Young Dreamers

I walked over to Oli and stood round him so no one would overhear our conversation.
"Don't you think you've had enough?"

"Nope. I can still remember everyone's names...not enough yet." I sighed and pulled the beer out of his hands, he moved to protest and I pushed him gently round the corner of the house.

"Why are you doing this? Sara's worried as well as pissed off now." Oli sighed.
"Well?"

"I can't- why the fuck are you getting involved anyways? You didn't even fucking know us before-"

"And I've come to know you, and I know how much you love that woman standing over there." His eyes followed where I was pointing guiltily.

"Just tell me what's wrong and I'll try and help-"

"You can't....John. You can't. I wish you could. You seem to be able to fix everything else..." He leant his head on my shoulder with a gentle thud, and I tried to calm my pounding heart, praying that he couldn't hear or feel it through my thin shirt. I brought a hand up and gently sort of patted his back. He straightened up after too long, and nodded.

"Sorry. You're right. I'll try sober up a bit..." I smiled and nodded encouragingly, gesturing back to the party.

"Let's get going then."

Thank god Oli sobered up, he made his speech, somewhat awkwardly, but Sara was happy so all was well.
That night everyone made camp on the beach, I helped everyone get set up, and when I was finally finished, and back inside the house, Sara gave me a hug.
"I'm so sorry about Oli. Thank you so much for helping with everything."

"That's ok. Just wedding jitters, nothing serious." She smiled and ran off to Alice. When I went into my room the blinds were shut and it was dark, the only light thin lines cast across the room. I closed the door and almost shouted out as I was suddenly pushed up against it, someone's lips pressed to mine. The first thing that went through my body was heat as the stranger kissed me, but then I pushed him away, aware that I had no idea who it was. I stood there, panting for a second, and I could hear him breathing. What shocked me, was the familiar cologne hanging in the air. I decided to play it innocent.

"W-who is it? Who's there?" His footsteps backed away and in a flash he was out the other door.

My heartbeat was only matched by my shock. He'd just waited in my darkened room...and kissed me.

I decided to let him get a proper nights sleep before I spoke to him again, in the morning when I woke up, it was to the sound of someone knocking at the door. It was Alice.
"Find him."

"What?"

"He's gone. Oli's gone. Find him!! Sara can't find out!!" I cursed loudly and pulled on some shorts before looking round the vast house before going outside, covering the gardens and the beach before reaching a conclusion.

I crawled through the tiny gap in the rock face and sure enough, Oli was sat at the waters edge, the waves gently lapping, reaching up to him.
I walked up to him slowly and sat down next to him. He had his knees drawn up to his chest. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and sniffed.
"Sorry."

"For what?"

"I dunno...running off..getting drunk, last night..." He glanced at me.

"I knew it was you. I just pretended that I didn't." Oli looked at me, surprised and I smiled gently even though I was terrified.
"Your cologne." He nodded slightly.

"Ah. God....John I don't know...I mean...I've never even thought about another....I mean you're the...fuck!!!" He stood up in frustration and clawed at his hair, tugging on it gently. I stood up and covered his hands with mine gently, wanting him to understand his own feelings, but not wanting to scare him away. He let me move them out of his hair slowly and hold them.

"Was last night good for you?" I asked quietly, Oli nodded shamefully.

"It's ok, we're the only ones here, you can tell me. Did you get..excited?" My heart pounded slightly as I anticipated Oli's reply, almost not expecting the gentle nod that he showed a moment later.

"Do you feel that way with Sara?"

".....no." I exhaled gently and nodded.

"Ok. Do you know what that means?"

"Yes! It means I want you more than the woman who's about to become my wife!!" He shouted, pulling away from me. I sighed quietly and watched him in concern, understanding full well the confusion that was going through his mind.

"I mean...everyone's here. It's the day, Sara's up there, my entire family, hers, all our friends, John, I...." I nodded and offered him a hug which he accepted.

"You don't have to tell anyone the reason, not if you're not ready. You can call it off without telling them why, the only person you have to tell is Sara. Don't think about everyone else." He looked up at me sadly.

"Why is everything always so simple in your eyes?"

"You're not." The silence hung between us before he leant in and kissed me gently, I kissed back and couldn't help but deepen it slightly when he whimpered gently, clutching at my shirt, sending a jolt of heat through me. I pushed him back gently, grasping his arms tightly.

"God you test me sometimes...." That drew a small smile from him before his face clouded over as he remembered what was about to happen to him.

"I don't know if I can do it. Genuinely, I don't think I can."

"Can you marry Sara? With me there, watching you? Her thinking that you're about to start a lifetime together? Can you do that to yourself, or her?" Oli closed his eyes shakily and suppressed tears as he shook his head.

"I need to go talk to her." I nodded as he made his decision. As we walked up the cave, and out into the garden, he threw up in a bush, and had to go wash up before we could go talk to Sara. I walked up to her bedroom with him, and Alice was stood outside waiting.

"Thank god!! She's still asleep - she doesn't know anything, what the hell were you- are you alright, Oli? You look like death warmed up." Alice exclaimed as we got closer. Oli was so terrified he couldn't even reply and I told him I'd have to tell her. I pulled her to one side and told her everything, her expression became increasingly sad and she sighed.

"Oh god we're gonna have to sort out all the guests and-"

"Look. Don't worry about them. Oli's gonna talk to Sara, I'm gonna sort out the guests later. You need to be there for her, this is gonna break her heart." Alice nodded worriedly and patted my chest.

"I don't think you should go anywhere near her, John. Not unless she approaches you." I nodded sadly, guilt creeping in. I walked back to Oli where he was standing stock still, breathing unevenly, tears staining his cheeks.

"Ready?" He met my eyes and reached in for one last hug before he nodded and let me knock on the door. Me and Alice left and I heard her start saying how the groom wasn't supposed to see the bride on the wedding day before she cut off, and I knew then that she'd seen the state of him.

Me and Alice listened from her adjoining room, and held hands as Sara got louder and louder, and angrier, and more upset, and Oli desperately tried to make her understand. In the end, she screamed at him to get out, sobbing, and I heard the door swing open and Oli run away before she threw something at the door, smashing it loudly.

"Time to step in sweetheart, good luck." Alice kissed my cheek and pulled me back just before I left to say:

"It's not your fault, you know." I thanked her before rushing after Oli who'd broken down in tears on the front step. I sat near him and he sobbed for what seemed like years before cursing me and telling me he hated me for what I'd done to him, how it was my fault. I didn't feel angry, or too sad, because while I felt immensely guilty, I knew it wasn't my fault, and what he was saying wasn't true, he was just upset, so I just sat and listened before putting an arm around him when he collapsed on my lap.

"Listen, I want you to go inside, or go to the cave, because I need to sort out the guests and I don't want them looking for you. You don't need it."

"Don't leave me."

"I don't want to...believe me I want to bundle you up and drive you away from here, but I need to sort out the guests, can't leave it all to Alice." Oli nodded tearily and I pulled him up onto wobbly legs and guided him into the cave before going and quietly waking each tent of people up, and announcing that the wedding was off and everyone was to leave as quickly as possible. Most people did, leaving without a fuss, albeit very sadly, with lots of hugs and kisses to me and asking me to give the recently split couple their love at the difficult time. However, the close relatives were the problem. Sara's mum and cousin rushed straight upstairs to her, which wasn't a bad thing, but I was forced to listen to her angry father rant about what a good for nothing so-and-so Oli was - not his chosen words, of course.

Oli's mum cried, his brother stood in the background not saying a word, and his dad just looked heartbroken. They refused to leave until later on, prepared to wait for Oli to calm down, but wanting to see him before they left. I started work on packing away the tents again, Tom, Oli's brother, surprised me by coming to help.
"Oh, thanks Tom."

"You're welcome. You've done so much for them, you could do with the help. Listen, John, I know." I straightened up and looked at him, jumping slightly when the pop up tent re-constructed itself when I let it go.

"What?"

"For Christ's sake, I know Oli's in love with you! He's done nothing the past few days but talk about you to me on the phone, nothing about Sara unless I asked, nothing. I knew he was, today's just confirmed it."

"Please, Tom, don't say anything to Sara's family, or yours, I know Oli isn't ready for anyone to know yet he's really-" Tom nodded, silencing me.

"It's ok, John."