Page 87 of Our Own Light

Finally, Oliver said, “Do you remember that the last time I came here, I hinted that I might have been messing up my life?” Oliver asked. “Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve somehow managed to make everything even worse now.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said.

Even though her words were sweet, her tone seemed off. Cold, even. Even though Oliver tried to himself that he was imagining it, he couldn’t help but wish for some kind of throw blanket to pull over his shoulders.

He continued, “Yes, well, now I’m confused as to what I’m supposed to do. I’m in a relationship with someone, but I’m worried I’ve messed up somehow because, over the last week, they’ve become so...” Oliver looked over to see that Aunt Betty was tapping her foot. Once again, he tried to ignore the potential hint that she was completely uninterested in hearing what he had to say. “Distant. I think my friend might not care for me the same way that I care for them.”

“Mmm...” Pursing her lips, Aunt Betty looked at her tumbler. Oliver fidgeted in his seat while he waited for her to respond. “Well, I hope it works out.”

God, her voice was practically dripping with disinterest. He hated this. She was talking to him as though it was a chore. It was how everyone had always talked to him. Everyone except for Floyd. And Effie. And Jo. Roy and John weren’t bad either. Actually, most everyone in Rock Creek was fairly lovely. Why on earth was he trying to cultivate a relationship with this woman? Because she was family? Oliver supposed he should have seen this coming.

“Christ, why’d I have to mess everything up?” Oliver set his tumbler back on the table and stood. “And I shouldn’t have come here. It’s obvious how little you care.” He started back toward the entryway, muttering, “No one in our family has ever cared for me. I have no idea why I thought you’d be any different.”

He took another two steps before Aunt Betty spoke again.

“Oliver,” she called out. “I’m sorry.”

He stopped and waited.

She continued, “Long ago, I told myself I wouldn’t ever put myself in a position to be pushed around by one of our family members ever again. So, yes, I was set on keeping our relationship fairly superficial, but Oliver, I seem to have forgotten that you left, too. I think that merits a second chance.”

“I’m not either of your brothers. I promise.”

“You’re right.” She gestured to the empty chair beside her. “Sit.”

So Oliver sat. Aunt Betty studied his face for a few seconds before setting her tumbler on the side table.

“Alright, Oliver, I’d be happy to try to offer you some wisdom if I can,” she said, folding her hands in her lap. “Tell me a bit more about this woman you’re seeing and what happened that may have caused her to start pushing you away.”

“I think they might have realized that I’m not... enough.”

“Not enough?” Aunt Betty asked with a slight tilt of her head.

“Not when compared to his—” Oliver sucked in a breath, his eyes widening in horror before he clapped a hand over his mouth. “Fuck,” he cursed, the swear word muffed by his palm.

Surprisingly, Aunt Betty’s expression remained relatively stoic—her mouth a straight line, eyes boring into him. Oliver was too scared to even move. Damn, she would probably throw him out of her house as soon as she found her voice.

Instead, Aunt Betty raised both her eyebrows and said, “His?”

Oliver swallowed thickly as he tried to recover.

“Come on, be... be scandalized,” he managed to say. “I know you’re probably struggling to hide your shock and awe. Not, you know, the happy kind, either.”

With a shrug, Aunt Betty said, “I’m not scandalized.”

Oliver crooked a suspicious eyebrow. “Why not?”

Aunt Betty pursed her lips ever-so-slightly, and then her eyes flitted over to the stairwell outside the room.

“Do you know why I left New York?” she asked, looking over at Oliver again.

Oliver shook his head. “No. Not that I haven’t wondered.”

“Tell me, why’d you choose Rock Creek?”

“Well, uhm, I knew that you lived in Charleston, and I knew that our family friend Frederick Donohue owned the town so—”

“I’m not sure if you remember this, but I was supposed to marry Frederick.”

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