Chapter Five

Gina was my best friend who was taking a gap year and traveling around the world. She was also the first person, I called when I woke up. She was currently in Russia, with some boyfriend she met when she was backpacking, through Ukraine.

The moment I got home, after a horrible meeting with Michael, I called her on Skype and told her everything.

"I know, Jessica, but what do you expect, he is right."

Leave it to her to add another slap.

"You know, you could have at last called him a jerk or something like that. You know, sugar coat the horrible truth, for me."

She laughed and the picture froze.

"Gina, you froze, and if I may add the frozen picture is not all that flattering to you."

I could only hear an audio of her swearing at me. Then, the picture unfroze.

"You know, I was thinking…"

"Don't," she stopped me, "I know what you are going to say Jessica, and no."

"You know that I was going to say that I have this evil plan where I show him that I'm the true love of his life. Well, the plan is not in works yet, but I'm definitely going to work on it, and you are helping me with it. Partners in crime, remember?"

"Yes. And don't you think that if you were the love of his life, he would be marrying you?"

"He's not marrying me, because I was in bed for two years," I protested.

She paused, "Ok. If this hadn't happened, and he asked you to marry him, would you have said yes?"

It was my turn to pause and think. Think…. "I don't know."

It was the truth. I mean, our relationship was great. It wasn't perfect, no one's relationship is perfect, and we had our ups and downs, but I loved him, and enjoyed spending time with him. We were way, long way from marriage, I mean I was 18, and he was 21, but I'd like to think that we should have had more time. More time to get to know each other.

We met at Gina's party. He was her brother's best friend, and we hit it off, immediately. His pickup line, was "Did it hurt?".

I wasn't the one who liked pickup lines, I saw it as lazy flirting. My answer wasn't "Did what hurt?", so I responded, "Yeah, the knees hurt from climbing." He looked puzzled, "Climbing from where?"

"Hell," I smiled, and he laughed, realizing that pickup lines don't work on me.

We went on a couple of dates and hooked up. He was remarkably similar to me, and he made me laugh. Every girl will say that if a guy makes you laugh, he's halfway in.

"He is getting married in two weeks and get this… his future wife wants to meet me. Does she really think we will be like, besties or something? I mean, I'm sure she's nice, and all… but come on."

"Give her a chance."

Ah, Gina, my rightful, and never the drama queen, girlfriend.

"Don't you think it would be a bit hypocritical of me to try and steal my… her, "I corrected myself, "boyfriend, behind her back, and then laugh and make friends with her? That is not me. If I do something wrong, I'll do it to your face."

"How about you don't try to steal her boyfriend, emphasis on her?"

I inhaled deeply, and looked at my arms, noticing a big bruise. When did that happen? My skin was sensitive and fragile, that even the wind blowing at it would have caused that bruise. That triggered a thought.

"You know, I'm having another treatment tomorrow, and believe it or not, I'm actually looking forward to it. I have a cute doctor," I smiled.

That was beginning to happen often. Every time I thought about Zach, and his smile, I would catch myself smiling like an idiot. Gina noticed.

"Really, do tell."

After I told her the whole story of me meeting Zach, she commented.

"You know, I've never seen you like this,"

"Like what?" What was she insinuating at?

"Your eyes, have been kind of glowing, while you were talking about him."

"Oh, stop it. He's my doctor and he's 29, and probably married, or in a relationship, so stop putting those thoughts in my head."

"You won't know, until you ask."

Then, I could hear a door opening and closing, on her side, and she quickly informed me, that her boyfriend was home, and she'll call me tomorrow. She went offline, but not before sweetly warning me, not to plot any devious plans regarding Michael and his future wife.

"I cannot confirm nor deny, whether I will listen to you. Talk to you tomorrow."