Heather
I can’t believe what my new “friend” Nora is telling me as I cradle my phone between my shoulder and ear, throwing several articles of clothing into the Betsey Johnson suitcase open on the hotel room bed. She’s invited me to stay with some friends at a cabin. At first, I was bored and only considered it to pass the time. But now that I have the address and know who’s cabin it is…I’m showing up early. “Who’s up there? I don’t want to be the third wheel,” I lie. I know who’s there: That’s Ollie’s cabin.
Nora lists off some of the guests and I shake my head. “And who is sleeping together already?”
“Well, Casey and I are together obviously,” she says and giggles.
Wow.
“And I know the twins, Harley and Victor, are sleeping with Staci and Amber…but I’m not sure who is sleeping with whom.”
I know the friends that Nora is talking about. She dragged them along with her to a party I had a few months ago, right after Ollie left me. “Okay, is that it? I know Staci and Amber.”
Nora sounds distant now. “And Julie, do you remember her? I think she’s sleeping with this guy named Oliver—he owns the house—and he’s Casey’s best friend. It sucks that you haven’t met Casey yet, but you will.”
I laugh a little and all Nora can do is repeat herself again about Ollie’s little forest nymph and how amazing it is to see them both so happy.
He is so, so happy.
That used to be me—I made him happy.
I mean, Julie Remington is a damn mess.
I found out that she even tried killing herself over some loser boyfriend when she caught him cheating on her.
I admire myself in the mirror as I pass it and apply a fresh coat of sinful red lipstick. “Well, I’m packing now, so I should be there later tonight. I can’t wait to meet everyone.” I smack my lips together, smoothing the colored wax over the skin.
“So, how are you?” Nora asks me for the thousandth time during this phone call. “You don’t talk about your ex a lot…what’s his name again?”
“Oh, hey. I have to go—I’m going to finish packing. See you soon.” I hang up on her. The truth is that it was actually me who did all of the cheating. I slept with a revolving door of men when Ollie had too much business to take care of out of town and he left me home alone and bored. There were some times when he just wasn’t giving me what I needed—except money…he always gave me plenty of that. I think about Ollie’s friend Casey, and know that he hasn’t told his best friend that we slept together too.
Most of the time it doesn’t bother me that I quit college after my sophomore year to follow Ollie back to Rockford when his grandfather died. Ollie was always this older, mysterious rich guy that gave me anything I wanted. I found myself addicted to the things he could give me and not the man himself. Still, I do miss him.
I smile at myself in the mirror and lick my lips. “After he sees me, I doubt he’ll even remember her name.”
I wonder if Casey will tell his new girlfriend that we slept together too. Casey is like a loyal puppy, following Ollie around and doing anything to please him. To be fair, our hookup was a drunken mistake that he didn’t realize was happening. Ollie and I had just started dating, and during a dorm party—with a lot of tequila—I simply forgot to tell Casey that I was taken.
I already took what I wanted from him anyways.
I put my phone into the sparkly pink bag next to my sexy lingerie that I plan on wearing to seduce Ollie. I laugh; Ollie has been footing the bill for my hotel ever since he cut off my credit cards. I sobbed about having nothing without him and that the least he could do was pay for my hotel, and he did. He paid the bill and then never spoke to me again, and while at first it was fun seeing other men in my room, ordering room service, and sauntering with them…
I miss my Ollie Bear.
I carefully zip up the suitcase, making sure I don’t scuff my newly painted pink fingernails. My stomach is full of butterflies because I haven’t seen Ollie in so long. Three months without any money is too long for me—I have to grovel and beg for his forgiveness, play nice, and just live with the monogamy.
He wants a wife—I’ll give him a wife.
He wants monogamy…I can try my best to give him that.
I wear flats because the long drive isn’t going to work with stilettos, and I note that it’s a smart choice as I pull up to Ollie’s cabin at Lake Reed. I smirk to myself as I step out of the car, not bothering with the luggage when I can have one of the men inside the house carry it in for me. I text Nora as I walk toward the front door and she and Casey meet me outside, his face twisted in agony when he realizes it’s actually me.
“Hello there.” I wink at him and Nora growls under her breath. “I’m here a day early—surprise!”
Casey blinks at me. “A day early for what?”
“Oh, this is my friend, Heather.” Nora’s voice is annoyed. “She wanted to come a day early.”
I could laugh for hours at the face Casey makes at me, but he doesn’t say anything before shaking his head and disappearing back into the house. Staci and Amber come outside a few minutes later with Casey in tow—he has his phone held up to his ear as the girls squeal around me and dance, hitting their hips together with mine. I’ve only met these girls one time and they act like we’re all best friends. Casey shakes his head and goes back into the house, phone still glued to his ear.
I have to endure Staci going on and on about the guy she’s been sleeping with here and Amber looks so dumbfounded to be in my presence that she hardly says anything at all. They drag on forever talking about things I hardly care about as I eyeball Casey and Nora on the front porch. Casey looks physically sick each time I catch his gaze, so I laugh loudly to let him know that I could end his friendship—and relationship—anytime I wanted to.
The gravel on the long driveway starts to crackle and Ollie’s Jeep comes barreling down the path.
“Ollie!” I squeal as he finally steps out of the Jeep. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Julie get out of the other side and vanish into the cabin. I notice Ollie is watching her every move, wanting to follow her, but I jump on him before he gets the chance, wrapping my legs around him and squeezing his arms while kissing his neck. “When I got the address from Nora, I just knew I had to come early and see you! I’ve missed you so much, Ollie Bear!” I lower my voice and whisper in his ear.
I can feel his body tense and I frown as he nearly drops me on the ground at his feet like he’s throwing me out with the trash. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but you have to leave.” Ollie’s face turns red. “Now.”
Nora says something to him, but I’m too pissed to care.
Ollie plucks me off him and shoots a horrible look at Nora. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He turns to me and scowls. “Heather, leave.” Ollie walks away and Nora and Staci start whispering, no doubt talking about how much he just embarrassed me in front of everyone. I thought he would at least be a little happy to see me after three months of no contact at all. He spins his body around and stares dead straight at me. “Did I stutter? I said you need to leave.”
“Dude, it’s nearly nightfall—you don’t want her navigating these windy ass roads at night, do you?” I hear Casey ask from the far end of the front porch. “Think about who you’re talking about, that girl almost hit a light pole in the middle of the afternoon.”
Nora chimes in. “Wait, someone needs to start explaining. Heather, I thought you said your ex was an asshole and cheated on you?”
I cross my arms over my chest and click my heel on the ground in impatience. “Me?” Ollie’s voice rises quickly. “Me, be the asshole? What the hell did you tell her, Heather? Did you tell her you slept with your brother-in-law?” Nora’s eyes widen and she looks at me for answers. Ollie continues his rant. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. In my bed—in my fucking bed, Nora! So now that you know the actual truth—” he looks from Nora to me, “—scram.”
I move slowly toward him and hold up my hands in defeat. “Ollie, you haven’t spoken to me in three months. How can we try and fix it if you won’t talk to me?”
“I’m going inside,” he says. “Don’t follow me.”
I opt for the crocodile tears; it’s my go-to move that always makes him weak in the knees. “Oh, so that’s it? You’re going to throw me way for someone like Julie Remington?” Nora grabs my arms, but I break free from her weak grasp. “She’s so pathetic it’s unreal, Ollie! No one wants to be around her, she brings everyone down—no! Tell him, Nora!” I slap Nora’s hands away from me as she tries to hold me back from running after him. “Tell him what she did! She tried to—”
“I don’t care what she did!” he screams at me and turns around; Staci and Amber have joined Nora and they make a circle around me so I can’t follow him.
“Don’t embarrass yourself any more than you already have.” Nora’s voice is cold toward me. “I can’t believe you would use me like that. How long have you known that Oliver was the one we were staying with here?”
“When you gave me the address,” I tell her.
She scoffs, completely unamused. “I think you should leave in the morning.”
I wave them off. “Fine. I’m going to take a walk to cool off.” But really, I see Julie’s shadow in the side yard, heading for the walking trail. Hoping none of them had seen her too, I skip down the grassy hill and walk slowly behind her until we get into a more secluded area. She’s humming to herself, her jeans scuffing along the dirt path because they’re too long for her short body. I giggle to myself; she is so painfully plain.
I clear my throat so she doesn’t scream when she finally notices me. “So, you’re sleeping with my boyfriend?” She turns around, definitely not amused. “You’re one of dozens, you have to know that. He doesn’t actually care about you.”
She says nothing and it pisses me off.
“Oh my God, say something! Don’t you fight for yourself?”
Julie shakes her head. “I’ve been through too much fighting and this isn’t my fight to have. I won’t do this with you.”
I laugh. “You’re right, it isn’t. Ollie is mine.”
“Oliver,” she whispers.
I cock my head and furrow my eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
“His name is Oliver.” Her voice is a little stronger now.
A smile breaks out on my face. “Is that so? Well, little girl, maybe you should call a cab and head back home. I’m here now and I’m not going to let you whore yourself around my house anymore.”
“I’m waiting on a ride already,” she says. “I called a friend.”
“A friend?” I laugh and put my hands on my hips. “I’m surprised you have any left.”
I see headlights inching down a wider path and a few employees of the Lake Reed Inn wave at Julie from a golf cart, but they frown at me. “My friends from the hotel. Can you ask Nora to bring home my things and I’ll come and get them from her? I texted her and let her know I was leaving.”
I shake my head. “I’m not your messenger.”
“Okay,” she says, nearly in tears. “See you later, Heather.”
“That’s it?” I say. She races toward the cart. “You’re not even going to fight for him?” I catch a glimpse of her face as the cart drives away, and I can see the heartbreak on her pale face. “Oh, well,” I say to the darkness. I’m making my way back to the house when I hear Ollie and Casey on the next trail, looking for Julie.
The way Ollie talks about her makes me angry; I never once heard him say anything nice about me to anyone else. I’m instantly jealous, but see my opportunity. Sneaking over to their trail and coming up behind them, I stand where I can be seen. “Are you in love with her?” I ask Ollie, the lights from their phones reaching me as they turn around. “Julie Remington, huh? Are you in love with her like you were in love with me, Ollie?” I paste a wicked smile on my face. “You are way out of her league—even she thinks so.”
Ollie sneers at me. “What do you know about it?”
I click my tongue. “Plenty enough to know that she doesn’t want you if she got into a car with some other guy.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He crashes through the thick bushes and runs over to me, grabbing my arm. I squeal with delight. “You better not be fucking with me.”
I yank my arm back from him. “I’m not lying. She just left with some guy in a dark-colored car.” I watch his face twist in horror as he runs off in a frenzy.
Casey stays behind with me, no doubt to try and hook up with me in these creepy woods. “Why are you such a bitch to him?”
“Why are you such a jerk to him?” I shoot back. “We had sex, remember?”
He chokes. “He can never find out about that.”
I refresh my wicked smile and stare him down. “He won’t as long as you help me get him back.”
Because he’s mine.
My Ollie.