8
“Spot’s being really good about this,” Ezra said, adjusting the harness and pillow on her back for what seemed like the thousandth time. She’d always been calm, but she’d definitely mellowed out even more over the last few years. She was just sitting still, as though having a harness fitted to her was the most fun she could imagine having and she didn’t want to ruin it.
As weddings went, one where the ringbearer was atigerwas kind of awesome. If Ezra had ever thought about it, it was exactly what he would have expected from Oscar, too.
“She wants to be part of the wedding, I think,” Oscar said. “I mean, I don’t think she understands what a weddingis, but I think she understands something important’s happening between two of her friends. She’s been really sweet about it.”
“Lucky almost all of your guests are gonna be cool with this.” Ezra paused to scratch behind Spot’s ear. Almost everyone on the list had once worked or volunteered at the sanctuary.
Oscar chuckled. “I can’t wait to see how Ryan’s parents take it,” he said. “He took me to meet them, they’ve never been here.”
“I’m suddenly so glad I’m invited.” Ezra grinned. He loved it when new people ran into Spot for the first time.
“You would always have been invited,” Oscar said. “Even if you hadn’t come back. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Ezra smiled down at the table. “Love you, too.”
Spot remained perfectly still as Oscar took the harness and pillow off her, setting it down on the table once he was done. They’d still have to figure out a way to keep the ring on it before tomorrow, but Ezra had a couple of ideas.
Worst case scenario, duct tape solved everything.
“So I couldn’t help but notice you dancing with Mike last night,” Oscar said. “Looked like you were getting unusually close.”
Ezra swallowed. OfcourseOscar had noticed.
“Uh.” Ezra wet his lips. “Yeah, uh…”
“So does that mean you finally told him how you feel?” Oscar asked.
Dammit.
If he lied to Oscar, then the lies would just keep piling up, and it was hard enough to keep track of when it was justoneperson that needed to believe it. Besides, Oscar knew him too well. He’d see through it—if not now, later—and then he’d be mad that Ezra had lied to him in the first place.
On the other hand, it was Oscar’s wedding tomorrow. He shouldn’t have had to deal with Ezra’s problems, even if it was just the burden of knowing it was all a lie, should he?
But then, what if Ezra told the truth and Oscar thought it was a terrible thing to do?
When he’d agreed to help Mike out, he really hadn’t thought any of this through.
“The look on your face is completely giving you away,” Oscar said. “You guys are faking it for… some reason, aren’t you?” he asked.
Well.
That saved Ezra having to make a decision, at least.
“It’s Rachel,” Ezra said. “I mean, yeah, we’re faking it. She assumed we were together and Mike just kind oflether and I didn’t wanna make his life any harder. I realized later she’d been teasing, but by then we’d already committed to the lie.”
“Committed to the lie?” Oscar asked.
“He kissed me,” Ezra confessed.
He’d barely stopped thinking about it since. Or the way Mike had been so warm and solid when they were dancing together, the way he’d just let Ezra touch him and stroke his neck and for a few minutes, he’d been able to pretend that he could have that. That he could haveMike, that they could have been happy together.
The fact that it was all based on a lie hadn’t been quite enough to stop him enjoying it.
“Wow.” Oscar’s eyes widened. “How was it?”
“Pretty much as good as I always imagined,” Ezra said. “Could’ve been better without an audience. But he didn’t even seem to hate it? Do you think this is an awful thing to do?”
