Page 76 of A Chance for Us
“Well, I think I can get on board with that.”
Twenty
OLIVER
Iwake up to the blaring noise of my phone ringing. When I roll over, Maren isn’t in the bed, which is odd, but I don’t dwell on it when I see it’s Alex calling and it’s almost noon.
“Alex,” I say with a huff.
“Married?”
“Egypt?”
My brother is a good guy, smart, funny, and not all that good-looking. He loved what he went to school for and absolutely hated our parents forcing him to work for our dad’s inns.
After we walked away from the family company, he ended up taking a job offer that took him to Egypt. That means, we are down a Parkerson and Alex is out of the loop.
“Say what you want, I think my going to Egypt was a less surprising thing than you getting married.”
“I’m assuming you know the whole story.”
I sit up, rubbing my hands over my face.
“I know some of it. Josh was my source, so you know it’s probably half bullshit. But I hear she’s hot.”
“Hey, that’s my wife you’re talking about.”
Alex chuckles. “So, are you going to tell me everything or just let me make up my own version?”
“Your own version sounds fine.”
“Ollie, stop being your normal joke-away-serious-things-guy idiot and tell me what the hell happened.”
After throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I fill him in on how Maren and I came to be and how every stitch in our ridiculously sewn plan came undone. When I say it all aloud, I feel like a dumbass. This was destined to fail from the beginning.
“Sounds like we can blame Stella for this mess.”
I nod, feeling vindicated. “Yes, yes we can. I said no, and she got all up in my feelings about doing the right thing. It is her fault.”
“Agree.”
“Now that we have that settled, I feel better.”
“I’m sure you do.” Alex snorts. “You shouldn’t because, while you’re cleaning up your mess of a life, she’s happy with her husband.”
“Still, I get to blame her, which we all know she hates.”
“This is true. Do you like her?”
I jerk my head quickly. “Stella? Of course. She’s our sister.”
“You know I meant your wife.”
I look toward the door, wondering where she is and if she can hear me. “I like her a lot. She’s great, and . . . if we didn’t do such a bang-up job fucking this up from the beginning, who knows . . .”
That’s a lie. I know. I never would have allowed myself the possibility of a relationship. I really want no part in it. I’m happy alone. I’m safe alone. I don’t have to worry or wonder if the girl I’m head over heels in love with wants to boink someone else. There’s a lot of ease in that kind of living. I’ve had less stress, sex, and misery thanks to it.
Although, the sex part isn’t exactly true anymore.
