealing with Julia playing the angry fiancée—I might try to amuse him.
Shaking my head in mock disappointment, I reply, “For someone who claims to be my best friend, you sure don’t trust me. You wound me, man.”
“You can’t blame him, El. You’ve been playing the big bad wolf for years,” a voice says from behind, startling us both.
I turn to see Olivia leaning against the doorframe of my office. The yellow dress she’s wearing doesn’t quite go with those brown cowboy boots, but leave it to Olivia to break the rules and wear what makes her feel good. How does she manage to make my heart race again? Was she always this beautiful, or is it just that my heart is too fragile right now?
She hugs Daniel, then throws me a soft smile, like it’s the most natural thing in the world—as if she doesn’t realize how her smile makes me forget everything I’ve spent years convincing myself was true.
“You look like you’re about to pass out, you know?” she says, her finger pointing to my face.
I clear my throat and answer, “Blame your brother for stalking me for days. A stalker isn’t the best PR for a restaurant owner.”
“Stalker!” Daniel scoffs, exaggerated disbelief written all over his face as he grabs his phone from the desk.
“Ollie was right about the big bad wolf thing. And for the record, if you two ruin my wedding plans one more time, I’ll shave your heads,” he warns as he storms out of the room.
Olivia and I burst into laughter as we watch him leave. “Shave our heads? That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?” I tease, and she nods in agreement.
“It is, but after last night, I think my brother might actually follow through on some of those empty threats,” she says, and when I tense up in surprise, she bursts into another laugh.
“If I’d known you scared so easily, I would’ve threatened you ages ago,” she adds, pulling me toward the door.
The thought of Emma reminds me of how poorly I treated her during the rehearsal dinner. Maybe I should have Aaron bake her an apology cake or something. As if reading my thoughts, Olivia takes my hand just before I unlock the passenger-side door for her.
“I already talked to Emma, and no, she’s not going to kill you,” she says, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “She says you’re way too handsome to be killed for one mistake. I’m not so sure, though.”
She’s smiling again, those blue eyes sparkling, and I can feel the butterflies stirring in my chest. Blinking rapidly, I force myself to look away before my hands find their way to the side of her face.
“You shouldn’t smile at me like that,” I mutter, unlocking the door and sliding into the driver’s seat.
She leans over, her perfume filling the air, intoxicating and familiar. “What’s wrong with my smile? People say it’s one of my best features.”
“They lied. Ollie, it’s not pretty at all,” I reply, gently pushing her back so I can think straight again.
She scoffs, turning her face toward the window. “Cold-hearted bully,” she mutters under her breath, but loud enough for me to hear.
As I drive through the quiet streets, with nothing but the sound of the wind between us, I try to keep my thoughts of Olivia at bay. There’s more pressing business—like warning my mother to stop talking about Olivia. Her ridiculous ideas are part of why my head feels like a rollercoaster right now.
When we arrive at Emma’s office, she’s standing outside, that familiar bright smile on her face, just like the first time we came here. It makes me wonder why I’ve been so awful to such a sweet girl. Rubbing my sweaty hands against my jeans, I get out of the car.
She’s already walking toward me. “Hello, Mr. Sharp. It’s been a while,” she says, her smile only intensifying my guilt.
“Yeah. Listen, Emma, I’m…” I start to apologize, but she cuts me off.
“Don’t apologize. An event planner should learn how to say no, even if the person asking is such a cute human,” she says, winking at Olivia.
I nod. “Well, she certainly is persuasive.”
Ushering us into the conference room, she leads the conversation straight into the wedding plans, despite the disaster of the rehearsal dinner. Strangely, the thought of petals and flowers around the reception no longer makes me cringe. Maybe it’s because I’m done fighting it.
Olivia is watching me the whole time, her gaze never leaving me. It’s definitely not helping.
“What?” I ask, tilting my head as we leave the office.
She raises her brows, feigning confusion. “What do you mean, what? You’ve been looking at me like I’m some kind of alien since we got here.”
She lets out a defeated sigh. “Well, it’s just... odd seeing you not arguing or protesting about wedding ideas this time.”
“You make it sound like I turn into a monster when I don’t agree. I don’t do that,” I defend myself, unlocking the car door and sliding in.
She slams the door shut behind her. “No, El, you do worse. You spit fire when you disagree. Look in the mirror, bro,” she laughs, tightening her seatbelt.
“Don’t do that, Ollie. I’ve told you before,” I groan, and she rolls her eyes.
“Yeah, I look ugly when I smile. You don’t need to repeat it, mister bully.”
I start the engine, and as we pull out of the parking lot, I try to keep my thoughts on Emma and the wedding plans, but Olivia keeps drifting back into my mind.
“What about my smile makes me ugly? Forgive me if I don’t believe you,” she says, eyes locked on mine.
Her blue eyes are searching, and I can feel the weight of her gaze pulling me in. My heart skips, and I realize how dangerously close I am to falling for her. This isn’t healthy. Not for me. But maybe it’s time to stop fighting it.
“What do you want to hear, Ollie?” I mutter, eyes on the road, but I can feel her watching me, waiting.
Groaning, I jerk the car to a stop, the sudden motion making her jump. “I lied, Ollie. About your smile... and a few other things,” I blurt out.
Her cheeks flush as she looks away, but I can’t take my eyes off her. My hands grip the steering wheel tighter. This feeling... It’s like stepping into unknown waters, dangerous, but irresistible.
And I think of Olivia’s last blog post—could this be my own spark of New Flames?