Chapter 6
I stood on my tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Okay.”
10%
The next day, Blake called.”
“Michael crashed his car into a guardrail last night on his way home. The front’s completely wrecked, but he’s alive–he’s in the hospital now.“>
He paused, voice hesitant. “June… can you come see him? He’s not eating, won’t take his meds, won’t even talk to the doctors. He keeps saying he has to see you,”
“How many numbers do you have for me?”
He sounded thrown. “Just this one.”
I hung up and blocked him immediately.
Michael gets into trouble, and out of everyone he could call–his parents, his new girlfriend–he chooses me, his already–married ex–fiancée? Unbelievable.
Blake showed Michael the now–blocked screen. “Michael, June’s really done with you. She blocked me too.”
Michael just stared at the chat window, eyes dark and empty, saying nothing.
Later, when nobody was watching, he slipped out of the hospital.
I’d been swamped lately with the Eastside development project. That day, I stopped by my apartment to pick up some files, only to find Michael sitting by the flower beds outside the building, still wearing his hospital gown.
He spotted me and got up, his voice cautious. “June.”
pressed my fingers to my temples, so tired I could barely think. “What do you even want from me?”
He looked weak, maybe from being sick, maybe from everything else. “Damon did this on purpose. He’s always wanted you, ever since we were kids. He broke us up so he could move in. Remember back in school, when someone slipped a love letter into your backpack and you got so mad? That was Damon.”
Wait, what?
Back then, Damon was so cold and untouchable that people barely dared whisper about him. I never would’ve guessed he’d do something like that.
Michael kept going, “He was jealous we got engaged. He set me up.”
“So, what? Damon forced you to hook up with all those actresses and college girls? He made you plan our wedding, too?”
Michael’s eyes dropped, silent.
“June, I was out in the rain last night. I’ve got a fever. i feel terrible. Can I just come up for
“No. I’m married now.”
I pulled out my phone and called Aunt Sarah.>
“I’ll be right there!” she promised, not even hesitating.”
a
glass of water?”
When she arrived, she slapped Michael, her disappointment plain as day. “What are you doing out here humiliating yourself? Look at the mess you’ve made. I can’t even face June’s parents anymore. Get up and go, now.”
I said, “Aunt Sarah, I have to get to a meeting. I’ll leave you to it.”
She waved me off. “Go, sweetheart. I’ll deal with this idiot.”
I nodded politely and left.
But when I came back, Michael was still there, shivering in his flimsy hospital clothes, people staring as they walked past. He just sat there, watching the entrance, like none of it mattered.
As soon as my car pulled in, he got up.
Bl took a deep breath, trying to ignore him, but he stepped in front of me, holding out the velvet jewelry box I’d given back to him.
“I never wanted anyone else to have this bracelet. Please, June, will you take it back?”
I just smiled, unlocked my phone, and showed him a photo: Madison wearing the bracelet, a selfie she’d posted
Michael scrambled to explain. That was after you left that night. She just wanted to see it, so I let her try it on–just for a second.”
I didn’t bother to argue. I shook him off and headed upstairs.
Later, when Damon got home, I watched from the window as he and Michael exchanged a few words–and then things exploded. They started swinging at each
other
I ran down right away!
Michael shouted, “Damon, you’re no better than me! Why don’t you tell June everything you’ve done? You think I cheated all on my own? You set me up at those parties, made sure the girls I liked were there. That Eastside project? Just a trick to get her to marry you! Screw your partnership! June, don’t let him fool you.”
Damon looked at me, anxious.
I took his hand, lacing our fingers together
Then I handed Michael a wedding favor box. “We’re getting married on the eighth next month. You’re welcome to come.”
Back in our room. Damon was still distracted. I’d never seen him like this before.
He finally confessed, “Some of what Michael said is true. I knew you wanted that Eastside project, so I used it to get close to you to get you to marry me. And Michael cheating I did tell the party manager to bring over the kind of guis he liked. I’m not as good as you think I am, June. Fin good at reading people and getting
What I want.“@
