“How did this happen? It’s been like two weeks.”
“We reconnected,” I interject. This was what I was afraid of. Alyssa getting in my wife’s mind and making her listen to reason. Reason being, I had hurt Olivia. I may not have single handedly ruined our marriage, but I was certainly the final nail in our coffin. Olivia knew that. But I also know that she and I have been shut off from the outside world in this carnal bubble, and Alyssa could be just the person to pop it.
“How can you reconnect when you don’t even remember what caused the disconnect in the first place?” And this is where things were about to get messy.
“Lys, baby, now isn’t the time. Let’s just be happy that our best friends are working towards reconciling.” Wren rubs her back in an attempt to rein in her temper, but I can see she’s not prepared to let this go.
She opens her mouth to continue when our server interrupts, and I think a silent thank you for the intrusion. After we’ve gotten our drinks, the table is tense and quiet as Alyssa stares at us over the rim of her glass of her vodka martini eyeing us. She sets her glass down, and some of the liquid sloshes out with the force.
“Do you know what you did to her?”
“Alyssa…” My arm is still resting on the back of Olivia’s chair so I feel her tense next to me.
I clear my throat before setting down the Hendricks and lime I’d ordered much to Wren’s irritation over consuming alcohol in my ‘condition.’ “I do, Alyssa, and I very much appreciate you having Olivia’s best interest at heart, but I do need you to back off.”
“Easy for you to say, you think everything is perfect between you two.”
“Olivia has been very clear on what happened between us.” My eyes flit to Wren, urging him to help but he just narrows his gaze slightly at me before turning to Olivia. He puts his drink to his lips and I scowl at the thought that he is literally no help.
“Really? Because I doubt she knows why you stayed with that God awful skank.” She snorts. “It’s certainly not like you do.”
“Alyssa. Bathroom.” Olivia stands, and I reluctantly let her go, though I grab her hand as she tries to leave the table and tug her closer to me as I stand up as well, and press my lips to hers. It’s not an obscene kiss, but it’s still full of the passion our kisses always have. It still crackles between us when we pull apart. Her eyes flutter open and a dreamy smile floats across her face. “What was that for?” she breathes out.
“I’ve never needed a reason to kiss you.” I hold her chin between my thumb and index finger before pressing another kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Go,” I whisper, and she ushers Alyssa away.
Wren raises an eyebrow at me and I raise one back. “What is your problem?”
“Nothing.” He shrugs.
“What is it, Hamilton. You’ve been looking at me weird all night? What the fuck?”
He looks over my shoulder and scans the restaurant before leaning forward slightly. “You’re different.”
I narrow my gaze, wondering what he’s getting at. “Different?”
He shakes his head. “We’ve been friends for how long now?”
“I don’t know, Wren. A hundred years?”
“Right.” He chuckles. “I know you almost as well as Liv does. But I certainly knew you better in the six months you guys were apart.”
“Okay?”
“It’s just funny…” He takes a sip of his drink and points at me. “That you ordered the drink you didn’t start drinking until after you and Liv separated.”
My heart slams into my chest. “What?”
“I took you out one night, one of the many nights I let you drink yourself into a stupor and all but carried your sorry ass home. You went on and on about how you and Olivia used to make old fashioned drinks together and you couldn’t order them anymore. You had to try something new. Under any other circumstances, I may not have remembered something like that. But I was sober, and you proceeded to throw up all over the men’s room later that night.”
I’m quiet, letting his words sink in because I don’t want to confirm the truth, but I’m also unsure how I can deny what he’s saying.
“Are you just never going to tell her?” His eyes are hard, and for the first time in months, I can see the disappointment in his eyes. The scolding. The anger. He shakes his head and puts on a smile just as I hear familiar voices just behind me.
“Miss me?” I hear in my ear before she takes her seat and I nod, the words failing me.
“Liv and I think we should go to Envy,” Alyssa says as she downs her martini.
I look at Olivia, cocking my head to the side. “Now?”