Page 88 of I Love My Mistake

“No! No no no. She didn’t sleep with Michael. She didn’t know he was married and the second she found out, she stopped using the studio and never saw him again!”

Jessica's face falls, shocked into empathy. “Oh. God, married. That’s so horrible! Wait… why didn’t she want me to know?” We all know how awful it would be to love a married man.

I decide just to say the truth. “She was devastated. She asked me to keep it to myself so she could get over it and never talk about it again. And you were going through what you were going through. She and I didn’t say it, but we were walking around eggshells with you for awhile.”

Jessica registers this. If anyone understands being devastated over love, it’s Jess. I’ve gotten through to her. I can see it in her melting heart that beams out of her soft brown eyes. “Oh. I didn’t know that.”

“Anyway…this, so soon after that. It’s going to kill her.” C’mon Jess, c’mon. Try to understand where Nico is coming from, what she needs!

But then we look over to see Nico kiss Mark. I sneak a sideways glance at Jessica. Awkward. She grits her teeth. This is soooooo horrible. I take Jess’s hand. “I’m sorry, Jess. I can’t even imagine what you guys must be feeling right now.”

Jessica sounds tired, looking down. “We feel shitty. That’s how we feel.”

Nico trudges back toward us. “She’s coming back. Alone.”

I can see from Nico’s face that she ended it. My heart just absolutely breaks for her. She has such rotten luck with men. He was a really good guy. Why does Life do things like this? I just can’t understand why this worked out this way. When Josh and I left the bar together on Friday night, seeing Nico laughing with Mark, it just made sense to me. They just… fit.

Jess chokes out, helplessly, “Nicole.”

“I know,” she says, her eyes exhausted and sad.

Jess fumbles for what to say, but she’s shocked by Nico’s tears. She mumbles only, “It’s just too weird.”

Nico pauses and just looks at her. “It’s more than weird. It’s impossible.” Her voice catches in a sob and Jess and I wrap ourselves around her in a hug.

I will always protect these two. I will always help them find happiness. I will always be here when they need me. No matter what.