Pretend We're Over (Pretend 2)

Sebastian leans back, “Then, by all means, you give it a try if you think you know what’s best.”

Dammit. I didn’t think before I gave my smart-aleck comment, which is why I don’t usually say hurtful things. I don’t like dealing with trouble.

“Oaklee, it sounds like you are upset that Boden kissed another woman. Is that true?”

She laughs deviously. “You think I’m upset about a little kiss? Are you serious? I’m not upset that the asshat kissed another woman. I’m upset he fucked her!”

My mouth drops. I thought it was an innocent kiss—a drunken mistake. But there is no way you can mistakingly slip your dick into a woman who isn’t your fiancée. That’s not a mistake, that’s a choice.

I stare at Boden wide-eyed, and then I glance at Sebastian, who doesn’t look at all surprised by what Oaklee is saying.

“You knew?” I ask, looking at Sebastian.

He doesn’t answer me with his words, but I don’t need his

words. His silence proves his guilt. He helped break up a relationship, one destined for marriage, for forever.

Oaklee continues to fumble with the bottle. Boden stares out the window like he’s in a daze, and Sebastian smirks like he’s enjoying ruining other people’s lives.

I’m the helpless optimist stuck in the middle of all these fucked up people. I grab the bottle and knife from Oaklee’s hands and slice the cork off in one pop.

Champagne spills onto my lap, but I don’t care. I just need the fucking champagne.

“Flutes,” I say calmly to Oaklee, who grabs one and holds it out to me. I pour, expecting her to drink from one and I the other. Instead, when I fill both glasses, she crawls over to Boden and hands him one, sloshing some of the liquid onto his pants.

He takes it wordlessly. Then she hands the other to Sebastian, who stares at it like it’s a foreign object to him.

Oaklee sits back next to me and rips the bottle from my hand before finding a wine glass. She pours champagne into the glass before handing it to me.

And then she holds the bottle out.

“To realizing what an ass Boden was before I married him,” Oaklee says.

“To kicking said asshole to the curb,” I say, holding my glass out.

Boden’s eyes flicker to us, and then he gives Oaklee an angry smile. “To finding out how much of a prude you were before I gave you half of everything I own.”

Boden looks to Sebastian, who is watching us all like we are crazy.

“Your turn, buddy,” Boden says.

We are all holding our glasses out, or in Oaklee’s case, the entire bottle. We are all waiting on Sebastian before taking a drink.

Sebastian sits up in his seat, reluctantly, and holds his champagne flute out gingerly, only in his fingertips. His eyes scan to the three of us. “To not losing myself while I save all of you.”

I frown. Of course, his was selfish; he didn’t even back his friend like I did for Oaklee. And as for saving us, Sebastian is as far from a knight in shining armor as you can get. He won’t be saving anyone.

“Happy wedding day,” Oaklee says, and then she lifts the bottle to her lips.

I do the same.

As does Boden.

Sebastian just stares at his glass like it’s piss we are asking him to drink.

Boden and I finish our glasses in one chug. Oaklee stops halfway through drinking what’s left in the bottle and stares at Sebastian. “Drink!”

He startles, coming out of his daze. He opens his mouth like he’s going to say something but then thinks better of it.