Prologue

Prologue

The Past (2 years earlier)

"I love you," I say as I smile down at the beautiful, petite brunette before me.

"I love you more." She steps forward and embraces me tightly, leaning up to peck me on the cheek before getting ready to leave.

"Not possible," I tease. "I'll see you tonight?" I grab her hand before she can walk away.

"Tonight?" she hesitates before glancing over her shoulder to look at me, clearly confused as to what I'm getting at.

"Our anniversary. You forgot?" I arch a brow at her. "That's a first," I chuckle. She's usually the one who has to remind me of everything.

"Right," she nods, "about that..." she trails off with a sheepish look.

"Oh, no," I laugh, searching her brown eyes, "what now?"

"I have to work overtime tonight," she says, averting her gaze from mine.

"Oh..." I drawl in disappointment. "That's fine," I quickly add upon seeing her face. I don't want her to feel bad about it. "Don't worry. You don't have to feel guilty. We'll celebrate another time."

"Are you sure, Ben?" she asks warily, double-checking with me.

I nod. "Go," I encourage her. "I'll see you. We'll celebrate on Saturday or something."

She turns to leave but then stops as a worrisome thought comes to mind. "And your parents?"

I hold back a grin, aware of where she's coming from. "I'll make sure they don't join our anniversary celebration this time," I promise her, reassuring her that there won't be a repeat of last year. My overwhelming family tends to make her uncomfortable and, honestly, I can't really blame her.

"You better," she jokes before kissing me goodbye again.

I shake my head to myself as I watch Bex walk away. How did I get so lucky?

"Your girl's cheating on you," a voice says from behind me before I feel a sturdy hand rest atop my shoulder.

I angrily shrug his hand off, moving to face him. "When are you gonna drop that theory? It's getting old." I'm getting tired of his attitude.

Oliver, my best bud, laughs, not taking his own accusations seriously. "As soon as you believe me."

I scowl at him. "Bex isn't like that."

"They all are," he argues.

"Bex isn't," I clarify in determination. 

"Alright, alright," he holds his hands up apologetically, sensing my mood, "I'll back off."

"Good," I reply, satisfied. "'Cause I'm getting sick of hearing it."

I've known Oliver for years and I know how he can be. Still, sometimes I just want to bash his skull in.

"When are you going to propose?" he asks, dropping the cheating scandal, for the time being, anyway.

I smile and take out the little box from my coat pocket. "I was going to tonight but she's working an extra shift." I open it and stare down at the gold ring. I've been saving for a while now.

"Tough break," he slaps me on the back, pitying me. "Maybe another time."

I don't care when it happens, it just has to happen.

I change topics, tired of the focus being on me. "What about you? When are you going to settle?"

"Never," he chuckles, entertained by the mere thought of it. "Why should I? I have girls dropping at my feet. You did too once...that was before you made yourself unavailable."

I scoff even though I know he has a point but Bex showed me that there's more to life than just playing the field. I got lucky with her, hit gold really. When I met Bex, I stopped wanting other women.

"You'll never change," I tell him and shake my head, disappointed. "I thought it was just a phase in high school but I was wrong. You're a player. It's your identity."

"And your identity is held in one person, Bex," he retorts, not bothered by my comment. In fact, he's proud of it.

I stare at him for a second longer. He's never purposely tried to annoy me. "What's your problem, dude? You're supposed to be my friend, my best friend at that."

I guess I started it.

Oliver's green eyes don't move from me. He stares at me intently as if thinking deeply about something.

"Oliver?" I repeat, wondering where he went just then.

He shakes his head, running a hand through his brown hair as he comes out of it. "Sorry, got sidetracked by my own thoughts. I don't mean to be a jerk. Work is just...I'm stressed."

"About what?" I ask, concerned. It's rare to see him uptight about anything -- it's just not his personality.

"I..." he falters, "I don't know."

His answer leaves me concerned. I need to be a better friend to him and make more time for him. My world can't revolve around just Bex. Oliver needs me too. He'd tell me what's bothering him if I made more of an effort. This is on me.

*~*~**~*~*

"I say you should, Benjy," my mother tells me after first hearing me out -- I updated her on my latest thoughts. "Don't lead the poor girl on. You've been going out since high school."

Bex is my high school sweetheart. I'm head-over-heels for her. I know that she's the one. I'm not even doubtful, I just know.

I frown, unable to stop feeling like something is wrong, at least, from Bex's side of things. "I know, Ma, but this is the third time that she's blown me off--"

"Stop listening to Oliver," Ma cuts me off abruptly. "She's not cheating on you. He's such a bad influence on you. I've never liked him," she reprimands me. "It's his fault that you drink and he's the one who encouraged you to drop out of law school."

"Oliver's hot. He's got my vote," one of my sisters chirp in, trying to get a rise out of me.

I ignore my sister and roll my eyes at my mom. "I'm responsible for my own actions." There's no use in blaming Oliver for any of this. He just opened my eyes. Bex hasn't been acting like herself for a while now.

"Then propose already!" she huffs in exasperation, losing her patience with me. Unlike my sisters, Ma adores Bex.

"No!" Sash whines aloud, disagreeing with Ma. "I hate her."

Here we go again...

I moved out at a young age solely because my family drives me crazy. I love them but they're too much.

"Why do you always say that?" I glare at her. She and my other sisters are jealous that I spend more time with Bex than I do with them. I'm sure of it. There's no other explanation for their unfounded hatred towards her.

"She never even tries to talk to us or bond with us. She doesn't care about us at all. She acts as if she's better than us. She acts as if she owns you. She doesn't even greet us," Lea informs me, backing Sash up.

I frown to myself. I've never noticed any of this before. My sisters are delusional.

"Well, maybe it's because she knows that you're all judging her. Maybe you guys should put in the effort first. I mean, I'm marrying this girl. The least you could do, as my sisters, is try," I protest, wanting my family to love Bex as much as I do.

Laura contemplates it for a second before coming to a conclusion, "No."

It's such a strain on me. Bex doesn't like my parents and my sisters don't like her. I don't like playing the middleman.

*~*~**~*~*

I shake off my sisters' words, as well as Oliver's, and decide to take my mother up on her advice. I've been putting it off for long enough. It's time and I can't wait any longer.

I take in a deep breath before knocking on the door. When she doesn't answer, I knock again. Her car is in the driveway and it's quite late so she has to be home by now.

I nervously take out my phone and dial her number but she doesn't answer.

"Bex?" I call, hoping she'll hear me somehow. "Can we talk for a second? I'm at the front door."

I'm met with more silence and a scowl from one of her neighbors who happens to be peeking out at me from their window.

Worried, I open her door, knowing that she never locks it. I enter and close the door shut after me.

All the lights are off.

"Bex?" I call again, my heart beginning to race. Something is off. "You here?"

There's some shuffling from upstairs before a light flickers on and Bex appears at the top of the staircase. Her hair is a mess and her clothes are frumpled. She notices me staring and is quick to pat her hair down and straighten her shirt.

I smile and let out a breath of relief. That's my Bex...even beautiful when caught off guard. Seeing her here, in front of me, confirms everything -- she's the one.

"You were sleeping?" I ask, immediately feeling bad. "Sorry for waking you. I didn't mean to scare you," I apologize, relieved and happy to see her – it's enough to settle my doubts. "I know it's late but there's something I need to--"

"Bex," a familiar voice calls from behind her, "whoever it is, they'll leave. Come back to bed."

Oliver stumbles out from behind her, looking just the same.

The look Bex gave me this morning, the one of guilt, is back in her brown eyes. Except, this time, it all makes sense.

It takes me a second to process it. This must be what it feels like to have your heart ripped right out of your chest. I never expected her to do this to me, not the girl that I'm meant to spend the rest of my life with, and definitely not with my best friend.

"Huh..." I move my gaze to Oliver, feeling numb in my soul, "so, that's how you knew she was cheating."

I feel like an idiot.

"Benley," Bex begins, falling into panic, "I can explain! He just--"

"Him?" I point to Oliver who doesn't even seem to care much. "I knew he didn't have a conscious. But you, Bex, you were supposed to care as much as I did."

My throat tightens. I don't even know how I'm getting any words out. Guys aren't supposed to cry but I get why they do now. I handed my heart to this girl and she stomped all over it. Inside, I'm dying. 

"Did?" she asks, picking up on my choice of words. Anxious, she hurriedly makes her way down the stairs toward me, hoping to lie to my face and 'patch' things up.

I nod at her, confirming it. "Toys will play with used toys." I step back from her reach, dodging her hand. "Trash will find trash." I move toward the front door, feeling disgusted by both of them. "And cheaters will stay cheaters!" I slam the door shut after me, ignoring her calls for me to wait.

As soon as I get home, I grab a bottle of alcohol and slide down the front door, burying my head in my hands, defeated.