Page 73 of It's Complicated

“Well, she was only here because she’d received your wedding invitation the day before and she wanted to vent. Then, she told me she felt too sad to go home alone and asked me if she could sleep here—justsleep. But when you showed up the next morning, she felt like you were acting jealous about me and her being together, so she made up the entire relationship on the fly.”

Aiden frowns now. “To what end?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “You suddenly realizing she was the love of your life instead of Kirsten and calling the wedding off?”

My best friend massages his temples, trying to take this all in. “And why did you go along with it?”

“Lori barged into my room, begging me to confirm the story… saying that she’d already told you we were together and that if I said no, then how could she explain to you why she’d lied? Plus, you know I’ve never been able to say no to her.”

Aiden sags back against the couch raking both his hands through his hair. “Man, that’s a lot to take in.”

“Yep.” I take another sip of coffee.

“I still don’t understand something, though…”

“Yeah, what? How she’s never going to forgive me for standing in the way of true love?”

“No. The fact that I’ve seen you together these past few weeks, and nothing about it seemed fake to me.”

“Lori thought she might’ve been catching feelings for me, but that was before she realized I was the only reason she couldn’t have you.” A long beat of silence passes before I find the guts to ask, “Was I?”

“Aw, man, I don’t know. That is such a mind-bending question… Would I have gotten with Lori at some point if not for you or the pact? Probably…”

His words confirm just how doomed I am.

“But…” Aiden starts and stops.

“But?” I prompt.

“But there’s no way to know if it would’ve lasted, and, frankly, I’m glad nothing ever happened with Lori.”

This last statement gives me pause. “Oh?”

“Kirsten makes me happy, and I want to marry her. Looking back, I’ve no regrets because all the choices I’ve made in the past have brought me to where I’m standing now.”

“Which is?”

“About to marry the woman of my dreams.”

I push his shoulder. “Get out of here. Of course, all women fall at your feet, you soppy, cute puppy.”

Surprisingly, Aiden takes me seriously and stands up. “I am going on one condition…”

“Shoot.”

“Promise me you won’t drink any more alcohol tonight.”

I make the boy scout salute, then say, “Or should we pinkie promise?”

“See, making jokes already. Quick recovery, Barlow. My diagnosis is that you shall live.”

I walk him to the door. “Thanks for not biting my head off, man.” We slide hands and bump fists.

Aiden nods. “See yah at the office tomorrow,” he says, getting out of my apartment.

I wait for a few minutes after he’s gone before I grab my phone and wallet, and put a coat on.

I promised I wouldn’t drink, not that I wouldn’t do something stupid.

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