My Imaginary Ex (COMPLETE)

Chapter 16

Content warning: Sex

Surprisingly, or maybe not, the sound of people being lightly slammed against a door didn't bother any of the guys outside. Or maybe they didn't hear it above the sound of their own partying.

Zack stepped back slowly. "Is this a joke?"

"Kind of," I said. "I'm supposed to be the stripper."

"Oh. Oh." He eventually backed into the bed and sat on it. Then he started to laugh. "Oh, God. It's been a weird day."

Not the reaction I was looking for. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I..." Zack dropped his head into his hands, and kept it there for what seemed like a really long time. His shoulders shook softly. I couldn't tell if he was laughing or—

Crying? I stepped toward him, tentatively.

He straightened up, shaking his head. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

Not crying. But he looked tired. Even the flattering dim lights didn't hide his bloodshot eyes.

That wasn't the way an excited groom-to-be was supposed to look, right?

I might have a chance. I dropped to the floor in front of him. "Can we talk now?"

It took a while for his eyes to fix on me. First they scanned the room, taking in the bed, the window, the locked door, the condoms on the nightstand...

"What are you even doing here?" he asked flatly.

"You wouldn't agree to meet me."

"So you decide to crash my bachelor party?"

"Would you have met me? Even if I begged?"

"No," Zack confessed. "I wouldn't have."

"Why not?"

"What did you want to talk about?"

I couldn't believe he was still trying to be evasive. "Zack, you're stuck here. Those guys outside think you're with a stripper. You might as well tell me everything."

"Jas," he said, extending the "s" like a sigh, "I don't know where to start."

Don't be confrontational. Don't make it about you.

I summed up all my maturity and tried to think of what to say. Marjorie wanted me to give him a reason to leave Kimmy, but I couldn't just spring that on him. Not if he actually loves her. I have to look out for his happiness first. Right?

"Do you love her?" I was afraid of his answer.

Long pause. "She's all right."

I was relieved, and offended, at the same time. "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say. Why didn't you tell your family about her? Why didn't you tell me? "

"I was going to," he said, a tad defensive. "But then you broke up with Tim, and I couldn't."

"For months, you couldn't mention her at all? Not even to your brother?"

"This isn't about my brother or anyone else."

I probably shouldn't have mentioned that, because I could see Zack's privacy issues start to kick in.

"What's he doing talking about me behind my back?"

"Well you can't exactly blame him. He's worried about you. Everyone I know is worried about you. I don't understand. We were fine months ago, and then you disappeared."

"We made a deal," he said, so softly that I barely heard it.

"You what?"

"Kimmy and I. We had a deal. She would stop her habits, and I would stop seeing you."