Page 6 of The Plus One
“I got your squash, baby. Tear him apart.”
“Would you both stop it?” Indira said, snatching the phone out of Jeremy’s hand. “You’re making way too big a deal out of this.”
And overwhelming the fuck out of Jude. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and cracking his knuckles with his thumb as he tried to calm his painful pulse.
He’d promised himself he wouldn’t do this. Wouldn’t carry this dark cloud of awfulness that hovered around him like a second skin into Collin and Jeremy’s special time. This was his best friend’s wedding, and Collin had asked Jude to be there. Jude knew he was too broken to be fully anywhere, but he’d do his best to pretend.
Slowly, his senses dulled a bit, the adrenaline ebbing from his limbs like a retreating tide. The fog that cradled him was good, and he leaned into it as he opened his eyes and fixed them on the group, not really seeing anything at all.
“I have half a mind to kick him out of the wedding party,” Jeremy said.
“Oh my God, please don’t make this into a thing,” Indira said, eyes wide as red splotches spread across her fair cheeks. “Everyone needs to calm down.”
Yes, calm would beexcellentright about now. Jude was about ten seconds away from getting on his knees and begging for it.
Jeremy grimaced, then said quietly, “… Kicking him out would mess with the symmetry of our altar moment.”
“That’s a really good point,” Collin whispered back. The couple shared a meaningful stare.
“Okay,” Jeremy said after a pause. “Chris isn’t out of the wedding party. But he can’t keep doing this on-again, off-again game.” He turned to Indira. “You both aren’t getting any younger. It’s ridiculous at this point.”
“It wasmutual,” Indira spat. “We both, like mature adults—unlike some people I know”—Indira gave Collin and Jeremy a pointed look—“had a discussion and decided we… I don’t know. Aren’t well-suited. Again, a mutual decision.”
“Which is why you look like you’ve been sobbing for hours?” Collin said quietly, arching an eyebrow at Indira.
She landed a punch on his shoulder. “Something can be mutual and still painful, jackass.”
Collin’s face softened. “I’m sorry, Dira. I don’t mean to make a joke of it. Come here.”
He stretched his hands out to her, but Indira wrapped her arms around herself instead, back hunching.
Jude understood that. He worried that if someone touched him, he’d crumble.
It was much safer to hold himself together.
“It goes without saying that you can stay here,” Collin said, gesturing at the pile of her stuff she’d left in the living room.
“Are you sure?” Indira asked, shooting a glance at Jude. He blinked away. “I don’t want to crowd you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Jeremy waved her words away. “We have plenty of room, and having two of our bridal party members here at the ready for emergency situations will end up being a blessing, I’m sure.”
Indira shot her brother and Jeremy a skeptical look. “Oh, goody. Can’t wait to be of service.”
“I’m choosing to ignore that dripping sarcasm, sweets,” Jeremy added, tapping Indira on the nose as he passed her.
Collin grabbed Indira’s suitcases from the floor while Jeremy slid the duffel bag strap off her shoulder, the pair moving up the stairs before Jude could even blink, let alone wrap his head around the past fifteen minutes.
That’d been a problem for him lately, this inability of his brain to process the things happening around him, this constant disconnect from his body.
“This will be fun,” Collin called down, “the three of us living together for a bit. Just like when we were kids!”
Jude and Indira were left in the foyer, the vibrant energy of Jeremy and Collin settling around them like dust in the long, silent moments.
Indira cleared her throat. “So… how long are you home for?” she asked, shifting from foot to foot.
“Seven weeks,” Jude answered tersely.
Indira nodded, eyes bouncing around his face. “Where, uh, have you been stationed?” she asked.
