Page 96 of The One I Need
This is the moment where I know I’m going to start healing.
And it’s all because of Oliver.
Chapter33
Oliver
“You ready?”
When I asked that question to Izzy yesterday, it was more of a check-in. I knew she wasn’t ready. Or at least, as ready as she was going to be. But today as we pull into the church for her father’s funeral? Today there’s something different about her. There’s a spark in her eye. A confidence in her demeanor that wasn’t there yesterday. Yes, to the passerby it might seem like this demeanor is inappropriate for a funeral, but those people can suck it. Because my girl has a spark in her eye I’ve never seen before, and it needs to stay there.
Izzy finishes checking her makeup before leaning over to kiss me on the cheek. “I am. Let’s go.”
Without hesitation, I get out of the driver’s seat and walk over to open the door for Izzy. When she steps out of the car she shocks me by putting her arms on my chest, leaning in for another kiss.
“What’s that for?”
“Everything,” she says as she straightens my tie. I don’t know if it needs fixed, but I’m not going to stop her. “I’m here today because of you. I’m going to get stronger every day because of you. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to thank you for that.”
“You know you don’t need to thank me.”
She shakes her head. “I do. Every day. You stuck by me. You didn’t give up on me. You didn’t even know what was going on with me because I was a stubborn ass who would rather be miserable than tell someone my trauma. Most people would run from that. Hell, I made sure they all did. But not you. You wouldn’t budge. You saw something I didn’t even see. And for that, Oliver Price, I will never, ever, be able to repay you.”
I take her hand and kiss her knuckles, because for once in my life, I’m speechless. I didn’t mean to take the left one, but I did. And I can’t stop staring at the gold band on her finger that my lips just touched.
“I’m going to miss this,” I say rubbing it with my thumb. “I kind of liked being married to you.”
She smiles and takes a step closer to me. “Who says I’m going to take it off?”
I was speechless before, but now I might pass out. I know I’m not blinking. My jaw might be on the ground. I’m pretty sure breathing has stopped.
“Oliver?”
I still don’t move. Did she really just say she’s not going to take it off?
“Oh, shit, I broke you,” she says, lightly patting my face to bring me back to the present. “We’ll talk about this later.”
I stare at her for a few seconds, letting all of that process as she laces her fingers through mine as we walk hand-in-hand to the church for the service. Yes, I’m going to need time to let that sink in. Out of all the outcomes of this weekend, having my wife want to be married to me was not on my bingo card.
We get to the door of the church, where a small line has formed to get in.
“I know I asked if you were ready, and I know you are, but I want to remind you one more time that you don’t have to do this.”
She shakes her head and rights her shoulders. “That’s what they want. They want me to run again. They want to still be able to have the narrative that I’m a runner and I leave when things get hard. I won’t give them that satisfaction.”
I bring her hand up, kissing it one more time as we take the last step inside the church. It’s somber and quiet, which is why everyone in town can hear as Benji comes racing over.
“Aunt Izzy! Oliver!” Benji runs over and, to my surprise, jumps into my arms over Izzy’s.
“Hey, little man,” I say as all eyeballs turn to give me a disapproving look. Wow, this town really does have a stick up its ass.
“Mommy said we can sit together.”
“That’s great,” I say as I put him down but make sure to keep his hand in mine. We don’t need a runner today.
On cue, Jessie comes walking over with who I’m assuming is her husband, Jimmy. He’s carrying what looks to be a very tired little girl.
“Hey,” she says to Izzy, giving her a long hug. “I’m so sorry about yesterday. I wanted to call you after I heard what happened with you and Matt.”
