Wedding Fever

by Ryland Reynolds

  Ben played sports, worked out and hung out with the cool kids. Most knew him as the guy who wasn’t afraid to stand against the crowd, which wasn’t completely true.

  He felt too cowardly and afraid to be open about his feelings: the fact that he was attracted to guys.

  He never gave his feelings the chance to blossom into a crush. He was too afraid, too unsure of what would happen if he told someone about how he felt towards guys. There was no way he could trust a confidant not to throw him to the wolves.

  The other reason was that his feelings were never so overwhelming that he was compelled to act them out. In truth, he never before felt what he did for Oliver. And if Oliver gave him the okay, Ben was prepared to go all the way with him.

  After they built the sandcastle, Ben took the children to their parents, who sat under a palm tree. The children were upset to see him leave, but he promised to play with them later. As he made his way back to Oliver and Erica, he spotted Jane and Harry in the distance.

  They were arguing. Not wanting to get caught up in their fight, Ben tried to ignore them. Eventually, they walked off in opposite directions. Harry trailed off in the direction of the cruise ship, and Jane walked further down the beach, away from where Oliver and Erica were. Concern picked its way in as he watched Jane move off into the distance.

  She was probably crying. Ben followed her, hoping that he wasn’t about to make a bad decision. Maybe he’d be able to provide her with some comfort without interfering too much in their relationship.

  “Are you all right, Jane?” Ben asked as he caught up to her.

  She turned at the sound of his voice and quickly wiped her tear-soaked face. Ben stood, feeling helpless as she took a few deep breaths and nodded slowly. She bit her bottom lip.

  “No, I’m not. We can’t stop fighting.” Jane pressed her palms to her face.

  “What are you fighting about?” Ben asked. He thought back to their argument at the breakfast table this morning. From what he gathered, Harry’s neglect of her sounded like a constant topic in their fights.

  “Harry is paranoid. He thinks that I want to cheat on him with you,” Jane said. Her red eyes locked on him, waiting for a response he didn’t know how to give.

  The indignation in her voice told him that she probably didn’t recall all of the times when she had made a drunken pass at him.

  “It’s just…I wish I could get back at him. You know?”

  Ben nodded his head.

  Slowly, he stepped back, breaking eye contact. Maybe she had no problem flirting with him, but he knew he needed to be careful. She was vulnerable.

  There was no denying he saw a glimpse of a heavy sadness rolling through her. It crushed him. Sympathy washed over him while he listened to her. The man she loved had hurt her.

  Hurting a person he loved was a concept Ben couldn’t even begin to fathom. Oliver came to his mind. He would never ever hurt a friend or lover the way Harry hurt Jane.

  As much as he wanted to not let things get awkward between them, Ben knew that he couldn’t reject her by stopping her if she wanted to hug him. It was enough that she felt her fiancé was being standoffish, paranoid and dismissive towards her. The five feet of space between them disappeared.

  And before he could say or do anything, she dropped her forehead on his chest and gripped him tight while a sob trembled through her.

  Ben hugged her. “Revenge is a bad idea. Perhaps you need to find out if you can work on your issues. Or trying talking this through with him. Right now, your relationship doesn’t seem healthy.”

  “It’s barely a relationship. More like a stupid game.” She choked on a sob.

  “Don’t do something that you might end up regretting. That’s what I say.” Ben could hear the faint rhythmic percussions of the surf in the distance. It relaxed him. He blew out a quiet breath.

  She clung to him as if he were a life raft on the ocean in the middle of a storm. Her occasional sniffles punctuated the silence.

  “Would you…?” she asked. “End up regretting it, I mean? You know, if we…?”

  The question caught Ben off-guard. “I’m with Oliver,” he said. He felt so awkward. “It’s not what you need. You both need to work on talking through your issues. Cheating might solve one of your problems, but it would create even more. You don’t need to do it.”

  “Why not? He does it,” she whispered.

  Ben felt his biceps tic. He inhaled sharply, surprised at what he was hearing. It wasn’t too long ago that he was hugging Oliver and listening to him pour his heart out about his terrible boyfriend who cheated on him.

  When Oliver was going through the same thing, there was never talk of a revenge fling. Especially not a fling with Ben. Ben was straight, after all. It didn’t even seem like a possibility at the time.

  However, as Jane brought it up, Ben couldn’t help but wonder what he’d do in the future if a guy cheated on Oliver. Could Ben muster up the courage to suggest they become friends-with-benefits?

  “Even if that is the case, cheating wouldn’t make things better; it would only make them worse. It doesn’t guarantee that you’d feel better,” Ben said. “Cheating would only make things more difficult. You’re still going to be unhappy in the long run.”

  “I feel like I don’t have a choice. I wish I had someone like you as my fiancé. I see you and Oliver, and I just feel so jealous.” Jane pulled away. “You can’t blame me. You’re a real catch. If only you weren’t gay.”

  Her hand snaked behind his neck, drawing him closer to her lips as she attempted to kiss him.

  Ben wished this were a movie and he could push stop or fast-forward, just to save her the embarrassment. He stopped her.

  “No. Sorry,” he said.

  “I’m sorry too.” She sighed.

  “I can’t tell you what to do, but if you really feel so unloved, I suggest taking a serious look at your engagement with Harry and deciding if going through all of this heartache is worth it.”

  A heavy silence settled over them as they both seemed unsure about what to do next.

  “Oh my god. I can’t believe I just did that.” Jane’s gaze fell away, and her cheeks went red. “You could be right, though. I just wanted to get back at him before I leave him. And I am going to leave him.”

  “Are you sure?” Ben asked.

  Jane nodded. She turned to look at the sea. “I can’t remember the last time that I’ve been to a place so beautiful. I just don’t want to leave without a little adventure and excitement. Do you think that’s a lot to ask?”

  “It depends,” Ben said. “You can’t do this to him, and I wouldn’t do this to Oliver.”

  She stepped back and ran her hand down his arm. “The magic, adventure and romance will disappear as soon as we get back to our lives. Don’t you feel we should make the most of this?”

  Ben struggled to find a response that would contradict her, but he couldn’t. He wanted to make the most of his time as Oliver’s fake boyfriend. He probably wouldn’t get another chance to explore his curiosity with the only guy he wanted.

  “I’m sorry, Jane, I can’t do this with you. If you ever need to talk or if you come to a decision and the weight of it feels like too much to handle, I’ll be here for you.” Ben almost felt that he might have been digging deeper into a hole by offering to be there for her. But it was clear that she might need a friend if she broke up with Harry.

  “Thank you,” Jane sighed. “I can’t imagine there are too many guys like you. Oliver is lucky. I can see that you’re crazy in love with him; maybe the two of you can bring some of this island’s magic back home.”

  A brief hug and awkward goodbye later, he watched her walk down the beach. She departed, leaving her words to echo through him. Maybe you guys can bring some of this island’s magic back home.

  He wanted to bring one experience back, and that was his relationship with Oliver.

  16

  Oliver

  “Tickle it under the chin,” th
e tour guide instructed.

  He handed Oliver the small turtle. Oliver peered down at it for a brief moment and shrugged before he tickled it. He expected it to make a sound, but it just stretched its legs.

  “My one doesn’t seem to want to come out,” Ben said. “How's your turtle doing?”

  “It’s not laughing yet, but who knows. Maybe it’ll take a few minutes,” Oliver said, jokingly.

  They had taken a trip to Boatswain Bay and visited a turtle farm whose purpose was conservation.

  Earlier, Oliver along with Ben, Erica, Brendan and their parents geared up with snorkels and went for a swim around the reef. They all took turns posing together. Erica and Ben giggled and flirted so much that Oliver was almost convinced that she must have dealt with whatever had been troubling her earlier.

  But now he looked over at Erica holding her turtle as she stood next to Brendan. She seemed distant. Brendan hugged her around the waist and gave her a peck on the cheek. Erica flinched. Brendan laid his hand lightly on her shoulder and whispered something. He had to know that something wasn’t right.

  Brendan looked at him. Oliver quickly looked down at his turtle, then he let it back into the water. Erica and Brendan weren’t the only ones who seemed to have more on their minds than the unrelenting sun painting the day vividly with its rays could cure.

  Later, they visited Stingray City. Their guide sat at the front of the sailboat and talked about the population of southern stingrays as their boat tour took them through a section of water no more than five feet deep.

  “The fish’s sting can cause an intense amount of discomfort,” the guide said. “The injuries are caused by their venomous dermal denticles, which look like scales on their skin.”

  Oliver’s mind wandered off to a scene he had witnessed earlier that had him feeling intense discomfort.

  He saw Ben hugging Jane. At first, the sight had jolted him with a little burst of pain that felt like a static shock. But then he saw that she was crying. He was immediately assaulted with a sea of conflicting emotions. The first and most powerful emotion was jealousy, but when he saw Jane crying, his jealousy turned to sympathy. But then she attempted to kiss Ben, and Oliver felt a little fear. Even though Ben had pushed her away, Oliver was left feeling uneasy.

  Everyone was in great spirits and they chatted, joked and laughed as they sailed back to the shore. A man standing on the beach waved to them, and it didn’t take Oliver long to recognize him.

  Grant.

  It took even less time for anxiety to pretzel his stomach.

  “Is that the guy from last night?” Ben asked.

  “That’s him,” Oliver said.

  “Hey, Grant!” their guide yelled. “Where have you been all morning?”

  “Working,” Grant yelled back.

  Once they got back to shore, their guide introduced Grant as the professional deep sea diver. The guide told everyone that he wouldn’t be long as Grant pulled him aside to start a conversation.

  Oliver wondered what Grant was doing there. Was he planning on pulling the same stunt as he did last night? Oliver started having paranoid delusions where Grant was beside him the moment Ben turned his back, whispering that he should come back to his place.

  Everyone sat on the sand and began talking. Brendan came over to them, handed them beers and started talking about tomorrow’s rehearsal dinner. It was impossible for Oliver to ignore the concern in his voice.

  Ben must have picked up on it too. “Everything all right, man?”

  “I’m good, I just hope everything goes off without a hitch,” Brendan said.

  “Don’t worry, it will,” Ben said.

  As Ben spoke, he rubbed his warm hand absentmindedly up and down Oliver’s ankle in a soothing rhythm. It was comforting. His fears started to die out halfway as he listened to their conversation.

  “Is everything all right with Erica?” Brendan’s question seemed spontaneous. “I’ve noticed that she hasn’t been acting like herself over the past few days.”

  Oliver tensed up, and he didn’t know how to respond. He began to fumble around for the right words.

  “I haven’t noticed anything,” he said. He could feel Ben, who clearly knew he was lying, looking at him.

  “It must be pre-wedding nerves, don’t sweat it,” Ben said.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Brendan said. “I’m just used to her telling me everything that’s on her mind, or just know whatever might be eating her and fixing it. And now, for the first time, I’m actually worried that I can’t read her.”

  Oliver swallowed. He felt bad for Brendan, but he couldn’t exactly tell him that he thought something was wrong with his sister too. Whatever it was, she wanted it kept to herself.

  Plus, the wedding was still on, which hopefully meant that she wasn’t having second thoughts.

  He needed to find out the truth, but his more immediate concern was allaying Brendan’s fears.

  “You’re in a new phase of your relationship — you’re bound to both be feeling a little nervous, not to mention that you want things to go smoothly, and they will. If you feel there’s something wrong, speak to her. I’m sure she’ll open up,” Ben said.

  Oliver blew out a quiet breath, and he thanked the heavens for Ben’s cool and calm attitude. Maybe Ben should have been the one to speak with Erica, Oliver thought.

  “You know, you’re absolutely right,” Brendan said. “Thanks, man.”

  “Hey, guys!” Erica called. She waved over as everyone posed for a photo. Brendan rushed ahead of Oliver and Ben.

  Before he realized what he was doing, Oliver took Ben’s arm and kissed him on the cheek. It was so spontaneous, and if he had thought it through, he wouldn’t have done it. But Ben’s eyes lit up, and the broad grin on his face was a pleasing sight.

  “What’s that for?” Ben asked, flabbergasted.

  “Does it have to be for anything?” Oliver countered.

  “No, I guess not,” Ben said.

  “But if I had to pick a reason, it would be because you’re the sweetest, kindest fake boyfriend that I’ve ever dated.”

  “True, but I’m the only fake boyfriend you’ve dated,” Ben said.

  “But you’re also the only boyfriend who I’ve had anything real with,” Oliver confessed.

  Ben stopped and searched Oliver’s eyes for a hint that he was joking. And then, when he found none, he took Oliver’s hand.

  “That’s how I’ve felt since we started this trip as boyfriends.” Ben held eye contact. “I want to…”

  “We can’t pose forever, hurry up guys,” Oliver’s mom called.

  The interruption pulled them out of their reverie of each other; at least, that was what Oliver felt. He really wanted Ben to finish his words, but he knew he’d have to wait for later.

  After they posed for several photos, the family and friends separated into small groups and began to chatter. Oliver felt a hand brush against the bare skin of his back, and as he turned, he saw Grant.

  “Well, I thought I noticed you among all of these gorgeous faces,” he said. “It looks like you’ve been having a good time today.”

  “I have. We all have. This place just gets more and more fantastic,” Oliver said. He tried to relax and exercise calm in his voice, even though he was on edge. He tried to look around to see where Ben was, but he hoped that he wasn’t too far as he didn’t want to be alone with Grant too long.

  “That sounds great,” Grant said. “Do you want me to show you an even better time?”

  “I think we’ll just stick with our guide for now,” Oliver said. “I don’t really want to do anything too wild.”

  “Come on, you talked about the magic of the island. There’s so much more for you to see, so much more for me to show you.”

  Oliver peered down at himself to discover that he’d been folding his arms. “I don’t want you to go out of your way, Grant.”

  “Nonsense, it would be my pleasure to show you a great time,” Grant
said. He placed a hand on Oliver’s shoulder.

  Before Oliver could say another word, Grant called Ben over. Oliver hadn’t expected him to do such a bold thing. There was no chance of him flirting while Ben was around.

  “Grant, fancy seeing you here,” Ben said as he came over. As he approached them, he put an arm around Oliver’s waist and give him a gentle squeeze.

  Ben reassuring touch was exactly what Oliver needed at that moment. He found it both remarkable and liberating how Ben was now so comfortable playing the boyfriend role in public. Everything they did together felt as if it were meant to be.

  “I was just asking Oliver if he was up for diving. I know a great spot,” Grant said. “It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t invite his boyfriend. I wouldn’t want you to think I was stealing him away from you or anything.”

  Grant laughed and winked at Oliver.

  “Sounds like a plan.” Ben didn’t even hesitate. He turned to Oliver. “What do you think?”

  Oliver was surprised by how cool Ben was acting. He knew Ben wasn’t naive and probably saw through Grant’s plan to seduce him. How come he behaved as if he was okay with it all?

  “I guess it can’t hurt,” Oliver said. He was still a bit confused as they followed Grant to his boat. Grant was a few feet ahead of them when Oliver leaned into Ben.

  “Why did you agree to this? He might try something, and things could become really awkward. You can’t trust him.”

  Ben walked a few steps. He stopped and turned to Oliver. “But I can trust you. If you’re not up to this then we don’t have to go, but I don’t want you not to have a good time because a guy like him might try and make you feel uncomfortable. Just say the word and we don’t have to go. I’m having the time of my life just being with you like this.”

  Oliver couldn’t help feeling warm inside. Suddenly, his fears about what stunt Grant was about to pull disappeared. In fact, Grant was erased from his thoughts. He realized how lucky he was to have Ben. Whether Ben was a fake boyfriend or real boyfriend, Oliver felt like the luckiest guy on earth.