“What you’re telling me is that your brother knows what a wonderful person you are.” I smiled at the thought. “As much as I would love to take you up on your non offer, for obvious reasons, you’re probably right. I think I’ll just grab a hotel for now until I can think things through. Besides, I can get a place closer to campus and not have to worry about waking up early for the commute to school.”

“Sounds like a plan, but before we part ways, make sure we exchange phone numbers. I can’t believe we haven’t done that already.”

“True, but then again, there hasn’t been a need since we were together the entire time.”

“Mina?”

“Yes, Luna?”

“I need you to know that if I swung that way, I’d steal you from Tucker and rub his nose in the fact that he lost a wonderful woman because he was a complete idiot.”

I laughed so hard that it took me a moment to respond. “Luna, I want you to know that if I swung that way, I’d take you up on that offer in a heartbeat.”

“Well, since we can’t be lovers or wives, I propose that you become my new best friend, since neither of us seems to have one.”

“Perfect!” And that was how my shitty, almost two-week-long marriage was responsible for me having the first friend - who wasn’t my own sister - in three years.

Chapter 12

School sucked. More specifically, being back at school after spending a night and day at the beach, made being back there that much worse. I already had short-timers syndrome. Knowing that there were mere weeks separating me from my degree, and getting that shiny new diploma in my hand, made it feel like I had already done all the work necessary.

My professors failed to agree with me though. So, I found myself loaded down with two more papers to turn in, along with exams to study for. I had not been one of those students who saved the worst, or hardest, courses until the end, thankfully, but the ones I did have to complete were still required, and I valued my GPA enough to want to do well.

I had been back from Florida for four days by the time my parents realized there had been negative press about their new son-in-law’s adventures with other women. Four days, in which I peacefully moved through my classes, and studying while ordering takeout to the hotel room I’d been staying in before someone thought to check on me.

At first, it was just a simple phone call from my mom. When I wouldn’t tell her anything, there had apparently been numerous visits to Tucker’s apartment, and since he was in Finland hooking up with women who were not me, there was no one there to answer the door. That was when the panicked texts started, the ones demanding to know where I was staying and why I wasn’t at home.