I Was His Waiting Room
My childhood friend, Sawyer Dwyer, had just confessed his feelings to me when his ex, Lina Keenan, got into a car accident.
In the hospital hallway, his voice was steady.
"She can't handle any emotional shock right now. Just give it some time. Don't tell her about us."
I met his gaze and nodded.
I never thought "some time" would turn into three whole years.
He made her soup, helped with her rehab, and gave her all his attention.
But whenever I showed the slightest frustration, he got annoyed.
"Joelle, don't overthink it. She just depends on me right now. Once she's better, everything will be fine.
"I'm just being there for her as a friend.
"Stop making this into something it's not..."
...
Over and over, he made the same promises with complete confidence.
Then one day, I brought a hot meal to Lina's place and pushed open the door.
They were kissing.
I stood there, frozen.
When Lina noticed me, she smiled.
"Joelle, I have good news. We're back together. When are you going to get a boyfriend? I want to see you happy too."
I looked at their hands locked together, my eyes burning.
"I did have a boyfriend. But just now... we broke up."