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“We’ve been together for so long,” she continues. “I actually thought that we were going to be together for the rest of our lives.”
My fists clench in my lap at the thought of Michael doing anything to hurt her. “I thought you would too.”
I’d already come to terms with losing her to him and standing on the sidelines of her life because I knew that she was happy. He could make her happy in a way that I couldn’t. But now that I know he didn't even appreciate the intelligent, funny, and fucking beautiful woman sitting next to me, I could easily find myself using him as a punching bag to work out all my frustrations with this situation.
“Did you know?” she asks, blinking once to break her trance on the couple and turning her entire focus on me.
“No.” I shake my head. “Not until he called me last night and told me everything. That’s why I came looking for you.”
She studies my face, searching for any sign that I might not be telling her the truth. I’m not hurt that she is doubtful. Michael destroyed her trust with as little disregard as someone stepping on an ant hill. If she needs me to be the person to show her that not all men are like that, I will be that man for her.
“I think a part of me knew. Not consciously, but there was some sort of alarm going off inside me. Especially last night.”
“He’s a complete moron,” I say, finally getting to tell her what I've wanted to say for so long. "I love my brother, but he never deserved a woman like you.”
Bridget’s eyes soften as the corners of her mouth tip up into the beautiful smile I see every time I close my eyes and think of her.
“You have to say that.” She nudges me with her shoulder. “You’re my friend.”
The word strikes me like a punch to the gut.
“Yeah.” I sigh. “Afriend.”
3
BRIDGET
Jordan doesn’t say much after my admission of Michael’s infidelity.
I figured he might have known, but I knew better to think that he would have kept a secret like that from me. He and Michael were never really close, despite my attempts to bring them together. But their relationship went from brothers who tolerated each other to more like acquaintances after Jordan transferred colleges.
I still think about the night Jordan found out that Michael and I were together. I’d long given up the hope that Jordan would ever take any interest in me. My crush on him that began with our time during The Music Man ended when Michael started to pursue me. But when Michael and I walked Jordan back to his dorm, I’ll never forget the words that he said to me before he drifted off to sleep.
“I’ll always love you.”
I wanted so much to ask him what he meant. Was it a platonic love like you’re my best friend type of thing? Or did he really have romantic feelings for me? I never did get an answer. He passed out as soon as the words left his lips, and then he proceeded to transfer schools not long after.
“Mr. Prescott?” An exhausted male doctor calls out.
I can only imagine what he’s had to deal with working the night shift, so we do what we can to keep our conversation short and sweet—starting off with how Jordan has very few memories from last night.
“You don’t remember what happened?” he asks, looking closer at Jordan.
"Just bits and pieces," he says. "But when I woke up, I was sore as hell, and I found this hospital bracelet on my wrist.”
"Well, that’s to be expected when you’ve been hit by a cab.”
“What?” Jordan and I both say in unison.
The doctor looks at me and then at Jordan. “Is this the girl?”
“I, uh,” Jordan starts to say, unsure of how to answer. “Yeah?”
“What did he say about me?” I ask, stepping forward.
Now it was the doctor's turn to look at a loss for words. "He just mentioned that he was following after some drunk crazy girl when he crossed the street without looking, and that's when the cab hit him."
“Crazy girl?” I turn to Jordan. “So you think I’m crazy?”
