Page 97 of Olivia's Only Pretending
The memory of Gracie sniffling on the other line was still fresh in my mind.
Gracie groaned. “I’m sorry I woke you up the other night just to talk about boy drama.”
“You can call me at four a.m. for all I care. If it means talking you out of getting back with him, I’m answering.”
“You did a good job. The morning after our phone call, Austin and I talked, and we broke up. For good. I deleted him off socials. I blocked his number. I can’t keep playing this back-and-forth game.”
I hummed in agreement.
“It hurt.” Her voice was throaty, like she was holding back tears. “But it was necessary to end it for good. Make a clean cut.”
“I’m sorry it hurt, even if it was necessary. Even if it will be good for you in the end, I’m sorry for how it hurts right now,” I said, my heart aching for my sweet, bubbly little sister. I hated how Austin dimmed that bright light in her.
“I’m going to be fine,” she said. “I can distract myself with studying for finals. They’re coming up before Thanksgiving break. I have a giant paper due that I’ve barely started.”
The conversation broke into a long discussion about school, professors, and studying tips. I wound up curled up in my bed, the phone to my ear, before we started to say goodbye.
Gracie yawned. “Thank you for calling to check on me.”
I propped my pillow under me, the wind rustling outside my bedroom window. “Of course, Gracie.”
“I’ll talk to you later, then,” she said. “Remember to send me pictures from the wedding.”
“I will,” I said.
But, before we hung up, I quickly added something I’d had in my head since our call began. “Gracie, I hope you know that someday you’ll find yourself with someone who treats you so well that it’ll be hard for you to believe that you ever considered settling for someone like Austin.”
I felt it coming for my sister like thunder before a storm—she would find the one who made her realize why it didn’t work out with anyone else. Like I did.
“I do know that,” Gracie said softly. “Sometimes.”
Thirty
It was a few days until the wedding, and the prep and excitement had kept Victor busy amid our budding new relationship. We took to finding free hours here and there, like during my lunch break. I’d brought a long Italian sub sandwich I’d made the night before for the occasion.
“Forget this,” Victor says, forgoing his attempt to scoot the big chair from the middle of my office over beside my rolling chair behind my desk.
He plopped down in my desk chair, yanked me into his lap, and said, “Let’s just share a seat.”
“Comfy.” I leaned against his chest for a second, feeling his heartbeat against my back. I had our sub spread out on our desk before us and started slicing it.
“How’s your day been?” he asked, his hands resting against my waist.
“Good, good,” I said. “We’re preparing for finals looming ahead, but it’s the quiet before the storm. Plus, things have settled down as the fall events are coming to an end. We’re all done except for the last panel seminar on Friday, but I’m thankfully not working that one.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a hot date on Friday.” Victor snuck his arms around me, hugging me from behind.
“A rehearsal dinner date, that’s serious stuff,” I said, biting my lip. My heart picked up pace. The rehearsal dinner felt like the real launch to sharing our relationship with friends and family. So many people would be there, and this would be their first time seeing us as anus.
I felt giddy.
“I’m really grateful you’ll be there. I’ll need kind eyes in the crowd,” Victor said morosely, leaning his head back against the chair. “I’m nervous about this toast.”
I twisted in my seat so we were face to face. “Victor, you’ll be amazing.” My outgoing, charming, irresistible, life-of-the-party Victor had been spiraling about the toast since his brother had asked him to be the best man.
He moaned in reply, hands over his eyes.
“You’re great at speaking. You have amazing jokes. A great balance of sentimental but hilarious.” I put my hands on both sides of his face. He looked at me. “I’ve read this thing like twenty times. It’s good.”
