Page 21 of Curious
I dial the office. When Demi answers, I say, “I’d like to add my spouse to my health insurance.”
“Spouse? What the heck? I thought you just broke up with Evan.”
I chuckle. “Ummm. So, I married Camden Cooper, Charlie and Reyna’s brother. Kinda suddenly.”
Demi inhales sharply. “Wow, that is sudden. Well, you do you. Although… I thought he was straight.”
“Oh, so did he.”Actually, Demi, he still is.
“Okay, I’ll add him. What’s his date of birth?”
I freeze for a moment, because I should know this about my husband, right? But I did see it on the form. “It’s June …”
“Twenty-third,” Cam supplies. He’s scooted closer so he can hear the call, and he dutifully recites all the information she needs. Demi tells me she’s going to email me the paperwork to sign in short order, and he’ll be added promptly, retroactive to today.
When we hang up, I feel a sense of relief. Cam is going to get the medical care he needs. Even if he didn’t have an acute problem, I wouldn’t want him to go through life the way he has been. That’s just too much of a risk.
Cam has his arm over the back of the seat, and he puts his hand on my shoulder to tug me closer. “Come here,” he says. He’s still in his dress shirt and tie, as am I—we set our jackets off to the side, carefully draped so as not to crush the roses—and his warm strength feels wonderful. I cuddle up next to him, and he continues, “Thanks so much for doing this. I mean it. You’re really amazing.”
I want to minimize it. Say that I’m just facilitating his access to health care. But it’s starting to feel as if this is more than that. So instead, I say, “Anything for you, hubby.”
We sit in silence for a moment, and when our margaritas come, we clink glasses and toast to our wedding. I almost think Cam is going to lean in and kiss me—he has this look on his face, soft eyes and parted lips—but that’s ridiculous. So I sip my drink instead.
My phone buzzes with what I think is the DocuSign from Demi, but it’s a text from Alden.
Alden
Enjoy your wedding night ;)
Not that long ago, Alden was a complete innocent. The fact that he’s thinking about my wedding night means that nowI’mthinking about my wedding night. But there’s a big difference between a kiss after marriage vows and having sex.
And now that I think about it, what is Cam going to do while we’re married? I’m happy to take a break from dating, after that debacle with Evan, but Cam shouldn’t be stuck for months on account of this.
We can talk about it if he wants to see other people, I suppose. I imagine he’d have to do some explaining to any woman he picked up, though, because he seems to be wearing that ring proudly.
I go to put my phone away, but it pings again. I smile at Camden. “Maybe this is the DocuSign?”
Except when I look at the screen, it shows a text.
Evan
I need to talk to you
I feel the blood drain from my face, and Camden notices. “What is it?”
“Evan,” I whisper. “He wants to talk.”
Cam bristles. “I don’t want him anywhere near you.” He pauses and takes a breath. “Sorry, I get all protective. I know you can handle yourself.”
“Well, kinda,” I admit. “He does scare me.”
“Then I stand by my original comment.”
“We still need to get the rest of my clothes and stuff.”
“Is there anything you can’t live without for a few more days?”
I shake my head.
