Thank you all for your patience. My laptop is back and working like a charm now.
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Interlude – Knight in Shining Armor...?Winter loved weddings as a general rule. There was just something so wonderful and heartwarming about two people committing their undying love for one another, and Brent and Demetria were certainly no exception. The two of them looked genuinely happy and so much in love.
She hated to admit it, but the hopeless romantic in her envied them. What the two of them had was something that she so desperately wanted. As a youngster Winter had always dreamed about one day meeting her so-called knight in shining armor, and as a teenager she thought she had found him. There was no doubt she still had feelings for Oliver, but was almost certain that they were not reciprocated. At least, Winter thought they weren't. Nearly three years of no contact hadn't exactly kept her hopes up, and for the most part she tried not to think about it.
But seeing him in his pinstriped suit next to the bride and groom tore those old feelings out of the corner and set them right back in front of her face. She had caught him gazing at her more than once during the ceremony, which kickstarted the butterflies in her stomach to the point where she could hardly touch the cake in front of her.
Winter twirled her fork in the frosting, wondering if she should just give up and bring the rest of it home for Ruby. That rat had one heck of a sweet tooth and seemed to have a taste for cake. Of course, the last time she had actual wedding cake was the morning after Simon and Lexie's wedding, after Winter had spent the night with the slice of cake under her pillow in hopes of dreaming of the man she would one day marry.
She still remembered that dream all too clearly. Oliver was her knight in shining armor. Or perhaps “knight in torn blue jeans” would be a better descriptor...
“Winnie?”
The sound of her childhood nickname made Winter unconsciously cringe. Only one person could still call her that and get away with it. Unfortunately Jeremy was not that person.
“Jeremy--”
“I know, I know, stop calling you that...I got it,” her brother replied. “You're sitting here in the back of the room, completely by yourself. Where's Mom and Dad, anyway? Weren't they supposed to be here?”
“They were planning on it, but...well...” Winter bit her lip. “You know how they like to go on date nights every so often, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, they went out for dinner and a movie last night. According to Mom there was a line at the Bistro and they didn't feel like waiting, so they decided to try the new hamburger place off of Main.”
“I have a bad feeling I know where this is going...”
“Two words: food poisoning.”
Jeremy cringed. “Yep, I knew where it was going.
Man, and I've been wanting to try that place, too. That sucks.”
“Yeah, big time. For what it's worth, I promised to bring back some cake for when they're feeling better.” She smiled. “So where's your better half, anyway?”
“Oh...just trying to corner an old friend.” He glanced off toward the back of the room. “Speaking of which...”
Winter followed his gaze, her mouth dropping open when she saw Hannah and Brent leading a very apprehensive-looking Oliver toward the table.
“Jeremy, what's this all about?” Winter finally asked once she was able to find her voice again.
“Call it an intervention,” Jeremy replied with what could only be described as a self-satisfied smirk on his face. “You two haven't said a word to one another in almost three years. Don't you think it's time to clear the air between you?”
“It was either this or we set you up on a blind date,” added Hannah. “I personally liked that idea better, but Brent won the coin toss.”
“A blind...
what?” Oliver gaped. “Just how long have you been planning this, anyway?”
“Ever since we knew you were both coming to the wedding,” Brent answered. “Do you know how long we've been trying to get the two of you in the same room?”
“But--”
“But
nothing. You've mentioned more than once that you wished you had the courage to tell her how you really feel. Now's your chance.” The groom folded his arms and shook his head. “Did you really think we were going to just stand by and let you two get away from one another? We've been friends far too long for that.”
“Now if you'll excuse us...” Jeremy motioned to the other two. “I believe that Brent would like to get back to his new bride, and Hannah and I should probably relieve Abby of nephew duty.”
“I think my mother-in-law may have absconded with A.J.,” Brent replied. “But regardless, my darling Demetria awaits. Have a good chat, you two.”
“You'll thank us later.”
The two of them sat in dumbstruck silence as the rest of the Fearsome Four threaded their way back into the throng of partygoers, neither of them quite believing what had just happened. Winter was both amused and admittedly a little miffed that her brother and their friends had interfered in such a way. It was clear that they meant well at the very least. What Brent had said about Oliver not having the courage to express his feelings left her mind reeling with possibilities.
“Hi.”
Oliver grinned weakly before bowing his head. “H...hi yourself.”
Winter returned his smile, hoping that she was shaking somewhat less on the outside than she was on the inside.
“Look, I know that--”
“Winter I'm--”
They both stopped mid-sentence.
“G...go ahead,” Oliver continued after a few seconds of awkward silence.
The butterflies in Winter's stomach had gone from little flip-flops to a full-blown mambo.
Just breathe, she told herself.
And try not to puke.
“I don't know what happened three years ago, why you never came, but what's done is done,” she began. “But regardless of what happened, I just want to know why you disappeared. Losing your friendship hurt far more than being stood up at a silly dance.”
Oliver took a deep breath. “I wanted to go. I desperately wanted to go. The whole thought of being close to you was like...I dunno...living a
dream. I was dressed in my suit and ready to go. I even had a little corsage with daisies to give you when I got there. But then...” His voice trailed off.
“...what happened?”
He rubbed his face nervously. “I started to panic. What if I stepped on your feet? What if I accidentally spilled punch on your dress? And then Mom came in and started telling me how cute she thought we were together...and the next thing I knew I was on the floor with Dad staring down at me telling me that I was the biggest wuss on the planet.”
Winter's eyes widened. “You passed out?”
“...yeah.” At this point Oliver's face was just about as red as his hair. “I just c...couldn't face you after that. I was so ashamed that I had let you down...and then when I went to University I just buried myself in my studies and tried to forget.” He shook his head. “It's a horrible excuse for leaving you out to dry for three years...but for what it's worth I'm sorry. I n...never meant it to happen this way, and if you hate my guts and never want to see me again...I totally understand.”
His last sentence came out in a pained rush, and it took every ounce of self-control that Winter had to keep from hugging him right then and there. Did Oliver really think that she could hate him, and that was why he never said anything to her? If anything she felt the opposite...of course he probably didn't know that. Yet.
Still though...this wasn't exactly the right time to all-out gush at him. Oliver was a sensitive soul if nothing else. To suddenly tell him her deepest feelings now after he has just poured his soul out might hurt more than it would help.
Instead, she placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “How could I possibly hate my World of Simcraft partner?”
Almost instantly the apprehension on Oliver's face melted away, replaced by a timid smile.
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Yes, that is birthday cake and not wedding cake. **sheepish grin**
