Page 12 of It's Complicated

“The pact was never about one of us getting Lori.”

“What was it about, then?”

“All that crap you fed me when you made me swear never to sleep with her, or kiss her, or even look at her as if she were a woman. In your words, how our friendship was too good to risk for a horizontal hula.”

“Man, that was what? Fifteen years ago? We were just a couple of dumb college kids. Of course, one of us would’ve ruined it with her. We’re all adults now.”

“And you won’t ruin it now?”

“I don’t plan on it.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re what? What? You’re going to marry Lori? You? The guy who can’t stay in a relationship more than a few weeks?”

For the first time, I suspect Lori might’ve had a point in saying Aiden was acting jealous. I never thought he had a thing for her. I’ve always assumed I was the only one… but could I have been wrong all these years? And could the only thing that ever kept Lori and Aiden apart be that stupid oath I made him swear freshman year? Shoot. I hope not. Or Lori would kill me—if she ever found out, that is.

“Gosh, man, relax, okay?” I say. “What does it matter to you, anyway?”

Aiden’s lips press into a thin line. “You know what.”

No, I honestly don’t. I raise my eyebrows interrogatively.

Aiden stands up. “Forget it, it’s too late now anyway, isn’t it?”

He makes to storm out of my office but I call him back. “Don’t go, man, we can talk this out.”

“Oh, now he wants to talk. Sorry, this morning has already been too weird.”

Which makes me think. “Why were you at my place at seven in the morning anyway?”

His expression darkens. “I wanted to ask you to be my best man.”

The words are a blow. That he would ask me instead of his brother. “I’d be honored,” I say. “And I’m sorry.”

Aiden doesn’t respond, he gives me a quick nod as his jaw clenches and then he slips out of my office.

I let him go this time. I sag back in my chair and massage my temples, wishing I’d said yes to last night’s booty-call text from Zoe. If Lori hadn’t found me home, now I wouldn’t find myself in the middle of the most insane love triangle in the history ofménage à trois.

I spend the rest of the day holed up in my office, either doing paperwork in the morning or receiving patients in the afternoon. I don’t get any last-minute appointments or walk-ins, so I’m ready to leave early. Still, I’m the last one to go. Aiden receives patients in the mornings on Thursdays and then prefers to work from home. Lori has her patient appointments in the afternoon like me, but she must’ve finished earlier than I did.

I close our joint practice, hoping these walls aren’t about to crumble in on themselves. What Lori, Aiden, and I share is too good. We’ve been friends through college, med school, and our residencies. All three of us have always wanted to be family doctors and, once we got our medical licenses, the next logical step was for us to open a practice together. Our patients love it because they’re basically always covered. Even if one of us is sick or on vacation, the other two can take over, providing round-the-clock care.

And the dynamic has always been weird in a I was secretly in love with Lori, while she was secretly in love with Aiden way. While Aiden was supposed to be the one above it all. But now I wonder if I was the only odd man in the group. The outsider who kept them apart.

When my phone pings as I walk to my car, I half hope it’ll be Zoe again. But of course, it’s Lori.

From Lori:

Talk tonight? Can you come over?

I really don’t feel like driving all the way to Lincoln Park and then back to Streeterville. Also, I’m not that keen to talk to Lori right now.

To Lori:

If you want to talk, why don’t you come over?

From Lori:

The cats are already mad at me for leaving them alone last night

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