“No. Oliver. I love him and I broke his heart. I lied, we were so much more than a hookup.”
Caiden pulls back to look at me and I step out of his hold.
“Then why are you marrying this guy?” An unknown expression crosses my best friend’s face and I see the moment the realisation hits him. “This has something to do with your dad, doesn’t it?”
Floyd said no one can know the truth, but maybe I can trust Caiden. Maybe I don’t have to shoulder this alone. I nod.
“Fuck him,” Caiden says. “You don’t have to do this.”
“It’s not as simple as that,” I say, my voice gravelly.
“The fuck it isn’t. You’re an adult with autonomy, you don’t have to marry the man your father picks for you. Jesus, I knew you didn’t think he would approve of Oliver, but this is another level of messed up.”
“If I tell you the truth, I need you to promise me you won’t say anything to anyone. Especially not Ollie. Please, Caiden. I’ve never asked anything of you. I need this.”
He shakes his head, but Jamie says, “We promise.” That earns a scowl from Caiden, but he eventually nods in agreement. And then I tell them all of it. From the fraud to the blackmail to breaking Ollie’s heart. I’m hyperventilating by the time I get the full story out and I crouch down and take in deep breaths, trying to steady myself.
“Fuck,” Caiden replies, blowing out a breath. He paces around the living space, stopping at the shelf where I’ve left the photo of me and Oliver. “Why didn’t you tell him the truth?”
Once I’m sure I won’t collapse, I straighten. “If it was you, and Jamie was in this same situation, would you have let him go if you knew the truth?” The two boyfriends share a look.
Caiden is quick to reply. “Definitely not. I’d have fought for Jamie and blown that blackmail into the open. Fuck Floyd and his inheritance.”
He seems so sure of his answer, but at my next question, I see his certainty drop.
“Even if it cost your father his freedom? You’d have picked the man you love over your family?”
Caiden drops his gaze to his feet. “Bloody hell, D. I…I don’t know what I would have done. Jamie is my entire world, but my dad…” He looks at Jamie, who smiles softly, pulls him into his side and kisses his temple.
“I don’t know what I would have done either,” Jamie says. “I’m glad we don’t have to make the choice, and I’m sorry you had to.”
“It’s just two years. It’ll go by fast,” I say, knowing I don’t sound convincing. “Oliver will forgive me, won’t he?” There’s hope in my voice that has no place being there.
Caiden shakes his head. “I don’t know, babe. I think if you’re going to go through with this, you’re going to need to let him go.”
A sob breaks from my chest and I wrap my arms around myself, hot tears streaming down my face. Caiden is right. From here on out, Oliver is no longer mine. He may always be the love of my life, but he’s no longer my future.
In this lifetime and the next.Though I know nothing about parallel universes, I hope there is one in which we are happy.
“Do me one more favour, please. Take care of him.” Jamie opens his mouth and I hold up my hand. “He doesn’t have anyone else. Please.”
“I doubt he’ll want to be around us, but we’ll do what we can,” Caiden says, and it’s that knowledge that Oliver will have someone that I cling to later that day as I pack up my boxes and say goodbye to this chapter of my life.
Chapter 23
Oliver
The lips on my neck are soft, and I think there’s a hand under my shirt, but I can’t be too sure because the world spins with every blink of my eyes and I’m struggling to grasp onto reality. The lights in the club are dim and there’s this throbbing that could be the music but could also be my heartbeat. Though at this point, I don’t know if my heart is capable of beating. Too broken and bruised to function the way it should. There’s a dance version of Chris Isaak’sWicked Gameplaying, the words hitting hard as though written for my broken heart.
“You wanna get out of here?” the voice in my ear asks and yep, there is definitely a hand sneaking along my torso. I try to focus, turning to look at the person leaning against my side. His hair is dark, long enough to touch his shoulders, and he has really pretty green eyes. He’s nice and definitely deserves so much better than me.
“Or,” I say, turning him so his front is to mine. “You could blow me in the bathroom.”
His eyes darken, and he bites his bottom lip. “Um…” he seems to consider the suggestion for a moment. “Yeah, um…okay. Sure.” He slides his hand into mine and my body tenses. It’s all wrong. The way our hands don’t seem to fit together. The scent of his skin as he leans in closer. The set of his lips. The colour of his eyes. It’s all so wrong.
I drop his hand and when his lips ghost mine; I turn my face and he lands up kissing my cheek. With a hand under his chin, I turn his face to the side, and press my lips to the shell of his ear.
“I don’t kiss. You can suck my dick. Or I’ll happily fuck you, but I don’t kiss.”
