Page 19 of Tangled in Vows

Stormy and I follow them, rounding the corner as Olivia’s publicist takes a long sip of the red wine she just poured herself. She works fast, knowing her way around the kitchen after being here often enough. If I remember correctly, she was the one who went condo shopping with her.

The glass clinks on the marble counter when she puts it back down. After a heavy sigh, she walks around the kitchen island toward me with an outstretched hand.

“My apologies for my rude first impression. I’m Kenisha Williams, but you can call me Nisha.”

Obviously, I know who she is, but I don’t let on and shake her hand. “Holden Donahue.”

She lets out another sigh. “Oh, I know who you are, young man.”

The corner of her mouth twitches. If I hadn’t already decided years ago that she’s got nothing but Olivia’s best interests at heart, I might have warmed up to her anyway.

Olivia clears her throat. “Nisha, if this is about this morning. Stormy had to get out, and there was no way to avoid the cameras unless I would have taken the risk and gone alone.”

Nisha gently pats Olivia’s arm. “I know, sweetie. I’m sure the pictures of you guys would have been enough to cause a small wave across social media. But paired with the news that just got leaked, we’re dealing with a tsunami of epic proportions.”

Olivia and I stare at Nisha with puzzled expressions while Stormy trots over to her to get a few pats. Once satisfied, she moves to her oversized dog pillow where she curls up, lets out a snort, and closes her eyes.

What a life.

Nisha gazes back at us and nods toward the seating area. “Let’s sit so you two can explain to me when the hell you were going to let me know you’re married.”

Olivia plops onto the couch with the grace of a sack of potatoes, her mouth hanging open. I sit next to her but leave some room between us.

Since I’m not positive Olivia will reply anytime soon, I do. “We’re not married.”

Nisha raises her brows and gives me a glare that would make a weaker man shiver in his boots. Okay, fine. I’d prefer not to get on her bad side. She’s got that scary boss-lady vibe down. Thankfully, she’s on Olivia’s side though. And that’s all that ever mattered to me.

“Holden, I don’t do well with lies.”

I raise a brow. “Me neither. But I wasn’t lying. Olivia and I aren’t married.”

Olivia clears her throat. “Not anymore.”

Nisha focuses back on her. “Explain.”

“Well.” Olivia presses her lips into a flat line. “We . . . we got a divorce.”

For a twisted moment, it seems to be Olivia and Holden versus Nisha, so I nod in support.

Nisha takes a sip of her wine and glances back and forth between Olivia and me. “Well, I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but you’re still married.”

“No, no, no. You must be wrong,” Olivia says, while I mutter, “That’s impossible.”

I rub my hand over my beard, tugging at the skin on my throat. “I don’t know how you know about this, or why you think we’re still married, but we’re not. We finalized our divorce years ago.”

I don’t dare look at Olivia right now. My disappearance and the ensuing divorce are two things we still haven’t talked about—not for a single second. After all, avoidance and pretense are Olivia’s favorite games, and I definitely won’t spill my secrets willingly.

“I got a call from one of the reporters we’re friends with. He explained that he’d received an anonymous email with the information about your marriage.” Nisha stays silent for a beat. “He wasn’t the only one. The email went out to all the major gossip sites and their mothers. It’s everywhere.”

Olivia has lost all the color in her face. “But can’t we just make a statement that says it’s untrue? I mean, this is all just a big lie.”

Nisha taps her manicured fingers against her glass. “But that’s the problem, sweetie. It’s not. I immediately called our lawyer after I got the news. He was able to pull some strings and get access to your marriage records. I don’t know what happened, but even if you filed for divorce, it was never finalized. You’re still officially married. According to his divorce lawyer friend, it’s more common than you’d think. Not that that helps us in any way.”

What the fuck?

Olivia and I are still married?

My mind is racing, searching for answers, but there aren’t any.

---