Claudette answer your phone.
This isn’t funny!
CALL ME.
Mike won’t answer either. What the hell is going on?
“Why is Jack calling me so much?” I asked, looking up at Michael. “Did something happen?”
“He doesn’t know.”
“Doesn’t know what?”
“About us. About the wedding.”
The words took a second to land. “What?”
“We got married yesterday. Jack doesn’t know yet.”
I just looked at him. Waiting for the punchline. For him to say he was kidding.
He didn’t.
“Wait. Wait. You’re serious? How—” I started pacing. I had to move or I was going to scream. “How does he not know?”
Jack who had always warned me to stay away from his best friend, that he was a player who would break my heart, and now I was married to the same Michael? Without his knowledge?
“Because we haven’t told him yet. It just happened,” Michael started to say when my phone started buzzing again. Jack’s name lighting up the screen.
We both looked at it.
“This is a disaster,” I whispered, dizziness creeping back in.
“Take a deep breath, Claudie,” he said. “I married you because I love you. And because last night, you wanted to do things you’ve never done before, because you…” he hesitated for a while. “You were going through things. And I confessed and proposed at the same time.”
He said a lot of words, but only three words stayed with me. “You… love me?” I asked, bewildered.
“For years.”
We looked at each other, and he excused himself. Probably to give me time to go over everything.
My phone buzzed again with another text from my brother saying he’s coming over.
“Jack’s coming. He said…” I trailed off.
“Good. Let him come.” Michael looked weirdly determined.
An hour and half later, there was a knock on the door.
“Oh my God, oh my God…” I said.
“Relax,” Michael said. “It’s not Jack yet.” He smiled at me and let in a man carrying a medical bag. He was older, maybe late fifties.
“Claudette,” he said, and something about his voice tugged at a memory I couldn’t reach. Like I should know him.
“Do I know you?” I asked.
“We’ve met before,” he said, his tone was careful. “I’m Dr. Rivera.”
