Page 43 of Olivia’s Only Pretending (Sweet River #3)

Everyone was teasing him. I tried to drone it out. Bumping into these girls when we went out used to be one of my flashing warning signs.

My heart was beating frantically, like I’d just found leaks in a boat I’d buckled myself into.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” I said, barely above a whisper, then made a beeline for the bathroom at the other end of the room. People were tipsy and loud as I made my way through.

“Liv.” Victor’s voice rose over the noise around us as he followed after me. “Liv!”

I stopped walking, his rough fingertips finding the crook of my elbow. I turned toward him.

His eyes narrowed in concern. “Are you okay?”

I shrugged. I didn’t know how to tell him I felt like we’d taken something delicate, our new relationship, out and shared it carelessly with others. They’d shaken it up, not realizing what they were doing, not realizing they were messing with something fragile.

“Come on.” His voice was soft as he stepped closer to me. Bad karaoke pulsed through the speakers. “Talk to me.”

“It bothered me, you know?” Tears burned behind my eyes. I sniffed.

I cared so much. I was always the girl who cared way too much, who gave all the hoots.

“It hurt a little. Everyone joking about some other girl. About how girls always find you or whatever.”

“Olivia,” he said, his voice crumbling over my name, like it broke his heart to see me hurt. “They might not know we’re together, but everyone knows you’re the only girl I care about.”

“Maybe that’s true.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “But it still hurt. I care what your family thinks about me—about us. I care if girls like Georgie, or the barista on my campus, know you’re not available.”

“You’ve got it,” he said. “Stamp Olivia’s man on my forehead.”

“Or introduce me as your girlfriend,” I offered. “That’s also an option.”

“You’re right,” he said. “Tonight, I was being careful because my family was there, since they don’t know yet. Next time, it’ll be clear.”

Maybe after the past few weeks, my heart was ready for things to finally be clear.

Someone brushed past me, pushing me into Victor’s chest. We were so close, my body pressed into his. I looked up into his eyes. “I care about how we handle this relationship.” I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “I don’t want us treating it like a secret. Or a joke.”

“You know I’d never try to keep you a secret,” Victor said, shaking his head. “Tonight was just bad timing. Things have been a whirlwind with the wedding. I’ve barely had a chance to talk with anyone.”

I nodded, biting my lip. “I get it.” And I did get it, in my head, but my heart would need a minute.

Everything between us felt so new, so delicate.

“I’ll be right back,” I said, taking a step back. Tears prickled against my eyes.

He held onto my hand. “I don’t want you feeling sad tonight.” Victor tugged on my hand as I pulled away.

“I just need a minute,” I said and pointed toward the restroom with my free hand.

His face fell.

“I’m okay,” I promised, before turning to leave.

I locked myself into a stall.

A few tears escaped. I took a few breaths. I hadn’t wanted to escape Victor, but I’d wanted to escape everything else.

I hadn’t realized how much it would matter to me to call him mine.

We should’ve talked about this beforehand, I thought. We should’ve told his family.

Over and over, I surprised myself with how deeply I cared when it came to Victor. I used to be so skilled at containing my feelings. With my exes, I used to be able to ignore anything that bothered me until it faded.

I couldn’t ignore anything I felt about Victor. Nothing about my feelings for him ever faded. It only grew, spreading like a wildfire.

I wiped my watery eyes before exiting the stall.

A few tipsy girls gossiped at the sink.

Tonight was important to Victor, and I wanted to see him before he left. I washed my hands and wiped my eyes in the mirror before heading out to find him.

I stood in the toes of my black leather boots, squinting around the bar, but Victor and his brothers weren’t anywhere to be found. Out of the corner of my eyes, I spotted Lucy walking out the door, and I followed behind her.

Once I walked out onto the downtown sidewalk, I realized Lucy walked away down the street with her phone pressed to her ear. I heard a familiar voice and realized in the opposite direction down the sidewalk, Victor was talking with his brothers, their backs to me.

The boys were standing in a huddle, facing downtown, streetlamps shining overhead.

I stepped closer but stopped in my tracks when I heard my name.

“You know, you’ve got to be careful with Olivia, man. She’s dragged you along for a while,” Luis said.

Oh. If they didn’t know about me earlier, they know now.

We had been all over each other in a way we never were before, even when the lines were blurry. I’m sure that warranted a few questions once I’d fled for the bathroom.

“She hasn’t dragged me along,” Victor said, his voice strong, protective. “She’s just a thinker. She doesn’t dive into anything unless she’s vetted it first. I’m fine being vetted first.”

Gabe chuckled. “I’d vet you first, too.”

“You sure she’s really in it, though?” Luis asked.

“Yeah, I am sure. I’m sure about her,” Victor said.

I bit my lip. I was sure about him, too.

“I’m just looking out for you.” Luis slapped Victor’s shoulder with a loud thwack.

“I’m not scared off by her feelings. They’ve never scared me.

If she’s scared, I’ll be a little braver for her.

If she’s nervous, thinks we’re moving too fast, I’ll slow it down for her.

If she’s overthinking, I’ll talk with her as long as she needs,” Victor said as the crosswalk light a few steps away switched colors.

“If her past is making her have second thoughts because of jerks who’ve only ever left, I’ll show her a future with someone who’ll stay. ”

The guys murmured something in response, but my heart was caught in my throat. I touched my fingers to my lips, wanting to memorize every word Victor said. He said exactly what I needed to hear, and it wasn’t even said to me. It was just Victor talking off the cuff with his brothers.

It took me back to one of our early romance book club meetings.

We’d been discussing the passionate declaration of love from a particular book’s male love interest, and one of our club member’s friends who’d tagged along to the meeting spoke up, saying, These speeches are why romances drive me crazy!

This had gotten the whole club’s attention. Our eyes were on her.

“Men just aren’t like this in real life. They don’t say stuff like this!”

Now, overhearing Victor, it took me straight back to that memory, and all I could think was, Sometimes they do.

Victor sure did, without even meaning to.

I took the steps to close the distance between us. My boots clicked against the pavement. “Here you guys are,” I said.

The guys turned to me.

“Olivia,” Luis said, in a tone of surprise.

They knew already that we were at least something . And I was officially done pretending about anything.

I slipped my hand into Victor’s. “I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye.”

“I was going to come find you inside before we left. I wouldn’t leave like that.” Victor squeezed my hands in his. His palms were warm against mine. “We just came out here to talk for a second.”

I leaned up on my tiptoes, bringing my lips to his cheek. “Okay, good. I need a proper goodbye,” I said, then brushed my lips against his cheek for a little peck that showed I was in this, too.

But Victor pulled me in eagerly, turning his face to make his lips meet mine.

The guys hollered and laughed. One of them clapped.

Victor’s lips smiled right in the middle of our kiss, and a throaty giggle escaped me. He lifted me up off my feet and spun me around.

He was all mine, no hesitation. We were all in, for everyone to see.

When I landed back on solid ground, flushed and laughing, Victor whispered in my ear, “Everyone knows now, by the way. I couldn’t wait to tell ’em anymore.”

I glanced up, my voice barely above a whisper, “I figured. We aren’t good at hiding it.”

“No, you guys really aren’t,” Luis added.

I covered my face with my palm, laughing.

“I hate to break this up, but I’ve got a party to continue,” Gabriel said.

“Okay, please bring him back to me in one piece,” I teased, realizing just how natural it felt stepping into this role in Victor’s life.

“Back to you?” Gabriel wiggled his brows. “Victor with a girlfriend. I’m liking this new development.”

The boys headed back inside to round up the rest of their group, and Lucy walked over to me.

“I was on the phone with Mom and Gracie. Mom was trying to figure out how to end things with the motorcycle guy,” she said. A group of giggly girls streamed out of the bar and filled the sidewalk. “What’d I miss?”