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53 Will
A PIECE OF shit was what I had become.
The lies, the deceit… so many lies. The pain I had caused Miranda. The tears. It shouldn’t be like this. We should be together right this minute, celebrating another marvelous wedding she had planned.
Instead, I was sitting at my desk feeling like an asshole for disappointing heragain. The part about being in the office had been the truth. Axel had called me after Miranda left the picnic to set up the wedding with her crew.
“I have news,” he had said. Naturally, I’d hauled ass back to SJI, hoping this bloody nightmare would finally come to an end.
As I waited for Axel to arrive, I rocked in my executive chair taking in the view. I loved Santa Monica, my hometown. There was no place I’d rather live. In fact, Miranda and I had talked at length about raising kids here. Making her my wife and starting a family would be a dream come true.
Though my plans to propose in Paris were derailed by Miranda canceling the trip and Simone’s food poisoning, nothing had changed. I was ready to vow to love, honor, and cherish Miranda for the rest of my life. More than ever, I wanted to settle down.
My life had just started to come together in the spring. Dad made me VP of SJI, and I had the second most prized office with spectacular views of the ocean.
Now everything was at risk of falling apart.
I inhaled a nervous gasp, looking out at the inky sky. The moon shone in its full glory onto the deep blue ocean, reflecting its luminosity. The sight was both ominous and peaceful all at once.
It echoed the ups and downs of my days.
What had started out as a day filled with promise during the picnic had turned threatening as it unfolded. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, dashing the hope I’d had of spending the evening with Miranda. These days, I never knew how the day would begin or end. The daunting uncertainty fueled my frustration.
Despite the preceding, I loved this view. It reminded me of walks on the beach I’d taken with Miranda: waves crashing along the shore, seagulls flying in the sky, and people milling about happily. It made me want to fight for a future with Miranda.
Axel entered as a vibration sounded from inside my desk drawer—the cell phone I despised. Like clockwork, Cori’s text arrived an hour before we were to meet for a night out with Jason and Tabitha.
“It’s Cori.”
Axel sat down and waited for me to read the text and my replies. He never said a word until I was finished.
Cori: Try to be more convincing. You suck at being into me.
Me: I’m not into you. I want this over with dammit!
Cori: Soon. Hopefully in Vegas.
Me: Not good enough. Miranda is hanging on by a thread.
Cori: She’ll understand once she’s told the truth.
Me: If she’s still around to hear the truth.
Cori: She will be. See you soon.
“Do you hear this load of shit?”
“Try to relax.” Axel crossed his arms over his chest. “We’re getting closer.”
“I fucking hate this! And Vegas? I feel it deep in the marrow of my bones, something is going to go wrong. Devastatingly wrong.”
“I’ll be in Vegas too. You won’t be alone.”
I waved him off. He had nothing to lose while I had everything to lose. “Why did you call me into the office? I had to tell Jason to meet me here instead of my house.”
“I discovered an Internet search on Jason’s laptop for peanut allergies and their effects.”
“FUCK!” I was on my feet. “Jason’s behind Simone’s poisoning!”
