Page 21 of Tangled in Vows

It dissipates the second I notice Olivia’s tense face.

She bites out, “No divorce?”

“No divorce.” Nisha shakes her head, opening her mouth like she wants to say more, but closes it again.

I raise my brow. “What else, Nisha?”

Nisha sighs in defeat, probably knowing she got the short end of the stick being the messenger. “They want you to get some good press. Together.”

Olivia chokes on air. “By doing what? Pretending to be a couple in love?”

The answer is written all over Nisha’s face, and Olivia sees it too, rubbing her brow as if to ward off a headache. A mumbled, “Fuck my life,” follows a moment later.

My mind has turned into a buzzing mess of static.

We’re supposed to play a happily married couple in public?

“Olivia, look at me.” Nisha lays a hand on her chest. “I’m sorry. I wish I could change their minds, but they’re set on this. But as much as this sucks, I know you can do this. Your album will be released in six months, and time will fly by. In the meantime, you guys just continue to be friends. We’ll set up a few events where you can get photographed together so the bosses are happy. Nothing more than that, I promise.”

Neither Olivia nor I correct her that we haven’t been friends in a long time.

The couch squeaks when Nisha gets up and grabs the wine bottle from the kitchen. She pours the remainder of it into her glass and gulps down most of it.

“I won’t lie to you and say this will be easy because, the truth is, it will probably suck plenty of times. Also, can I just say how happy I am that you’ve been so discreet with your love life in the last few years? Infidelity claims would have made this situation a million times messier.”

My entire body stiffens at the mention of Olivia’s love life. How many guys have there been that no one knows about? Iknow I don’t have any actual claim on her, but I still don’t want to hear about her conquests either.

Olivia doesn’t comment, but for the first time since Nisha dropped this bomb on us, she looks at me. “What do you think about all of this? You can’t possibly be okay with it.”

She’s still too pale for my liking, and I’m not a fan of the slight redness in her eyes either. It pulls at something deep inside me, something I buried years ago. Or I tried to, at least. A place where I care about her more than I should and where I’d do anything for her. A place I shut down the second I sent those divorce papers.

That place just caught on fire and is burning to the ground.

Does this have the potential to ruin us completely? Possibly.

But even if she hates the fact, she needs me right now. For her safety and for her career.

My feet carry me across the room until I’m right in front of her, staring into her captivating hazel eyes.

I might regret this tomorrow, but I need her to hear this morsel of truth right now. “Hurricane, haven’t you noticed there isn’t a lot I wouldn’t do for you?”

Chapter 7

Olivia

I ache with your absence every single day.

Call me coward extraordinaire.

“Hurricane, haven’t you noticed there isn’t a lot I wouldn’t do for you?”

It’s been five days since Holden’s confession. I’m still unsure if it was for Nisha’s benefit or mine, but those words did something to me. They altered something profound in my bones. Not only did they feed my anger and hurt, but they also brought back a million questions I never got answers to.

Because what a load of bullshit.

There isn’t a lot he wouldn’t do for me?

How dare he say that and make himself look like the good guy? Like he cares about me and didn’t rip out my heart to stomp on it a few times for shits and giggles.

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