Page 30 of All Our Nevers

“Oh calm down, lover boy.” Amelia rolls her eyes.

“But,” Nolan continues emphatically, “as I was saying before someone interrupted, we never had the kind of chemistry that Sophie and Andy have. It was just kind of obvious that if she was going to end up with one of us it would be him.”

And I think I know what he means. There’s something magnetic between those two. I could see it from the first time I met Sophie—when they were still “just friends” and I had barely talked to Andy for years. Even then it was obvious.

What must it have been like, I wonder, for Nolan and Amelia to witness it all? From the moment they met, through years of watching them date other people, to Sophie finding herself without a place to live and moving in with Andy and suddenly—in a flash—nine years of wanting turned into not being able to wait another moment, and they were engaged.

It’s an amazing story.

I should’ve been there for it. But I wasn’t. And I can’t blame anyone but myself.

I must be making a face I don’t mean to make because suddenly everyone’s eyes are on me. Shit—time to change the subject. “Dare I ask but… Amelia, what about you and Andy? Was there ever anything there?”

Sophie lets out a loud “Ha!” and that sets them all laughing again.

“No offense, Andy,” Amelia says. “I love you, but you are the last person I would ever date.”

“None taken. Couldn’t agree more.” Andy leans forward to clink his beer can against hers.

“It’s like we’re simultaneously way too similar and way too different,” Amelia says.

“Yeah,” Nolan adds. “You’re both angry little storm clouds, but Lia is a loud, attention-loving storm cloud and Andy is a reclusive, silent storm cloud.”

“I think I’m offended?” Andy looks across the circle at Nolan.

“I might be too,” Amelia says, “but I’m honestly not sure.”

Then Sophie chimes in. “Alright, someone needs to ask Owen a truth now.”

“Oh, I’ve got it!” Nolan says, sitting up straighter with the brilliance of his idea. “Do you have any tattoos?”

“Oh,” I reply. “Yeah I’ve got lots.”

“Really?” Andy asks, genuinely surprised. And now that I think about it, I guess he would have no way of knowing that.

I clear my throat before responding, “Yeah. They’re just mostly on my chest and upper arms so they’re easy to hide.”

Now everyone’s eyes are on Andy, watching his reaction to this news. He must hate that, so I go for the pivot. “These drinks are getting low. Should we open some wine?”

And it works. Nolan says, “Yeah, good idea. We’re gonna need it for the dare round.”

“Ooh I love a good dare round,” Sophie says, rubbing her palms together. “Can I go first?”

“Of course,” Amelia says as she stands to get the wine. “It’s your special weekend.”

She crosses over to the kitchen, grabs an unchilled bottle of white wine off the counter, and then—my God—twists open the top. How did a twist-top bottle of wine even get here? Are these people so destitute that they can’t afford a cork?

I’m so distracted by this heinous act that I barely register Sophie’s next words.

“Alright Owen, I dare you to… kiss someone in the circle.”

Simultaneously, Andy, Nolan, and I groan. Sophie’s intentions are clear, and she may be the bride, but she’s not getting her way in this. Not after what happened earlier.

I say, “Okay, well I’m not kissing my brother, my brother’s fiancée, or Lilith Queen of Hell, so Nolan—buckle up, brother.”

Nolan stands, arms open wide. “Lay one on me, man.” Then to Sophie, “But this counts as my dare too.”

When Sophie nods, I bite the bullet. I stand, approach, grab him by both sides of the face, and peck him right on the lips. Light applause and laughter bubble through the room as we retake our seats. And when I look over to Amelia, who’s still passing out the cups of wine, there’s a slight upturn at the corner of her lips.