Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jamieson
We stepped inside my room, and I pulled my phone from my pocket.
“Jamieson. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Tony, I need your help. I’m going to put you on speaker because Dr. Grace Harper is with me, which also involves her.”
“Okay. What’s going on?”
I took in a long deep breath. To even say the words made me sick to my stomach.
“Grace and I are in Vegas for a medical conference. We both partied a little too much yesterday and ended up at a wedding chapel. When we woke up this morning, we discovered that we involuntarily got married. We need this marriage annulled as soon as possible.”
“Oh. I see. So, to be clear, neither party wanted this marriage?”
“No,” we both spoke at the same time.
“I’ll start the paperwork but can’t turn it in until Monday morning. I’ll put a rush on it, and I’ll call you as soon as I hear something.”
“Thanks, Tony.”
“No problem, Jamieson. I have to be honest, I’m a little shocked right now. Of all people calling me with this news.”
“I know. Just call me Monday with an update.”
“I will. Don’t worry. We’ll get this taken care of quickly.”
I ended the call and looked at Grace, who had tears in her eyes.
“Don’t you dare start crying,” I spoke harshly. “You don’t get to cry. This was as much your fault.”
“My fault? Who paid for the wedding?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you did,” I shouted. “Neither one of us remembers jack shit from last night.”
“Well, if you were any kind of man, you wouldn’t have let me pay for it,” she spoke in a snooty voice.
“Why not? Don’t women have equal rights? Why the hell does the man have to pay for everything?”
“Oh my God, are you serious right now?”
“Yeah. I am!” I shouted. “You have no idea how I feel about this. It makes me sick to my stomach.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry that being married to me makes you so sick.”
“Grace, you know what I mean. You feel it too. Don’t deny it. This wasn’t supposed to be a part of my life. I was never getting married to anyone! I don’t do marriage, and I certainly don’t do family.”
“Yeah, I know you don’t do family. Anyone could tell there was no love lost between you and your father. And who knows about your mother because you refuse to talk about her. So obviously, your relationship is just as bad with her.”
“Shut your mouth! Don’t ever mention my mother again. Do you understand me?” I shouted. “You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Well, my parents are dead, and I would give anything to have them back, even if our relationship wasn’t so great.
My life is so fucked. God.” She placed her hands on her head as she paced around the room.
“Of all days. Of all days for this to happen. If it was any other day, I could forget about it. But not yesterday. See, the thing is, Jamieson, once this marriage is voided and as if it never existed, the day will be a distant memory for you. In fact, probably this time next year, you won’t even remember that it ever happened.
But for me, it will always be in my memory.
Every single year for the rest of my life, I will remember this. ”
“Jesus Christ, Grace. Drama queen much? It’s just a goddamn day. You’ll forget all about it too.”
“No! No, I won’t, because yesterday wasn’t just another goddamn day. UGH!” she screamed.
“Okay, you need to calm the fuck down. What is the problem with yesterday besides us making the stupid mistake we did?”
“Yesterday was my birthday, and the day my parents died. So now, it’s become my birthday, the day my parents died, and my fucking wedding day to a man I barely know! A day that is supposed to be special. A fairytale, a goddamn fairytale, and it’s all your fault!” she shouted.
I stood there in shock and swallowed hard.
“Don’t try to pin this on me. For all I know, this is all your fault!
” I angrily spoke, then immediately regretted my words.
“Grace, listen. I’m sorry. This isn’t one of our faults.
It’s both of ours. We were both highly intoxicated, and neither one of us was of sound mind.
So can we at least agree that we are both to blame? ”
She stood there with her arms folded and her face softened.
“You’re right. We’re both to blame.”
“Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?” I calmly asked as I took a few steps toward her.
“Because I don’t celebrate it, and I haven’t since I was ten years old.
A birthday is supposed to be a celebration of your life, but instead, my birthday is the mourning of my parent’s death.
That day, my tenth birthday, started as a celebration and ended in tragedy, which is something I will never forget or celebrate. ”
I looked away from her because I didn’t know what to say. Any man would have walked up to her and hugged her tight, but I couldn’t. I had my reasons, which were too much to bear.
“I think it’s best if we go our separate ways now and we agree not to mention a word of this to anyone.
I mean, no one. Not even your Aunt Cora.
We’ll pretend it never happened, and it’ll be taken care of soon.
I also think it’s best if we stay out of each other’s way from now on.
Of course, we’ll run into each other at the hospital, but we need to keep it professional.
There will be no more sex or even friendly conversations.
I’m not sure we can even be friends anymore. ”
Tears filled her eyes as she took her finger and gently wiped them away.
“I never should have moved back to Los Angeles. I have done nothing but make one stupid decision after another. I should never have broken my rule.” She glared at me as she walked past me and left my hotel room.
I sighed as I stared at the door. There was a part of me that felt bad for her.
But this was my life, and I needed to take care of myself.
My focus needed to stay on my work and my work alone.
Grace was just as broken as I was. She had her issues, and I had mine.
There was no room in my life or in my head for that.
I knew I was a bastard, but it was the only way I knew how to be.
Grace
I returned to my room and tried to stop the tears from falling down my face. I grabbed my phone, called the airport, and changed my flight. One left in three hours, so I called down to the desk and had them get me a cab. I threw my things in my suitcase and headed to the airport.
When I arrived back in Los Angeles, I opened the door to my apartment and dropped on my couch. My phone rang. It was my Aunt Cora.
“Hello,” I answered in a somber voice.
“Grace? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Aunt Cora.” I tried to perk up. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, darling. How’s Vegas going?”
“Actually, I just got home.”
“Why? I thought you weren’t supposed to be home until tomorrow evening?”
“I came home a day early because I’m not feeling well. I might have caught a bug or something.”
“Grace, what happened?”
She always knew when I was lying.
“Nothing.” I coughed into the phone. “I need to go lie down now. I’m exhausted.”
“All right. I hope you feel better soon. Call me later, please.”
“I will.”
It was late, like really late, and I wasn’t lying about being exhausted. I took my suitcase into the bedroom, changed into my pajamas, and went to bed. As I was lying there, I couldn’t stop thinking about my life, Sam, and Jamieson. My God, what was wrong with me?