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It doesn’t matter.Out of nowhere, that thought came to mind. Her life—and what was happening in it—didn’t matter to me. At all. Get married, don’t get married; it didn’t matter.
When in the hell had this happened?
I wanted the best for her, but her relationships no longer mattered to me.
“So what are you going to do?” I asked, feeling relieved that my responsibility was over and also that—holy shit—I was apparently finally over her.
She sighed but didn’t sound too worried. “What I should’ve done all along. I’m going to go over to G’s and talk to him.”
“Good,” I said, so fucking glad this was no longer on my plate.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” I answered, just wanting to get out of there now that I was done. “What is it?”
“Why did you text me and then meet up with me when you could’ve just said, ‘Not my problem,’ and moved on? I mean, we haven’t talked in years.”
I have no idea,I thought, but before I could say the words, I realized that yes, I did know.
“Because I’ll always care about you, Lil, regardless of whether we’re in each other’s lives.”
—
The second I left the bar, I dropped my truck home and quickly changed. Then I stopped at Cenex for champagne and Ted & Wally’s for ice cream, and I picked up a bouquet of assorted summer flowers from the corner vendor.
Time to celebrate.
I nearly sprinted to her building, and when I got to the lobby, I buzzed her apartment.
“What?” Rose responded, her voice booming through the airy foyer.
Of courseI’d get Rose.
“It’s Max, here to see Sophie.”
“She doesn’t want to see you, Julian,” the woman yelled, sounding like her entire mouth was on the speaker. “Go away.”
“Will you please tell her I have ice cream?” I said, wondering if Soph had actually said that she didn’t want to see me.
I knew she was irritated with me for backing out, but I also knew she’d forgive me when I told her where I’d been and about my breakthrough.
“She doesn’t care,” Rose said, but she buzzed me in. I pulled open the door, confused, but then I heard her squawk, “Damn it, Larry, did you buzz him in?”
God bless you, Larry.
I jumped into the open elevator and banged on the button, eager to get up there and right things with us. It was bad enough that I had these big feelings for her when she wanted nothing from me, so the last thing I wanted was for our friendship to be on uneven footing as well.
When I got to her door and knocked, Rose jerked it open.
“You don’t want to talk to her right now, Jules,” she said quietly. “Trust me.”
“Max?” Larry walked into the living room, looking at me with eyebrows in his hairline as he said in disbelief, “Did you fucking warn the bride, you little asshole?”
Well, that news traveled fast.“Where did you hearthat?”
“Because the bride called off the wedding after an ‘old friend’ told her to.”
Fuuuuuck.“Larry, is Sophie—”
