From his marked up face, Marissa’s found out. The question now is how. “When did Marissa find out, Cody?” I ask and take a drink myself.
“Today. Around lunch. I went over there to try and explain, but she wouldn’t listen. She’s crazy.”
Now I’m pissed. “Of course she’s crazy, Cody. You slept with someone else. You’re her fiancé, you don’t sleep with other people!” My voice gets higher with each word.
“It was one time. One time! She’s called off the wedding. Do you know how much we’ll lose in deposits? I’ll have to explain to my family why I’m not getting married!” He’s quick to move from anguish to rage with his words.
“That’s what you’re concerned about? Your deposit money? What about the fact you’ve ripped out the heart of your fiancée? What the fuck were you thinking?” I can’t believe he has the audacity to be mad at Marissa. I would have never expected this from him. Cody always seemed devoted. We all thought Marissa had found the perfect man. My heart squeezes in hurt for my best friend with every word Cody speaks.
Cody finishes off his glass and starts to pour another. “I wasn’t thinking. I told you, I was drunk.”
Okay, I lied. I was only heavily maddened before. Now I’m past that and have moved on to irate. “That doesn’t excuse anything, you fuckwad. Why even put yourself in that position?"
“It’s not my fault. She hit on me!” Cody is yelling now and it only makes me raise my own voice to match his.
“It’s not an excuse you, asshole!”
My short tumbler smashes against the wall next to Cody’s head. Pieces fly back at us and fall to the ground as the vodka soaks into the paint, discoloring it. He doesn’t even flinch, but I do as my door is thrown open. The handle bangs against the wall, shaking my freshly hung pictures.
“What the fuck is going on?” Finn’s voice ricochets through my small apartment as he takes in the scene. “Did he hurt you, Aspen?”
He’s at my side and even as my head shakes no, I start to sob. I need to get to Marissa.
“Pen, I’m so sorry. I fucked up. I’m so sorry. You have to help me.” Cody sounds as if he’s started to cry as well. “I have to fix this.”
“You can’t fix this. No one can fix this.” I force the words out between sobs.
“This is bullshit, Pen. It wasn’t my fault!” Cody is heated again.
As fast as he was there Finn is gone. He’s across the room and has Cody halfway out the door before I can protest. Not that I plan to. “I don’t know who you are, but you need to go.”
A tense Finn leads Cody into the hallway and I start a call to Marissa. I need to keep busy, so between checking my phone and wiping tears, I begin to clean up the mess from my broken glass. Three calls and five text messages later, Finn returns to the apartment alone, but I still haven’t heard from Marissa. She has to be a wreck.
“Hey, don’t worry about the glass right now. You’ll cut yourself. Are you okay?” Finn takes the large shards from my hand and walks them to the trash under the sink. “What was that all about?”
The sound of the fragments hitting the bottom of the can causes me to cry harder. There isn’t anything I can do for Marissa in my apartment. I need to find her.
“I’m fine. Cody was Marissa’s fiancé. The wedding is off. I have to help her, Finn.”
“Okay, calm down. We’ll find her, Aspen.” Finn walks back to me. He tries to catch me in a hug, but I evade him and move to the side.
“No, I can’t be calm. I have to find her. Right now.” I head to my purse by the front door and wait for him to catch up.
He doesn’t. Finn continues to stand in my kitchen slowing me down. “I’ll call Jake and he can take us where we need to go."
I’m sure any other time Finn’s desire to help me would be sweet, but right now he’s in my way. “I don’t have time to wait for Jake. I need to go now.” Doesn’t he understand how important this is?
“Okay, at least let me call you a cab.” It’s an offer I accept, and as we wait by the door for the cab to arrive, I cry on Finn's shoulder more. He doesn’t ask me to explain anything or try to stop me from taking a cab to Oakland on my own. He holds his arms around me as I rock against him. My face rubs against the smooth cotton of his white t-shirt and for some reason it’s an added comfort. I couldn’t be more grateful for him.
Using the spare emergency key I’ve had for less than three weeks, I let myself into Marissa’s apartment. I move through the dark flipping on lights as I go. In the bedroom Marissa is sprawled out on her bed staring at the ceiling. She doesn’t comment as I walk farther in the room, but her eyes tell the story of her recent crying jag.
The fight may have been worse than Cody made it out to be. The living room has a trail of dirt from a toppled plant by the couch. Broken dishes fill half the sink and men’s clothing is piled on the bedroom floor to complete the aftermath of destruction. More than just a relationship was lost tonight.
“I’m going to burn those.” Marissa points to the discarded suits a few feet from her bed and her tears start again.
I’ve never had a friend get cheated on, let alone have to call off a wedding four months before it’s supposed to take place. I do the one thing I can think of to help her in this situation.
I get two pints of ice cream and some alcohol. Then I get Marissa drunk.
