Heart Attack

18

Jesse

I remember waking up after the surgery. My mind was still confused but I knew Lennox had been there with me. Then my family and friends. And Lily. I had dozed off not long after that. I only woke up the next day. My head was clear, and my stomach was rumbling. The room was empty, and my heart ached that Lennox wasn't there. Did my mother managed to scare her off? I couldn't imagine her doing so. Lennox was the strongest person I know.

When I finished my bacon and eggs and grabbed my phone to see if Lennox left me a message. Lennox didn't, but my phone was full of notifications. I frowned before unlocking my phone.

"What the fuck?!" Social media notifications, mails, text messages, the whole lot congratulating me on my marriage. Marriage? What marriage? I wasn't married and I said to Lily to cancel the wedding.

The door eased open, and my granddad stood there. He walked over and hugged me fiercely. "I'm so happy you're okay. You scared the life out of me, son."

"I know, I -"

He pulled back, his face suddenly serious and did I detect a hint of anger? "But I'm seriously disappointed in you."

"Why? What did I do?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You married Lily. Even though you called me just two days ago that you were thinking about breaking it off. I thought you were smarter than that."

"Married Lily, what?! Granddad, I told her yesterday that I wanted to cancel the wedding. Why and when would I have married her?"

He frowned, sitting down on the edge of my bed. "You - you don't remember?"

"No. Granddad, please tell me." I didn't want to know, but I had to know.

"Lily said that when you woke up the first time after the surgery you wanted to marry her, right then and there. So, she managed to get an officiator."

"But Lily wasn't with me. Lennox was. I – I-" I frowned trying to search what was missing. "I asked Lennox to marry me, didn't I?"

"I'm sorry, you didn't, son. We saw the papers, it's official. You married Lily yesterday."

I wasn't sure I was breathing but then again, I was too fast even. It was a full-blown panic attack. He quickly gave me a paper bag, trying to calm me down. "Deep breaths, Jesse. It will all be okay. We'll figure this out."

"Lennox!" I said between deep breaths. "What about Lennox? Does she know? Where is she?"

"She picked me up from the train stations yesterday and we came straight here. We had to wait another few hours before you were out of the OR. When you got back to your room, Lily went in first. When the rest of us came in, including Lennox, Lily told us you were married."

"W-what did I do?"

"Nothing. You just smiled at Lily the whole time. Lennox practically ran out of the hospital. None of us have been able to reach her since."

"Where is dad?" I threw the blankets off me. "I need to talk to him. He can find a way out of this marriage. I wasn't in my right mind."

"Calm down." He placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back. "You just confirmed our suspicions that she took advantage of you in a moment of weakness. Your father is already talking to the doctors and nurses who cared for you in the hours after the surgery to give their testimonies so we can get the marriage annulled."

Relief flooded through me but then another thought crossed my mind. "You said you haven't heard anything from Lennox since yesterday. What about Bryn or Jake?"