A/N: 22.10.2023
Hello HOMIES I MISSED YOU. I HAVE DIED BUT BEEN RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD. I apologize for the super long hiatus. I've been under the radar for these past few weeks, but I'm finally back with a new update!! Enjoy this one, loves.
Q/A: What's your favorite book trope at the moment?
Lately I've been super into Bodyguard x CEO, Younger Top x Older Bottom and of course the classic haters to lovers x)
Also, if you would like access to early updates and uncensored chapters of The Writer's Assistant, you can join my Patreon! The link is in my Wattpad bio. The chapter numbers aren't the same as the ones on Wattpad, but we're currently 7 chapters ahead :)
I know not everyone can afford to support me on Patreon, but updates will be arriving soon on Wattpad!!
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I woke up with the worst cramp the next morning. The first text I received was from my best friend, Jack.
Jack: Are you still alive?
I considered blocking him. When I stood up, I yelped from the jolt of pain that shot up my spine. How was I going to get Oliver to the beach in this state?! My phone buzzed, and I picked up.
"I'm burning that cursed box," I hissed at him.
"Box? What box?"
I looked at the screen and realized it was Camilia.
"Oh, sorry. Good morning, Camilia. I thought you were someone else," I apologized.
"What's in the box that makes you want to burn it?" she chuckled.
I bit my lower lip. "Just... toys."
"Toys?"
"Yes, like dolls and all sorts," I rambled.
"Oh, I have a little cousin who loves toys! If you plan to throw them away, maybe I can ask if he wants them?"
"No!" I blurted, followed by an awkward pause. "They're old and dirty. I think it's best if you buy new ones."
I didn't want her to insist, so I quickly added, "I think they're cursed."
"Alright," she said with a strange laugh. "Anyway, I'm calling because I just wanted to let you know I'm almost done preparing for this afternoon. I contacted Zack and Oliver's old military friends, and we'll be at the beach early to prepare the barbecue and tables. Did you ask Oliver to meet up today?"
"Ye-"
"Hey babe, you awake?" Oliver said, stepping out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. I quickly let out a loud cough.
"Oh, um, Oliver? Yeah, I contacted him," I spoke into the phone, giving Oliver signals to go away. He ignored me and kissed me on the head. I pushed him away, pressing my hand against his damp skin and trying not to enjoy how hard and nice his muscles felt. Before Camilia could speak, I interrupted her and pretended as if she was someone else. "Great! Thanks so much for letting me know. I don't mind if the package arrives late, just leave it at my door. Alright, sir, goodbye!" I immediately hung up and turned off my screen before he could catch a glimpse her name.
"Who was it?" Oliver asked curiously.
"The delivery man."
"What did he say?"
"That he has a delivery... to deliver. You know, because he's the delivery man." I was drowning myself in my own words. "He said my package would arrive this afternoon, but I won't be home. We're going to the beach, remember?"
"We can go tomorrow," he suggested.
"No!" I roared, and he blinked in surprise. I ripped myself out of his arms and scrambled to the other side of the bed, pretending to busy myself by looking for clothes to wear. The truth was, I was a terrible liar. I couldn't maintain eye contact without feeling like I was being interrogated with headlights pointed at my face.
"I didn't know you were so passionate about the beach," he said from behind.
"I'm going to shower," I blurted.
"How do you feel?"
I gave him a thumbs-up before dashing to the bathroom, almost tripping on my way.
***
We were on our way to the beach. Oliver was driving, and I kept glancing at my phone to make sure we would be there on time. When we arrived at the parking lot, I turned to Oliver.
"I need to blindfold you," I stated. It took Oliver a moment to process my words.
"You're getting rather adventurous," he noted, but he didn't seem to hate the idea. "Blindfold me."
I wrapped the thin fabric around his eyes and tied a knot behind his head. I waved my hand in front of his face to make sure he couldn't see me and then pretended like I was about to punch him to see if he flinched.
"Can you see?"
"Nothing but pitch darkness. It's as dark as-"
"Voldemort's butthole?" I guessed.
Oliver grinned. "You know me so well."
I helped Oliver out of the car and held his hand, guiding him forward.
"You're not going to push me into a ditch and run away, are you?" he asked.
"Of course not!" I exclaimed.
I looked down at the beach and saw Camilia and a group of intimidating looking men unpack things from the ice boxes beside her. Without the pink balloons, they could easily have been mistaken for soldiers preparing to establish a camp on a military base. Camilia saw me, and a wide smile spread across her face. She jumped and waved at me, and I gave her a thumbs-up.
"Careful, there are stairs," I told Oliver.
We held hands as we walked down the stairs together, with me taking the lead, a step ahead of him. When we reached the shore, I untied the knot, and everyone raised their hands and cheered:
"Congratulations Oliver!" they exclaimed, shooting confetti. Oliver blinked in surprise at the "congratulations, it's a girl!" balloons. He turned to me.
"You're pregnant?" he asked.
"Sorry, we only had balloons," chuckled Camilia. "There were no "congratulations for getting out of your writer's block" so we settled for the closest thing."
The group of men came up to Oliver and saluted him.
"Congratulations, Officer Oliver!" they shouted in harmony.
"Come here," Oliver chuckled, grabbing them and tousling their hair. Everyone laughed and looked eager to talk with Oliver. You could tell he was close with the group of men, but they also had much respect for him.
"A little help?" a voice pierced the air, and we turned around. Oliver's eyes widened when he saw someone in a wheelchair waving at him. The man slanted his head with a small smile. "My wheelchair isn't built to move over sand."
Without exchanging a word, three guys rushed over to him. Zack scooped him up like a kid, and two others worked on folding the wheelchair. Their team coordination was perfect.
"You lost some weight, Sean," Zack said. My eyes widened in surprise. So he was Sean, the one who took the fall during the military training?
"Don't look at me with those eyes of pity; I didn't miss any of you," Sean chuckled lightheartedly.
"What happened after you were released?" one of the guys asked.
"I became a lawyer," Sean replied.
"I always knew you were smart. You beat me at chess all the time," Zack sighed.
"I didn't beat you. You got frustrated midway and tossed the chess," he informed him.
Everyone laughed, and they were happy to see him.
"But enough about me, today is Oliver's big day," Sean said.
Oliver turned to me.
"Did you organize all this?" Oliver asked.
"It was Camilia's idea. I was just her assistant," I smiled sheepishly.
He was about to kiss me until Malcolm came up and slapped me hard on the shoulder.
"Dan, you haven't introduced me to your boss," he grinned. I glanced at Oliver and saw the deadly gaze despite the polite smile.
"It's nice to meet you. Thank you for taking care of Daniel," Oliver said.
"The pleasure is all mine."
"Daniel, can you help me unload the food?" Camilia said.
I didn't want to leave them alone and looked at Oliver.
Behave, okay? I said with my eyes.
I left and trusted Malcolm with Oliver while I went to help Camilia display the food on the table. It hadn't even been fifteen minutes, and we heard laughter and splashes echoing across the water. I looked over my shoulder and saw that a chicken fight erupted. It was the strangest sight I had ever - to see grown men sitting on another man's shoulders and tackling their opponents. But it wasn't your average chicken fight. They were knocking each other down, slamming and shoving them into the water. My lips parted in surprise. I wasn't sure if they were having fun or trying to kill each other. Sean was on Zack's shoulders, shouting out the scores.
"Should we stop them?" I asked nervously.
"They'll be fine," Camilia shrugged.
I watched as Oliver and Malcolm engaged in combat. They locked arms, wrestling while the people holding them struggled to keep their balance. Oliver gasped.
"Look, a bird!" he exclaimed, pointing behind Malcolm. Malcolm whipped his head back, and Oliver used his distraction to his advantage, giving Malcolm a well-timed shove. Both Malcolm and his support partner stumbled in surprise, their balance wavering before plummeting into the water with a splash. I pressed my lips together. I didn't know what was worse; Oliver pulling such a petty lie or Malcolm actually believing him.
It didn't take long for Malcolm to submerge from the water and bodyslam the man holding Oliver, taking them both down.
"They're just a bunch of kids," Camilia sighed, and I smiled. But I noticed that one of the guys hadn't joined the others, so I went up to him.
"Hi," I smiled. "Don't you want to join them?"
"No, not really," he chuckled sheepishly.
"You should," I gently suggested. "You might break a bone, and Oliver might drown you, but it looks like they're having fun."
"I don't think any of them would want to play with me anyway."
I frowned. "If you want, we can team together," I suggested.
"I wouldn't want that for you."
Maybe he couldn't swim. I didn't want him to be alone, so I suggested, "Do you want to help me start the fire?"
"Sure," he agreed. The man scattered a bag of charcoal into the pit, and I poured oil over it.
"I was actually surprised when I received the invitation," he admitted, breaking the silence. "I haven't seen these guys since we were in the same unit." He looked over at them, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "They're the same as ever. I'm glad Oliver pursued his dream of becoming an author. He's been quite successful, hasn't he?"
"He has," I beamed. "His fans will be super happy when they read his upcoming book. I haven't read it yet, but that's because I asked Oliver not to give me any spoilers. I want to read it when it comes out." I paused. "He struggled a lot with writer's block, but I'm really proud of him."
The man turned toward me and studied my face.
"You must be really close with Oliver," he murmured.
"Oh, I'm just his assistant," I chuckled sheepishly.
"Really? Earlier, I thought he was about to kiss you," he smiled. I stiffened.
"Oh, uh, really? I'm pretty sure he wasn't."
He definitely was.
"And you guys arrived holding hands," he added.
Why was he pointing out all these details?
"He was blindfolded. I didn't want him to get hurt," I murmured, trying to busy myself by looking for the lighter.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he apologized.
"No, it's fine. Oliver and I are colleagues," I clarified. "There's really nothing going on between us."
"Here, you can use my lighter," the man said, handing me his. I was about to take it until he came a little too close to me. "You have some ash on your cheek. Let me get that for you."
He reached out to wipe it away until someone caught his wrist.
"Am I missing out on any fun?" Oliver asked lightly, but he seemed far from amused.
"Your assistant had some ash on his face," the man explained before looking down at his hand. "Your grip is a bit tight. Mind loosening it a bit?"
"My bad," Oliver said, but he didn't sound apologetic. He swiped his thumb over my cheek to remove whatever was on it, his touch much gentler than the tone he used with the man. "I'll help Daniel with the fire. Why don't you go see if Camilia needs help?"
"I'll go see if she needs help. It was nice to meet you, Daniel. And congratulations on your book, Oliver. I'm happy for you."
Oliver offered a smile. "If only that were true."
The man pursed his lips but quickly put on a smile. When he left and was out of earshot, I narrowed my eyes at Oliver.
"Oliver, what was that for? You didn't have to be rude."
"I don't want you around him," Oliver stated.
"Seriously?" I whispered angrily. "Just because we're in a relationship doesn't mean you can be controlling."
"I made an effort to be friends with your personal trainer."
"You pushed him into the water."
"See? Effort."
I rolled my eyes, but I noticed how Oliver had been nice to Malcolm and included him in his friend group even if Malcolm didn't attend the military with him. So why was he so cold and tense when I was with the other man? Weren't they friends?
Oliver came a little closer. Unlike with the other man, I didn't feel uncomfortable by the proximity.
"I won't stop you from being friends with other people, but not with him," he murmured.
"Why not?"
"I don't trust him."
I frowned. "Aren't you two friends?"
"No," he laughed bitterly, his tone catching me by surprise. "I don't consider anyone who tries to sabotage others as my friend."
"What do you mean?"
"He's the reason why Sean is in a wheelchair," Oliver said. "The man you spoke with is Ethan Schmol."
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A/N: Do you prefer books with red flag love protagonists or green flag love protagonists?
Also, are you doing anything for Halloween this year?
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Mark your calendars because the next update will uploaded on October 28th (Saturday)!!!