Page 70 of The One I Need
Two days into marriage, and I’m already reading her mind. I’m the best husband ever.
Oliver: Yes.
Izzy: Do you have to?
Oliver: Yes.
Izzy: What can I do to keep you quiet?
Oliver: Nope. Hazel and Knox know. I’ve wanted to tell my friends about you for a while. I just didn’t realize it would be in this context.
Izzy: It still can be. You can tell them I’m just your friend. I’ll even come to Rolling Hills and meet all of them and be the best female friend you’ve ever had.
Oliver: You’ll have to fight Amelia for that title. Though she’s never seen me naked *wink wink*
Izzy: Can you see my eyes rolling?
Oliver: Clear as day.
Izzy: What are you going to tell them? Do we need to coordinate stories? Is this going to be like when couples say they didn’t meet from an online dating app when they really did? What do I need to prepare for?
I suddenly get an idea, though I don’t know if she’s going to go for it. I also need to take the temperature of my friend group before I put this idea into motion.
Oliver: I plan on telling them the truth. I’ll let you know if I deviate from that when you meet them.
Izzy: WHEN I WHAT?
Oliver: Gotta go! Time to put the mac and cheese in the oven!
Izzy: OLIVER WHATEVER THE FUCK YOUR MIDDLE NAME IS PRICE YOU ANSWER ME!
Oliver: It’s Michael. And relax. Everything’s going to be fine.
Izzy: So you’ve said.
I laugh as I toss down the phone to start mixing together the noodles and cheese. Everything is going to be fine. I just know it.
* * *
“What in thefuck is that? You had one thing tonotdo in Vegas and it wasthat!”
For a second, I’m completely confused as to what Shane could be talking about. The door hasn’t even been open for ten seconds. Then I remembered that I didn’t take off my ring, and Shane is staring right at it.
I planned on taking it off. I swear.
“How about you sit down and wait for the others to get here?”
“They’re right behind me,” he says as he walks to my couch. I’m a bit unnerved because he hasn’t taken his eyes off me. Not when he walked in. Not when he sat down. Not even when he grabbed a bottle of beer from the six-pack he brought with him. He doesn’t even flinch when the next knock comes to my door.
I quickly slide the ring off and put it in my pocket. “Welcome.”
I open the door to find Simon, Amelia, Wes, and Betsy standing in my doorway. “Betsy! I’m glad you could make it.”
She reaches out to give me a hug. “I’m here for the macaroni and cheese. And to see who wins the bet.”
“What bet? Wait, Simon said something about how I owed him twenty bucks. Was that not him being, well, him?”
“Nope,” Betsy says. “Once everyone found out you were going to Vegas with a mystery woman, and knowing that you’ve been holding back on us for months, we all put twenty bucks in with our guesses about what’s really been going on with you.”
