24. Downpour #2
“All the time. Lately, at least.” He cleared his throat, leaning back in the wooden chair, one hand wrapped around his coffee.
“I had no desire for a long time. After Emily passed, I told myself it would be easier for both Hudson and I to not risk letting someone new into our lives. I punished myself anytime the idea would even float into my mind. I had a great love already. Not one I planned for, but one all the same. So who was I to fight for a second?”
I smiled sadly. “That makes sense. How’d you meet her?”
He chuckled. “We went to school together. We were always friends, lab partners in every science class we ever took. She was my senior prom date, but it was never more than that at the time. I went in to the Army, did my four years, and then while I was home visiting Mom, contemplating if I would rejoin, I saw her out at The Roadhouse. We got to talking, one thing led to another, quite a few shots, and we slept together.” Another sip of his coffee and he let out a slow breath.
“She had an appointment to try a new birth control two weeks later, called me on the road back to my unit to tell me she was pregnant. So I didn’t sign.
Came back here, we got married, and she was gone four years later. ”
I reached across the table, my hand settling on his. His eyes met mine, and he gave me a sad smile.
“We had an amazing marriage, and I miss her at the most random of times now. Grief is weird like that. Our story may not have started the best, but she was an amazing friend, always in my corner, wanted to support me in whatever made me happy, and she loved Hudson more than anything. He bound us together in a way that just worked, and we were happy for the short amount of time we had. I was lucky to have someone like her.”
“She was lucky to have someone like you too, Oliver. Don’t forget that. And Hudson is lucky to have two parents who loved him above all.” I meant every word of it, and this had just cemented the fact that I wanted a love like Emily Carragan once had in life, and still did in some ways in death.
He nodded. “Thank you, Ivy.”
“Always, Oliver.”
We both took a few comfortable quiet moments to drink our coffee before he broke the silence once more. “Are you ready for the rest of your party? I already shut everything down.”
I nodded, not letting myself ask the next five million questions that came to mind over his comments and my pesky nosiness.
The rest of the ride was quiet—the both of us humming or singing along to his music, sipping coffee, before we finally pulled up to Aspen’s.
“Why did we stop?” The question slipped from my lips just as the rain started sprinkling from the sky, and Oliver turned the truck off.
“I figured after everything back there, you may need a moment to collect yourself before having to go put on a brave face when you’re feeling anything but.” We stared at each other for a long pause before I slipped my feet back into my heels. “Are you ready?”
“Born ready. It is my birthday, after all.” I forced a smile as I pushed my door open and climbed out, leaving behind any feelings I may harbor for anything this man had done for me tonight.
“UNO!” I squealed overtop everyone else as they all groaned and Aspen laid down a skip card on Rowan.
I threw back a cinnamon-flavored shot, the liquid burning all the way down my chest.
“You’re lucky you look so cute in your new pajamas and it’s your birthday, or I’d be really annoyed you were winning, again.
” Aspen stuck her tongue out at me as I wrapped my arms around my sore loser of a best friend.
She’d gotten me a matching pink satin set of pajamas, a pair of shorts with a button-up short-sleeve shirt and matching fuzzy slippers.
“I do look great, don’t I,” I mumbled as I kissed her cheek.
Oliver, Rowan, Aspen, Theo, and I were all gathered around playing a game of UNO. Every time we got UNO, we had to take a shot. It was gearing up to be quite the experience.
Wyatt, Ember, and Payton sat off to the side with the snacks as we took turns trading in and out players. We’d tried everyone the first round, and it was too many people, so now we rotated.
“Draw four, baby doll,” that deep voice said from next to me. My gaze shot to him, and I wasn’t sure what face to make. One, that damn nickname was doing things to me that I simply refused to name.
Two— “How dare you! It’s my birthday.” I let out a mock gasp, but he wasn’t hearing it as he picked up four cards from the deck and handed them to me without looking at them.
“These are for you,” he said with a smirk.
“Ridiculous. Is this how you treat all the girls around you?”
I temporarily noted the silence that had ensued around us during this small batch of banter, but I shrugged it off while I waited for his answer.
“Only the ones who earned it.”
“Well, I sure as hell didn’t. I should make you take a shot just for being unkind to the birthday girl.”
Rowan cleared his throat as he choked down a laugh and laid down another card and then Theo followed suit, bringing us back around the table to Oliver once more. He laid down a green five and gave me an arched brow.
“Better?”
“Very.” I laid down a reverse card. “Now I can throw eighty draw cards on your cowboy ass.”
He drew a card with a half-smile. Rowan laid down a card, biting his bottom lip as he hid his cards by his side.
Theo, who wasn’t choking on his laugher, set down a card. “She’s got it out for you now, big bro. Better watch out! It’s the ones in pink who hit the hardest.”
Oliver smiled and shook his head.
My phone vibrated beside me, and I looked down on the table to see another text from Todd.
“What’d he say this time?” Aspen questioned quietly.
Unlocking my phone, I left it on the table between us and started scrolling.
Todd
When are you coming home?
Todd
Are you still at Aspens?
Todd
Did you seriously let him drive you?
Todd
Whatever. Have fun fucking your boss. That’s one way to get ahead.
Todd
Don’t bother calling me back.
Todd
Are you coming home tonight or not?
I shook my head and locked my phone, laying down a random card atop the UNO pile, hoping it made sense and I could just not have to think right now.
“Do you want me to just turn it off and take it upstairs?” she asked, her tone still quiet and between the two of us.
I nodded, laying my cards down when Theo announced that he’d won.
“I’m going to go outside and get some air.”
Aspen squeezed my hand before she took my phone. I tapped in Ember for the next round and walked outside beneath the front covering, the rain pouring from the sky now. The driveway was a muddy mess, but it didn’t stop me as I kicked my slippers off and walked out into the downpour.