Page 1 of One is Never Enough

Chapter 1

Oliver

2 months later

Work. Home. Sleep. Repeat. That’s my life after that fateful night with…I can’t even think about their damn names. Two fucking months, and it feels like my heart is breaking all over again.

“We’re going out tonight,” Leland declares when I walk into our apartment.

“I don’t feel like it.” I kick my shoes off and toss my keys on the table by the door.

“You never do, but I’m not giving you an option. Go change, or I’m dragging you out like that.”

“Leland—”

“Nope. I can’t imagine what you went through, but it’s time to get back out there. It’s been two months, Oli.”

Two months of avoiding every text and phone call until I finally changed my number. Toby even showed up at my apartment a few times, but I never answered the door. Then the flowers started from him and Jace. I never even read the cards, the texts, or listened to the voicemails. The betrayal I felt that night is immense, and I still haven’t been able to look my sister in the eye. They set me up to look like a fucking fool and made me the bad guy in the process. It hurts more because I could feel myself falling for Toby and Jace. They’re what I’ve always dreamed of when I visualized myself settling down. I look at Leland. “Let’s do it.”

“Yes!” he whoops and jerks me into a hug. “There’s this new gay bar that opened up downtown.” Leland starts pushing me to my room, and when we get in there, he shoves me to sit on the bed and then starts digging through my closet. “I’ve heard it’s really good.”

“Leland, you aren’t gay, so why are you going to a gay bar?”

“Because you’re my best friend,” he answers, still digging through my clothes. “I can pretend to be gay for a few hours.”

That makes me laugh. “You don’t have to do this.”

Leland steps out of the closet, holding a pair of black slacks and that damn green shirt. How fucked up do you have to be that a shirt makes you want to crawl into a hole and cry? Leland catches my reaction, throws it back in the closet, and grabs a black one. “Fuck it. We’ll go full emo tonight. Get dressed.”

He disappears into the living room, and it takes every bit of energy that I have to change my clothes. I look in the mirror and barely recognize myself. There are dark bags under my eyes, no color in my cheeks, and I’ve lost weight, which I didn’t have much I could have afforded to lose. I reluctantly walk into the living room to slide my shoes on, and as soon as the last one slides onto my foot, Leland shoves me out of the door.

Leland drives us to the club in silence, and I already want to go home when he pulls up out front. He parks and turns in the seat to face me. “I’m not saying go in here and take the first guy you meet home. All I’m asking is you try to have some fun. I don’t know what to do anymore, Oli.”

“I know,” I sigh. “I thought I would be over it by now, but it never gets any better.”

“Do you think maybe you should have let them explain?” Leland asks gently. “Maybe gotten some closure?”

I shake my head. “I couldn’t face them. I felt so stupid. I thought Jace and Toby were my forever. And I thought Aiden was my friend. I guess I was wrong on all counts.” I get out of the car before Leland can say anything else.

We pay to get in and step inside. The atmosphere is lowkey and comforting, which is a good thing. Leland leads me to a table and orders us drinks from the waiter. I let my eyes scan the club and find several attractive men, but none are them.

We go through several drinks, talking about everything except the elephant in the room. By my third drink, I start loosening up enough to have fun. “We should dance!” Leland suggests.

“What?” I laugh. “You want to dance with me?”

He stands from the table, puts his hand out, and dips into an exaggerated bow. “I’d love nothing more than to rub against you.”

With a roll of my eyes, I slide my hand into his, and he pulls me to the dancefloor. He pulls me against him and starts rolling his hips. It’s not the first time we’ve danced like this together, so I let go and start dancing with him. I feel free and light for the first time in two months. “You have an admirer,” I tell Leland. A guy standing beside the bar hasn’t removed his eyes from Leland’s ass.

“I’m clearly taken,” Leland says, acting offended.

I laugh and wrap my arms around Leland’s neck. “You make me swoon, lover. Thank you for this.”

“You know I’ll do anything to make sure you’re happy, Oli. You’ve done the same thing for me over the years.”

I hug Leland to me, happy that he’s in my life. Neither of us had it easy growing up; all we had was each other. I never would have gotten through this mess without him. We dance three more songs together before the guy at the bar finally gets the courage to walk over to us.

“Can I join?” he asks shyly.

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