Page 2 of The Influencer

I really wish he hadn’t brought her up. All Adam ever needs to start reminding me how wrong Olivia is for me is one opening like that. “Thanks.” Like I can take credit…

Sawyer arches a brow. “She’s practically glowing. Anything you want to share?”

That she’s really happy with her new illuminating foundation? “Nope. Nothing new. Same old same old.”

They both give me looks of extreme sympathy, and it makes me want to be anywhere else.

“Still?” Adam asks, perplexed. “Really?”

Okay, so the fact is, about six months into my relationship with Olivia, she decided her biological clock was ticking (she’s twenty-nine now—I’m twenty-seven), and she wanted to get married with the purpose of starting a family like the newly devout Catholic she is.

I thought that was a pretty big step, even if I did feel like I was falling for her, and we talked about it. For weeks. But she’s my first serious girlfriend. We met when I was twenty-five and brand new to LA. In no way, shape, or form was I ready to take vows, especially after only six months of dating.

So, with our cards on the table, Olivia told me she didn’t want to have sex again until marriage. I respected her decision at the time—I was pretty fucking lonely, and she was one of the only people I knew in LA. And now here we are, a year and a half later, still abstaining, while she waits for a marriage which I have not proposed.

Other than Adam, Liv’s been the closest thing to family I have in this town. And frankly, now that Adam’s with Sawyer and living mostly in Seattle, he and I aren’t as close as we used to be.

I’m not angry with Liv for wanting to wait until marriage. I don’t really get it since she was more than DTF when we first got together, but I’m not mad about it. Frustrated, yes. Of course. But she’s entitled to make decisions about her own body, and just because she doesn’t want to give it to me unless I give her a promise of forever doesn’t make her a bad person. But Adam doesn’t see it that way, and I can admit, some days I don’t either. But I’m not going to spend all night defending my relationship with her to someone who could never understand what it’s like to not be adored by everyone all the time.

“Some of us are capable of going more than three days without getting laid.” I direct that comment at my brother.

He blushes appropriately and seems to decide to back the fuck off about it.

“Anyway.” I turn to Sawyer. “Happy birthday.”

The older man grins. “Thanks.” His watch alerts him of a message, and he glances at Adam. “My parents are here. I’m going out front to walk them up.”

Adam gives Sawyer’s hand a squeeze before they part. “You want a drink?” he asks me.

“No. I quit,” I say. My brother has been sober for over two years now. I don’t have a drinking problem or anything, but with sex out of my life, I’ve had to focus on other things. Health has been at the top of the list.

“Water?” he offers.

“I’m good. I should go find Liv...”

Adam grabs my arm before I can get away. “Are you okay? I wasn’t trying to piss you off.”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look happy, Ash.”

“Well…I’m fine.” I shrug out of his hold. “She’s a good person. She’s been there for me. That means something.”

“Hey…”

“It’s not shade, Adam. It’s just facts. You’ve got your life. I’ve got mine. I’m good. Don’t worry about me.”

“Well, you look great.”

“Thanks. So do you.” As usual. “Now go. Have fun. It’s a party, right?”

“I hate parties,” he says.

That makes two of us.

Adam sticks with me until Sawyer makes it back into the house with his parents. I find Olivia chatting with Sawyer’s ex-girlfriend Sheridan and the rapper Sheridan married. They pull me into their conversation, and then I wander through several others until the music stops.

Everyone at the party turns to the scene around the fire pit where Sawyer is staring at my brother who’s down on one knee.

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