Ugh, this conversation is going just like I thought it would–badly.But I know Gabriel is ear hustling in the bathroom, and I’ve got to try.He can’t think he’s married to a completely spineless woman.
“Megan, wait—I got married.”
“To the gangster?”she asks, emotionless.
Immediately, I feel defensive of him.“That’s a very cliché way to describe Gabriel.”
“I’m just going off whatyoutold me about him.You swore up and down that you’d never marry him, that your father was forcing you into it, and now you’re saying youchoseto go through with it?”
I exhale heavily.“He cares about me.”
“So?”
“And…” I hesitate.“I care about him, too.I mean, when I think back on it, Gabriel’s the only person who’s ever reallylistenedto me, the only one who’s protected me.Even my own family never cared what I wanted.”
“I thought Gabriel didn’t want to marry you either.”
“He… changed his mind.”
“Or maybe he didn’t have a choice.”
I sigh.Megan doesn’t get it, but why should she?The situation is complicated.
“Gabriel has different views about hisfamily obligationsthan I do.He wants to rebuild his family’s reputation, and I… I’m supporting him in that.”
“Let me get this straight,” she says, her tone sharp.“You hated him.You resented your father for forcing this arrangement.And now,out of nowhere,you’re suddenly all in on supporting hismission?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“No, I don’t understand.Because the woman I knew, the friend I thought I had, would have never let herself be manipulated like this.”
“I was pretending to be someone else back then.”
“Or maybe you’re pretending to be someone else now.”
There’s a long, heavy silence between us.
I’m doing everything I can to hold back the tears.I don’t want to become an emotional mess on this call.That wouldn’t be fair to her when she’s the injured party.
“I don’t expect you to understand everything today, Megan,” I say.“I just wanted to apologize again and tell you my news.”
“After all this time?Aftereverything?”She lets out a dry laugh.“So what, you’ve had some kind of epiphany that you suddenly want to mend fences?Nowyou want to fix our so-called friendship?”
“I never stopped wanting to fix it.”
“Oh yeah?Then how come this is the first time I’ve heard from you in months?You called me about your weird-ass mafia wedding, but you never once picked up the phone to ask about my son.”
I inhale sharply.“I… I didn’t think I had the right to.”
“You don’t.”
I’m almost at a complete loss for words.
“You truly hate me, don’t you?”I whisper, fighting back the tears.
She doesn’t answer, which tells me a lot about the state of our friendship.
“I’ll say one final thing before I let you go, Megan.I need you to remember that you’re not the only one who comes from a fucked-up family.”
