Timebomb

The evening comes quicker than I expected and soon we're all dressed up smart and getting smashed to the sounds of Hero/Heroine. I was buzzing, Alex looked gorgeous in a casual navy suit, and his eyes had almost fallen out of his head when he saw the 40's style bright red rockabilly dress I was wearing with my studded leather jacket.

Everything was going amazing, Jack and Tay were making out in the corner and it's only 12:15, but no matter what was happening, how flawless the night was going, I couldn't shake the dread that had settled into my stomach.

Boys like girls had just finished playing when I saw Alex climbing on to the stage, grabbing Martin into a hug before stealing his microphone.

"Check 1, 2, can you beautiful people hear me?"

Everyone yelled out a yes and I giggled into the glass of champagne and mango juice I was drinking. My fiancee really was ridiculous sometimes.

"Alright, okay, I wanna get serious for a minute before I'm too drunk to say anything," Everyone laughed and I rolled my eyes, Garrett, who was standing next to me nudged me with a cheeky grin.

"You picked a good one." he joked poking me in the side. I shhhed him playfully turning back to Alex as he started to talk.

"First of all thank you all for being here tonight, I know pretty much all of you came from out of state and me and my bride to be couldn't be more thankful! You all fucking rock!!" The crowd of our closest friends and family cheered and Alex's grin got even wider.

"So as you all know, I'm the luckiest guy in the world, right? Because the love of my life, Ms Olivia O'callaghan has agreed to marry me." He points to me and I blush bright red before mouthing 'I love you' to him. He grins, "Love you too baby. So I've kindof forgotten what I was gonna say so, thank you guys again we love you and we'll see you all at our wedding! Holy shit I can't believe I'm getting married. CHEERS GUYS!"

Everyone cheersed back and I couldn't wipe the smile from my face even though I felt like something bad was gonna happen.



Alex was pulled away from me a little while later by his bandmates and Martin and Paul from GLB to do shots and I decided to go have a smoke. I leave through the staff entrance instead of the front doors hoping to get five minutes to myself.

The staff entrance backs on to a back road, big enough for two way traffic but no where near big enough to be a main road, I stand in the loading bay, where all my supplies were delivered and stare across the street, where there was a small English style pub, a Chinese take away and a block of apartments with a bus stop out the front.

It had been raining whilst the party was raging and the light from the street lights looks hazy as it reflected off the puddles.

I take a deep breath, fishing my cigarettes from my purse and slip one between my lips lighting it using my silver zippo that had the Paramore's lyrics, 'It's just a spark' etched into the matte chrome.

I inhale watching the cherry glow red in the darkness like a firefly.

"Can I borrow a light Pretty Lady?"

My heart literally stopped beating in my chest.
I'd know that smokey voice anywhere, hell for seven years it was my favourite sound in the world. It had been two years since I'd last heard it, but how could I forget.

"Sorry, I don't smoke." I answer shorty, exhaling the smoke from my lungs surprised my words don't get tangled up with it and lodged in my throat. He chuckles softly and chills run down my spine.

I turn slowly, and there he is. John Cornelius O'Callaghan V, in the flesh. Half silhouetted in the orange glare of the street lamp he was leaning on, still almost a whole foot taller than my 5'6". His brunette hair cut short at the sides but left longer on top, a curl of it hanging in his seafoam eyes. An unlit cigarette hung from his crooked smirk. He looks good in black skinny jeans tucked into boots, an ill fitting white tshirt and black suspenders, his long fingered hands shoved into his pockets.

I waited for the rage to hit but it didn't come.

"Aw well," he said with a shrug, sliding his cigarette behind his ear, "They'll only kill me anyway."
His grin was as devastating as always. I felt 18 again, lost at sea and only John could anchor me-Fuck! No!

I'm a grown ass women now, 26 and engaged to the man of my dreams and John was the only person standing in the way of my happiness.

I take a final puff of my smoke and drop it to the damp ground, crushing it with the wedge of my heel.

"Why didn't you sign the papers John? Garrett said you told him you had! Why didn't you?"

I wish my voice was stronger, I know I sounded like a baby bird, fragile.

The grin dropped from John's face faster than I could blink, he stayed silent for a minute shifting his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Isn't it obvious Liv?" he asks, his voice so quiet I take a tiny step towards him so I can hear better.

My heart thudding in my chest. He sighs heavily dragging his long fingers through his already unruly hair. He never could leave it alone.

"You're my wife Liv, I've loved you since we were 16 years old. I didn't know how to get over that." He looks everywhere but at me, "I still don't know how."

His eyes meet mine and its like an electric shock to my system.

"Olivia, I..." John doesn't get to finish because just as he reaches for me, the staff door swings open and out stumbles Alex, the thumping sounds of the party inside spilling out into the too quiet night air.

Alex wasn't fully drunk but he was definitely on his way, his caramel coloured hair tousled adorably.

"Oh, sorry babe didn't mean to interrupt!" he apologizes with a sheepish grin, slinging an arm around my shoulders like its the most natural thing in the world. I instinctively snuggle into his side breathing in his comforting scent and slowing my pulse.

"Hey dude, you need a light?" Alex offers lighting his own cigarette with a plastic blue bic lighter before holding it out to John who accepts with a nod.

I send out a silent prayer that the ground will swallow me up before they realize who each other are, or maybe this is all a dream and I'll wake up in bed and today hasn't happened yet. I slyly pinch my arm, ouch, nope not dreaming.

Everyone stays silent for a few drags before Alex speaks up.

"Oh I'm Alex by the way," he announces, friendly as ever, "And I'm guessing you know that I'm the incredibly lucky guy that this gorgeous girl has agreed to marry!"he giggles clutching me close, startling a quiet laugh from me.

Oh shit. I know that twitch of John's eye. Oh no.

John takes Alex's outstretched hand and shakes it, "I'm John," he says never breaking eye contact with my fiancee. "John O'callaghan."

It takes Alex's booze flooded brain a second to compute before he drops Johns hand. "You're Liv's ex husband." He splutters, eyes wide as he looks John up (and up) and down.

John smirks and straightens to his full height. Crap crap crap.

"Actually, didn't Liv tell you? She's still my wife... Technically we're still legally married."

If this was a cartoon Alex's jaw would be on the floor. He spins to face me and I hold up my hands in defense.

"It's nothing to do with me! He's the one that lied and never signed the papers!!"

Alex glares and turns back to John who's already halfway down the street.

"I'll call you later Livvy." he calls over his shoulder before dissapearing around the corner.

"Alex..." I try, my voice soft and pleading. He flinches away from my hand as I place it on his shoulder.

"Don't Liv, just.... Lets go back inside and figure this out tomorrow." I nod feeling dejected as he pushes open the staff door and lets me through first. The party's still banging and even though I spend the rest of the night at Alex's side, the few inches between up feels like a valley and my hearts somewhere at the bottom.