Chapter 1 Olivia

• OLIVIA'S POV
• Looking through my window, I could tell that the sun was not too intense and neither were the clouds gloomy. It was just perfect!
• The wind that blew in didn't aim to throw me off balance and had instead sent a smooth caress across my skin. One that even my boyfriend has not been able to give me for a while… a good while.
• I swallowed back the ball of emotion that was threatening to build up in my throat.
• Today is a Saturday. Saturdays spell freedom, and for me, they majorly spell rest, and I was not going to let anything disturb me from having that rest … not even the thoughts of my boyfriend.
• With a sigh, I walked up to my bed and slid under the covers. At least I had the giant teddy bear that Garland - my boyfriend - had bought for me in our very first year together, to console and cuddle me somewhat.
• I had barely closed my eyes for three seconds when the sound of my phone ringing broke the quiet in my apartment. My fingers hunted it immediately as I felt around the bed for it.
• ‘Of course, it can only be you!’ I thought with a smile as I looked at my screen and saw my best friend’s name boldly splattered on it, with an abundance of heart-shaped emojis -which she had insisted on - surrounding it.
• “Good day ladybug. To what do I owe this rather pleasant call" I said, my voice rising a notch at the word ‘pleasant!’.
• There was a pause for a second and I thought she had not heard me.
• “You sound like you are still on your bed Olly. I swear I'll kill you if I find out you are not dressed yet," Maya said, and I could practically see the sneer that must have lifted her upper lip.
• She knows me. Even though she wasn't anywhere close to me, she could tell exactly what I was up to.
• But…I could hear the seriousness in her voice and I knew what that meant.
• ‘There is something I'm supposed to do…something I had promised her to do that I wasn't doing currently!’ I thought as I tried to search the archives of my brain at record speed for what this ‘something’ could be.
• At the last millisecond, my brain picked up on a conversation I had last night with her.
• I had been so tired and just wanted to sleep that I had agreed to whatever her proposal was.
• Her boyfriend had bailed out on going with her to a wedding her mother had forced her to attend. She had asked me to go with her as her plus one even though she knew her mother would give her an ear full about it. She just did not want to go to a wedding she was being forced to attend, especially without someone she was at ease with.
• “The heck! I'll be done in thirty minutes!" I said and I immediately hung up on her before she could rant. Her rantings would come later. Time was far gone and I had not planned for this.
• A very scattered room, the heel of a broken shoe, and a silky purple gown later, I was ready to go with Maya to the wedding.
• As much as I loved staying in my room so much -like very much - I love Maya more and I'd do almost everything for her.
• *******************
• As we walked into the church, we tried to look for a free bench where we could settle our ass** and a little boy suddenly ran loose from the other pew and poured the contents of his juice box on my dress.
• “Shit!" I cursed quietly.
• "Oh damn!” Maya said.
• Maya wanted to follow me out to have it cleaned but her mother could think she was trying to ditch this part of the program and come up with something more scheming to plague her.
• “I got this," I said to her before I turned and did a small run out from the church as I ignored the pitiful and uninterruptible stares of some persons in the congregation.
• There was still a patch on my dress a few minutes after some good scrubs but I decided to go into the church like that before Maya got worried about my whereabouts.
• Immediately, I entered through the door; everyone in the congregation was clapping as they were standing.
• The bride and groom were smiling cheerily at each other and the groom held the bride’s neck for a kiss that had him dipping her and had her snuggling closer into him.
• ‘So sweet!’
• But when they turned to face the congregation properly, my heart sank to the sole of my shoes.
• The groom was awfully familiar…unsettlingly recognizable.
• My legs dragged me forward because it appeared I was seeing illusions.
• ‘Or have I been thinking so much about Garland that I am beginning to see his face on the face of other males…on the face of the groom?’
• The applause and cheers were beginning to diminish, and my ash-filled mouth worked its way till it was able to let out words.
• “Garland?" I questioned, my eyes prickly with tears that were on the verge of being shed.
• My legs and the torrent of emotions I was feeling had carried me close to the altar.
• ‘Probably my Garland has a lost twin he knows not of. But…’
• The smile on his face was gone, his jaw was tense and I could surprise laced in those foggy eyes I have come to adore.
• The bride looked at the groom. “Do you know her, Garland?" She asked.
• ‘Is it possible this lost twin’s name is also Garland?’ I thought.
• His Adam's apple bobbed before he opened his mouth and his voice could not be mistaken. “No…not at all my love. I have never seen her in my life!”
• Everywhere suddenly became too bright, my head felt too heavy for my body, and I nearly toppled backward, but a steady hand wrapped around my waist, causing my unexpectedly chilled skin to relish in a bit of warmth.
• My teary eyes travelled from a veiny hand to a beautiful face, and he looked a little familiar. I could not think much of who this person was because I turned and buried my face into his chest.
• I cried, my lips too scared of the reality behind me to utter a word.
• Nonetheless, I was soaking this stranger's shirt with reckless abandon, letting his leather and fougere scent take me from the scene behind that was stabbed into my heart.