Page 73 of The One I Need
“I did.” I can’t help but flash a smug look. I love fucking with Simon. “I actually proposed to Izzy at the wedding, the first night we met. That was thirty-four.”
“Fuck you,” he says. “That should still count.”
“Focus,” I say, getting his attention back to the screen. “There’s more.”
We bypass the photos of us celebrating and the random ones we took while getting our marriage license.
Me and Izzy standing at the altar. Me and Izzy sharing a smile as Elvis says whatever he said. Me kissing Izzy so hard I think we might have fallen over. Me and Izzy holding our hands up in celebration after being pronounced man and wife. Other random pictures celebrating our nuptials with everyone we could find.
“Holy fuck,” Wes says.
“I can’t believe it,” Amelia adds.
“I can’t believe y’all got married the same night as Renn Brewer and Blakely Evans,” Betsy says. “That news waseverywhere.”
“I can’t believe I wasn’t there to be your best man,” Simon chimes in.
“You wouldn’t have been his best man,” Shane says before turning to me. “But the question begs to be asked, what’s next?”
And there’s the million dollar question. I knew it was either going to be Shane or Wes to ask. Doesn’t mean I was any more ready to answer.
“Well, according to law in Tennessee, sixty days is the minimum length before a divorce can be final.”
“This is true,” Wes adds. “Longest sixty days of my life.”
“So, as much as I enjoy wearing this,” I say as I hold up my hand, “it will only be on my hand for two months. Izzy wants a divorce, which I’m going to give to her.”
Amelia stands up, only to come to sit next to me. “What do you want?”
“What?”
“I said, what do you want? Because the Oliver I know wouldn’t get divorced so quickly. Even the version of Oliver who got drunk and married in Vegas.”
“It doesn’t matter what I want,” I say.
“Yes, it does,” Betsy adds. “Because you love her, and your feelings are valid.”
“Who said I love her?” I mean, I know I do, but I didn’t realize they already know I do.
“Do you think we’re blind?” Shane says. “I’ve been there for nearly every woman you’ve dated. And I’ve been there for every failed proposal. In all of those years, you’ve nevernottold us about a woman. You’ve never kept a relationship to yourself. You sure as hell didn’t kiss any of them like you did in that picture. You also need to remember, I saw you the morning after the wedding. Did I think you were being dramatic when you said she was the one who was getting away? Of course, because it’s you. But I’ll admit that I was wrong. You’ve never looked at a woman like that. Not in the thirty years I’ve known you. I’m sorry to say it, but you’re in love with your wife, Oliver.”
I look back to the screen, which is now showing a picture of us kissing before we got back into our car. “What am I supposed to do? She doesn’t believe in love. She’s against marriage. Every time it gets brought up a look of terror runs over her. And I told her when this was starting, being in her life as a friend was better than not being in it at all. And I mean that. So if she wants a divorce and to go back to how things were, then so be it.”
“Nope. Bullshit,” Simon says as he stands up and blocks the television. “That’s not how this is going down.”
“Then please tell me, so-called best friend, how is it going to go down?”
“First we need to know the answer to a couple of questions. One, do you love her?”
No sense in lying. “Yes.”
Wes stands up and walks next to Simon. “You said before she was different. Do you still feel that way?”
“I do.”
“Do you want to be married to her?” This comes from Shane, who joins the others.
“Yes.”
