Rage. That's what Olivia Bennett was feeling when she ran away to Australia. She's been off the grid, offline, and off men for nearly eight months.
It's the start of 2021 and she's ready for her busiest year yet. Movies, music, and fashion work line...
The door to the SUV opened up in front of Casie and I. The girls: Chloe, Selena, Ariana, and Bella all hopped out to help with all my things on the hotel bell cart. "It's your wedding day!" Selena grinned, going to hug me.
I smiled weakly, nodding and patting her back with my free hand. My other hand sported a coffee as I felt in desperate need of it. I couldn't sleep last night. I tossed and turned. Luckily, without upsetting or disturbing Casie who snored throughout the night.
"Cold feet?" Bella asked me.
"No," I answered too quickly. No cold feet. I was already married. "Didn't sleep last night and my stomach is kind of upset. Maybe our dinner didn't agree with me," I told them.
I felt like I could puke any minute. It was normal to be nervous for your wedding, right? I felt like a fool. I was already committed but that was in secret. Today I would be declaring our love in front of hundreds of people—600 to be precise. My closest friends, my mother and her dearest friends, along with distant relatives on both sides, a collection of celebrities from both our lines of work, more famous friends, half the town of Mystic Falls, everyone that works at Dylan's Mead, and the hundreds of other random people we've known and invited... Mine of which included friends of all my exes, or Jake's sister, and exes themselves, Zac and Odell.
"Yeah, too many snacks," Ariana laughed as we continued to fill the trunk with my things to join all of theirs. Then it was on to the chapel.
As everyone got in the SUV, I pulled Bella to the side, "Is Colson coming to the wedding?" I whispered to ask her.
She frowned, "I don't know. Why? If you don't want him to come—"
"No. No, it's fine," I said. "He's welcome. I just... I don't like the way we left things."
"Olivia, you don't have to go through with this."
I pressed my lips together, "I do," I replied. "I won't embarrass myself any further for that man. Nor have another relationship of mine dragged through the mud. Dylan doesn't deserve—"
"Dylan is lucky to have you," she cut me off, sternly. "You gave him a second chance. You made mistakes but he made a bigger one. You don't owe him or anyone else anything. This is your real life, Liv."
"I know," I sighed. "And I want a happily ever after... Colson can't give me that."
"Are you sure—?"
"Positive," I declared. He told me he still loved me and then stormed away before I could... process or respond. I was pissed he waited until the last minute. But even more so disappointed and frustrated that even after all this time, he couldn't or wouldn't fight for me. He walked away easily as if I was supposed to drop everything for him. He said his piece and then he left. As usual. He was out of grand gestures and I was out of hope and patience waiting for him.
I had a good life. An amazing husband already. I didn't need to contemplate what ifs. Because I knew what I was getting into with Dylan. Pure happiness. We would go on our honeymoon and try to rekindle our flame and passion, physically. Then we would return back to business as usual, I had a movie to finish and he had to change things at the Meadery as they went into their slow season for the next few months. And somewhere in our content lives, we would start a family... again. We wanted kids... as many as possible. Together. There was no room for doubt or our pasts with others. Just the two of us, our two dogs, and if we're lucky children. A handful.
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IG STORY - @olivia_bennett
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