Surfacing for air but finding my lips instead, and perhaps reading my thoughts, James gasped: Oliver, Im yours. Because that was also true. All day, all week. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. "This is the tragedy, they let you think it will be a happy ending until the very last minute" I paraphrased. And you do? The bathroom scene when Oliver tells James it wasnt a one-night stand with Meredith bc shes not just some girl and . His hand, which had been holding onto my shoulder, started stroking my skin right there, and he slowly cracked his eyes open, blinking away the sleep and the dried tears in them, and taking my face in. We have provided additional context below. It was night, much past any reasonable bedtime and, if the house was occupied, I wanted to make sure that whoever was inside would hear me, even if they were sleeping. Honestly when I read about Jameses last visit it already had suicide connotations and his death reveal did not surprise me. Wash me from shore to shore, and left me breath. (LogOut/ . I only nodded, embarrassed by how right he was. I wanted to cry. Published: 2017. Like, the scene where Oliver realizes Wren and James probably like each other and something clenched uncomfortably in his chest ??? Although those relationships are integral and all-consuming through the novel, you would be remiss to ignore the other layered relationships between the characters, which makes If We Were Villains dynamic and addictive. have not finished reading If We Were Villains, we respectfully suggest that you consider waiting before reviewing this guide. "Summer Thrillers: Daring Escapes and Other Acts of Derring-Do", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_We_Were_Villains&oldid=1141467345, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 05:52. First line: "The time: September 1997, my fourth and final year at Dellecher Classical Conservatory." Macbeth had gone entirely fine, more than fine, if you'd asked him. I mean, that the moment I think Im remotely over what happened, you are released. James was all there was; the whole fucking universe and every rhyme ever written. Youre blaming me? Rio. Not now., More like slowly walking across an undefined and dark space to you, It is based off the Pentatonix song because Ive associated that with Jolives. Free from whatever reasons they thought they couldnt be together. No body found. I pulled our hands to my lips and kissed them. James then grabbed the nearest item the boat hook and hit him with it. The book was layed out similar to a script, split into sections with each section being an act in a five-act drama. No, I dont think so. I was an actor, a criminal, a friend; I was many, many things but none of those mattered because, first and foremost, I was his. As if sensing my brain fume with concerns for the uncertain future, James began to shift on top of me, his head slowly rolling sideways on my chest to look up at me. I had already decided it would be easier on everyone if I just disappeared., Yeah, I thought about that, too. as well as I brought both my arms around him, and a single pull was enough to have him losing all strength and falling on top of me, sobbing. The two tentatively resume their relationship. Sure, they're utter trainwrecks who would be unendurable in real . I don't believe he would've been cruel enough to give Oliver fruitless hope, because I believe they genuinely loved each other. And then, the second I got your note, the second I figured it all out, I came here. We were drawn to each other like . My hands were steadier than I had anticipated they would be, but maybe it was just so cold outside that I couldnt quite distinguish whether it was my body responding to the weather, or just nerves. When Oliver returns to Dellecher, he cleans the Castle as part of his new custodial duties, overhearing a visit from Detective Colborne and his partner, during which Colborne admits that, despite the official ruling, he does not believe Richard's death to be an accident. That was the story I had spent the better part of a month swimming in, myself. I believe that in the end, Oliver will never find peace, regardless if James survived or not. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it.A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. Leave kudos and a comment if you enjoy it!! Just to stay alive. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading If We Were Villains: The sensational TikTok Book Club pick. Oliver confronts James during the intermission of Lear, and James reluctantly confesses. "Are we Richard tonight or are we Dick?" "Ignore him, Oliver," James said. In the very first scene, Oliver says, "We did wicked things, but they were necessary, . I closed my eyes and felt him shuddering against me, his whole body shaking in growing intensity. February Ficlet Challenge 2023- Day 1- WavesOliver going to look for James after the end of IWWV.Title is part of the Pericles quote James leaves for Oliver. He becomes jealous and realizes that he is romantically attracted to James. See a recent post on Tumblr from @ilovehimstill about iwwv. Second, I never shipped James and Oliver!! Please consider turning it on! Rio. To protect you, to have you. None of the others would have appeased my unsettled thoughts; and why should they? My lit teacher who taught us Shakespeare often reminded us, in literature, nothing is accidental. He didnt dare attempt to find James, worrying what else may befall his troubled mind if his eyes crept their way along James face once again that night. Afterwards, Oliver discovers a bloodstained piece of fabric in the fireplace and hides it among some discarded sets in the Fine Arts Building. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle's Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, "A well-written and gripping ode to the stage . Well, Oliver, what in our godforsaken lives has ever made sense? Thats not why Richard is dead. I whispered. Ugh thank you for this, I didnt see that connection til now, I have to say I liked this ending better than The Secret Histories ending. Look, I never thought she was my biggest fan, okay? Because you went to jail to keep me out of it, and I still got hurt.. Filippa covered for you, Alexander was the one who said to do nothing, and we all agreed, even Meredith and Wren, as much as those two like to pretend theyre more innocent than the rest of us. The novel drew mixed reviews. Would that fit his character? I gave a pause, before looking down and saying: Another quiet wall fell between us. James Farrow Needs A Hug; James and Oliver Deserved Better; Bittersweet; We desperately need a sequel to this gorgeous book; James and Oliver are so in love I can't; Summary. [3] On Goodreads, it has an average rating of 4.2 stars out of five. I told you this, a long time ago. Trying to balance my newfound comfort within Merediths presence and the feeling of chocking that grasped my lungs every time I attempted to breath. Because maybe we didnt understand ourselves, yet, but we sure as hell understood each other.. You wanted to help him, but I told you to let be, do you remember that? I felt sorry for her being always the one left behind, but I couldnt give her what she deserved. James poured us two mugs and gestured for me to sit at the small kitchen table. That you went in my place, that you got taken away from me, and it was my fault., James, I shook my head. See a recent post on Tumblr from @secrethistoryfan about if we were villains. tip: buffy gen teen AND "no archive warnings apply". As a friend, and something else I cant quite name, I repeated. When you spend most of your life in theater, lost in the words of a man who felt and wrote so deeply at every turn of a page, and you go through the sort of experiences that I had gone through, you come out the other side expecting a moment like this to be held with fireworks playing in the background, lullabied by a classic orchestra, and the perfect game of lights to shine on every feature, every blink of the eye. Rio. Oliver Marks. Why did you do it? I blurted out. We sipped our coffees in silence for maybe another minute before it all got too much for me, and the relief of seeing him was washed away by the questions flooding my brain. Now i can finally sleep. IMO, it ties into the bird imagery. Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jake Scheier, and Kevin Feige on stage at D23. It has always been about that, even when we didnt know it was.. Dont get me wrong. Somewhere. I breathed in three times, before moving closer toward the door. Filippa sends Oliver James' suicide note, which James had addressed to him. 27 Feb 2023 03:01:03 His body never located, only his car and the two letters he wrote. Dont say it like that, James, you dont know what she was thinking. I said, maybe sounding more defensive of Meredith than James would have liked me to. The inseparable duo. Even if she eventually went through with it, and confessed it all the same, even if everything ended just as it did; I had hoped she would at least hesitate before giving us all up. His right hand let go of mine and reached for the back of my head, fingertips traveling through my scalp where my skull met my neck, pulling me into him. If We Were Villains is the debut novel of American author M. L. Rio first published in 2017. I stood before the rusted door, salt air filling up my lungs as the cold breeze ruffled my hair. editing this to add that this is what I clearly and personally WANT to be true, but I'm also not sure it makes complete sense knowing how the guilt would have genuinely eaten up at James etcso either 1) he is alive and kept living to wait for Oliver and Oliver alone, or 2) he's dead, idk why he left that hint, it makes sense that he's dead, my heart is broken obviously, but I still dk why he'd leave that passage. 10 years after he was sent to prison for murder, Oliver Marks is finally ready to tell the truth about what really happened on that night, and the time leading up to his arrest. Oliver, I thought they would tell you right away, I thought they would give you the note right away. And she didnt speak to me for a decade because of that, not until I got out and knocked at her door.. So that was it, for a while. I fell silent, not sure I had a good enough argument to fight that. Rio that read. To leave behind hope? It would have only tortured Oliver with false hope, and . In the only way that made sense for a method actor who played his role with such reality, such truth. I almost frowned, not quite understanding his surprise. I see. He looked down at our tangled hands, and I could see it in his eyes trying to make sense of my feelings. When the door is obviously answered by said death-faker (because obviously), the dramatic love birds have to sort a few things out before they can actually get together. You went to jail and every single friend Id ever had knew that I was to blame for it. Instead, Oliver goes to visit Meredith, now a television actress living in Chicago. . All seven of us. They stop and they look. And you werent yourself., Stop saying that like I dont know it! Plus, Filippa gave him the letter. What I did, James tried correcting me, but I wouldnt have it. Alexander remembers what it felt like - the horror of it all. Dont make it about that., Im not making anything into anything. Oliver returns home for Thanksgiving and learns his parents will not be paying for his final semester, though the school agrees to let him work part-time as a custodian to alleviate his tuition expenses. Online, everywhere. Richard was off the rails, James, and it had nothing to do with anyone but himself. Rio; Relationship: James Farrow/Oliver Marks; Characters: . his girlfriend. So, Im sorry, but disappearing was easier than coming back to see you in that place every few months.. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Where last nights kiss had been full of sorrow and pain, this one was nothing but fire. However, Ive been asking myself why fake his death, then? But I really like this idea. Regret it? He asked, in a small voice. Oliver and James have entire conversations using lines memorized from the countless plays they have . My take is this: James was deliberate. She leads the group to the lake, where they find Richard with his skull broken. That is until Filippa sends Oliver James suicide note which references a scene in Shakespeare where a character fakes her own death to live away from the rest of the world. Just to breathe. Oliver is assigned the part of Banquo and is surprised to see James, rather than Richard, appear as Macbeth on Halloween night. Biting his tongue, Alexander tried to swallow the rising feeling of worry for the other. On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. The last and only kiss we had ever shared had been a fleeting thing, almost unnoticeable, and how it felt had been lost in my brain amongst everything else that happened that night. James searched for him by the lake, only to realize Richard had been following him the whole time. The unsaid, unwritten, unspoken; but spoken to me, in a language only we spoke, written to me in invisible letters only I could see. It was absurd, really, that it had taken us so long to realize that. Meredith was scared, and a bit drunk. But I am saying you also cant blame her for what she did when she found out. But even in those last few months, even when I knew we didnt like each other very much, I liked to believe that there was still some friendship left, some residual love that would have made her think twice. These characters speak Shakespeare like a language in its own right, with double meanings layered into every sentence. Better than ever, he whispered, closing his eyes; peaceful. Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. I was getting nervous again. A fleeting thought of Meredith ran through my head, but only for a second. Do you think he loves them in the . . Oliver and his classmates James, Richard, Alexander, Wren, Filippa and Meredith immerse themselves into the world of Shakespearean tragedy, and as they do their lives turn into a tragedy in ways they could never have foreseen. So how is fake dying going to help with his guilt, if anything that makes his life harder with all the new hiding and secrecy and isolation which is a perfect habitat to stir negative soul consuming emotions. His eyes, still cloudy with sleep, widened as he took in the sight of me, standing at his doorstep. And since the subtext is "wait for me or come find me" that does not mean he means it in this life or world. And just as my nose had always remained slightly crooked to the side, the loss of James hadnt healed yet. I let go of my own and bent forward, placing my own hand on top of his, squeezing it and tangling our fingers together. And what will happen to them now?.. However, the situation changes at the annual Halloween performance, a select few scenes from Macbeth fourth year students traditionally perform each year. And maybe Im even crazier for loving you so much.. If We Were Villains <br> by M.L. James and Oliver. "Oliver", James whispered, no more than a breath out of his lips; relief, pain, and surprise all mingled together. Words: Jonathan Wells. He had his hands resting on top of the table, his coffee mug long forgotten to the side. Since I couldnt count on the others to help me, I went by myself. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. So, there I was, standing in front of said cottage, on the beach where he had, allegedly, drowned to death. I moved. 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