Page 21 of My Ex-Fiance's Best Men
We have the means and the resources to keep him in the mud. And if he keeps hurting Phoebe, it’s precisely what will happen. If I can’t teach Matthew a lesson about kindness and decency, I can always teach him a lesson about what happens when he tries to fuck over someone I care about.
“Nobody hurts Phoebe and gets away with it,” Dominic agrees.
Theo’s nod confirms that, once again, we’re all on the same page.
6
PHOEBE
Ishould be overwhelmed by what happened the other night with Dominic, August, and Theo, but I’m not. I’m excited. I’m curious. And I want more. They keep a certain pace to our dynamic. A flow that is both delightful and irritating.
Today, for instance, we’re off on a hiking trip through the Pu’u Maka’ala Natural Reserve on the eastern slopes of Mauna Loa, a gorgeous rain forest that sprawls over thousands of acres of lush greenery. It looks as if we’re trekking through the very heart of nature while talking, walking, and connecting on a deeper level with one another.
“I’ve seen my share of tropical rain forests,” Theo says as he leads the way up a winding path. “But this right here, this is special.”
“What makes it special?” I ask.
“Its history, first and foremost,” Theo says.
Dominic chuckles as he walks beside me. “Theo is quite the history buff. He makes it a habit to brush up on the backgroundof every place we visit. Our own walking, talking, breathing brochure of interesting facts, right there.” He points at Theo.
“Pardon me for taking an interest,” Theo mumbles.
“We always appreciate it,” August says. “It’s just a little funny. Out of the three of us, nobody expected you to turn out like this.”
“Like what?”
“All our money was on you staying the beach bum version of yourself,” Dominic teases. “I mean, you got the hair down to a T.”
“Hey, don’t pick on his hair,” I reply with a giggle. “I know women who would kill to have hair like his.”
He gives me a playful wink. “Thank you, Phoebe.”
“Do you use a 3-in-1 shampoo to keep that gorgeous mane?” I ask.
“Oh, no. Separate shampoo and conditioner, the occasional Moroccan oil, hair mask…”
“Wow,” I gasp. “Then all those internet memes about guys with long hair are lies.”
Theo brings an index finger up to his lips. “Just don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my macho beach bum reputation. Between this and my knowledge of history and geography, they’ll crucify me in public.”
We all laugh out loud, almost doubling over as we continue on our journey. It’s always like this with the four of us, and I’m thrilled to be able to fit in with such ease and joy. I’m comfortable with them and feel as if I can finally be myself. I only wish we’d done this sooner. Maybe I would’ve gainedenough clarity to see what Matthew was doing, how bad he actually was for me.
“So, what’s this part of the reserve called again?” I ask Theo.
He checks his phone, where he keeps copious notes. It only makes me like him more—he’s like me because I have a similar habit—and it has kept me ahead in almost everything I do.
“I am absolutely terrible at pronouncing this, but I’m going to try,” he says, then reads the name out loud. “The Ohi’a/Hapu’u Montane Wet Forest.”
“And it’s the prettiest, by far,” I whisper, looking around.
Trees as tall as giants rise around us, their branches stretching out while their emerald-green crowns filter the sunlight. I see patches of blue sky here and there, reveling in the cool shade as we move up the narrow stone path. Moss covers pretty much everything on the ground around us while a variety of ferns spread out, their quivering tips appearing to reach for us.
I catch glimpses of exotic birds with yellow plumage and long, curved beaks. They scuttle across the ground before chirping and taking flight to hide high up in the trees. Here and there, a Hawaiian goose rears its head up from the bushes, only to quickly disappear upon seeing us.
“Look up,” Theo whispers as he stops and points to an ancient acacia Koa tree. “See it?”
Resting on one of the branches is a big, black bird, nestled between clusters of spherical pale-yellow flowers. I hold my breath and watch the creature for a while, mesmerized by a single beam of sunlight poking through and adds a hint of blue to its feathers.
