Page 20 of Sparks Still Fly

But I can’t say any of that.

I settle for, “Yes, but only if you choose to keep up this attitude. Ditch the angry bull act and I’ll be nice to you again.” I can see that it’s on the tip of his tongue to question my choice of the word again because I haven’t been particularly nice to him since we reconnected in London. But to his credit, he says nothing. And the more I look at him, the more I see that he’s not angry. He’s defeated, maybe. Exhausted, definitely.

“Yesterday was... There’s just a lot going on right now. I’m sorry.” His eyes travel over my face, and I hate that I feel saddened for him. I hate that my instinct is to ask him what’s going on, to ask how I can help, to ask him to let me in. But I can’t. I can’t go there again. I won’t.

“Okay.” I swallow down all of the urges to make this more than a casual interaction between two acquaintances. “I hope... I hope things get better for you.”

He nods, looking down at his feet, eyebrows scrunched together in a way that makes me think he’s not hopeful that things will indeed get better.

“I’ll see you in Vegas?” he asks when he finally looks up at me again. I nearly forgot we have Bon and Adam’s bachelorette and bachelor party this weekend. No one is more surprised than me that they chose Las Vegas for this. I think it’s some sort of act of rebellion for them both, though it is a joint party, so it’s not like anyone’s getting too rowdy. I wouldn’t be surprised if those two nap before we go out and then call it a night before midnight.

I nod in response to his question. “Yeah. I’ll see you in Vegas.”

And with that, I let him go. The thought that there’s something big going on with him eats away at me for the remainder of the day. The gut feeling that Owen needs help but won’t ask for it nags at me, and it doesn’t let up.

“I look bloody ridiculous.” I screech as I look into the mirror in my giant suite. “I love it!” A laugh spills out of me as I take in my ebony wig, heart-shaped sunglasses and poofy white dress. The Doc Martens are the icing on this insane cake, though.

Bon insisted all the girls wear white dresses for her bachelorette tonight, so here we are. Me, Bon, Charlie, and Taylor, my stylist and friend for the past five years. Okay, so Taylor’s not technically a girl, but he’s far more interested in wearing dresses than suits.

“Maeve Howard, just what in the name of Dolly Parton is on your feet?” I knew Taylor would hate this, but I need two things tonight: to not be recognized and to be comfortable.

“Tay-Tay, you know I love you, but you’ve dressed me in skintight gowns and ungodly high heels for every single event in the last three months. Tonight, I want anonymity and comfort. And no one will suspect me in these boots, right?” His scowl softens a little, but only ever so slightly.

“At least your dress covers them.” He tosses a hand over his shoulder, moving right along. “Mine, on the other hand, requires these fabulous heels. I am giving off major Beyoncé vibes in this fit.” He proceeds to stare at himself in the mirror, duck face firmly in place. I chuckle as I walk out to the living room area, where Bon and Charlie are sitting on the couch, white dresses cascading all around them as they drink champagne and eat chocolate-covered almonds.

“This is just like that episode of Friends! We need a picture. Taylor! Get your cute bottom in here!” I rush over to the girls after propping my phone on a weird glass sculpture that looks oddly like a minge.

I turn and look at Bon, taking in her wide, happy smile, and wait for Taylor to settle into a spot next to Char. I click the timer and run to the sea of white, jumping in the middle as we all laugh. I feel it right at this moment: tonight is going to be one of the best, most memorable nights of my life. I’m with my favorite people, celebrating a love so big and beautiful I’m not sure it can ever be replicated. Yep. This is a night I’ll never forget.

13/

don’t finish that thought.

owen

This is nowhere near where I want to be or what I want to be doing tonight, but there isn’t much I won’t do for my little sister. So, when she decided on a joint bachelorette and bachelor party in Vegas, of course I said I’d be here.

That was also before the lawyer called with news that this guardianship process wasn’t going to go as smoothly as I anticipated. Apparently, I have to prove that I’m fit to take a baby home. Financially, it’s a non-issue. But they want to make sure I’m emotionally stable. That means as soon as this party is over, I get to go back to Ojai to have my house and my life thoroughly looked into.

It seems that giving custody to a single male isn’t favorable, especially since I’m not related to either of the baby’s parents. As much as I get it, it’s also bullshit because I could have gone and made a baby with someone, and no one would be checking in on me. Plus, they picked me for a reason, damn it.

“O, you might wanna wipe the scowl off your face before the bride gets here.” I know Raf is right. Lainey already tried to give me an out. She told me she wouldn’t be upset if I sat this one out, but we’ve already missed enough in one another’s lives. I don’t want to miss one more thing.

I try to put a smile on my face, and Raf winces.

“Harder. Try harder than that. You’re scaring me, man.” He turns and takes another swig of his beer. Smiling seems to come so instinctively to Rafael, but my face just doesn’t naturally go that way unless I’m with my people. Unless I’m with...

Don’t finish that thought.

“I’m going to get another drink.” I get up quickly, walking to the bar while I practice relaxing my facial muscles. I take a shot of tequila and another beer, and when I start making my way back to Raf, I see a giant white blob out of the corner of my eye. It’s moving toward the VIP section, where we’ll eventually end up so Adam and Maeve can enjoy the night without being seen.

I do a double take when I see Elaina’s happy, smiling face in the blur of white. I immediately spot Charlie’s red hair, and Taylor has a very long brown wig on his head. I squint, trying to spot the missing piece when the woman with the raven hair turns and stuns me. It’s Maeve. She must also have a wig on, unless she really committed to this thing and dyed her hair.

Ha! Doubtful.

“There. That’s much better!” There’s a hard slap on my back, and I turn to see Raf’s wide smile. “You found your smile after all. Good job, my man.” He follows my gaze, spotting the group in white and chuckles, shaking his head.

I didn’t know I was smiling, but it makes sense. Lainey looked so happy, I must have smiled when I saw her. Not when I saw the blonde sporting the dark hair. Definitely not then.

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