Page 72 of It's Complicated

“I’d actually like one of those beers,” I say, making my way to the fridge.

“Nu-uh.” Aiden steps in front of the door, blocking the way. “You can have a soda or you can have a coffee.”

I grunt. “Coffee, then.”

Aiden messes with pottery in the kitchen, and I go back to the couch to stare at the void my life has become.

Five minutes later, Aiden drops by my side with two steamy mugs of coffee.

“Here, man.”

Aiden lets me take a sip before pressing on. “That bad, uh?”

“Worse.”

“I get Lori was mad. She gave me an earful, too, but nothing too bad. She’ll come round.”

“No, dude, you and me, we’re in a very different boat. Lori might forgive you right away, but she won’t forgiveme.”

“Why? What’s the difference? We made the same pact, didn’t we? And I get you guys have deeper feelings involved now… but…” Aiden scoffs. “Listen, man, she’s probably just mad you didn’t hit on her sooner.”

At that, I let out a bitter chuckle. “Yeah, right. Quite the opposite, I’m afraid.”

Aiden frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

It might be the heartbreak, the vodka, or the fact that I’ve nothing left to lose, but I don’t feel like lying to Aiden anymore. I should confess all my sins, lose both my best friends in one go, and be done with it.

“She’s always been in love with you. It’s never been about me.”

“No, you’re wrong. Lori was sitting in my office not two hours ago, telling me how she thought you were the one.”

I don’t let my heart soar. “She might’ve been in lust with me for a minute to get over the fact that you’re getting married. But trust me, Lori has been holding a torch for you since the night we stole those stupid garden gnomes together. And the reason she’s so mad at me is that I knew how she felt about you and I used the pact to keep you two apart…”

Aiden is silent for a long moment. “So it was deliberate?”

I nod.

“Why?”

“Because I’m a selfish dirtbag and I’ve always been in love with her. But for her, it’s always been you. Bet without the pact, you two would already be married and with a couple of toddlers.”

“You’re wrong. Earlier in my office, she told me she had a crush on you even in college.”

“Well, she was lying.”

“So, if she’s in love with me, how come she’s in a relationship with you?”

“Ah. You’re going to love this next part, dude. The relationship is fake, a total sham. She made it up to make you jealous.”

Aiden presses a hand to my forehead. “How much did you have to drink again?”

I swat his hand away. “I’m perfectly lucid, man.”

“But you’re not making any sense.”

I take a deep breath and stare Aiden in the eyes as I confess, “Remember that morning you found Lori here and assumed we’d slept together?”

Aiden nods.

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