Page 32 of Misbehaving

“What’s it say?” Ben asked.

“He says, ‘The wedding’s off. I’m sorry I’m not enough for you. Hope you find another man to swing with. If I wasn’t enough for you, you could have told me before we started planning the wedding. I’m staying at another hotel. Maybe we can talk tomorrow. For now, don’t even call me.’”

“What does he mean?” Ben demanded. “He’s not enough for you?”

Claudia ran her hands through her hair and collapsed onto the bed.

“I don’t know. I have no idea where any of this is coming from. I’ve never cheated on him, never wanted to. We’ve been together almost seven years. I didn’t invite any old boyfriends to the wedding. I don’t know what he’s talking about. None of this makes sense.”

“Did you try to call him?” Beatriz asked, putting her arm around Claudia.

“Yes, but he didn’t answer. I tried ten times. The wedding’s in four days. Our families are here. Our friends. Everyone. And he’s just…gone. And he won’t even tell me why.”

Beatriz nearly burst into tears of pure sympathy. And she would have if she wasn’t so furious at Henry.

“It’s a good thing he’s gone or I would rip his heart out and eat it for dinner,” Beatriz said.

“Can we get his side of the story first?” Ben asked.

“There is no his side of the story,” Beatriz said, enraged that Ben would even suggest there was a “his” side of the story. “Claudia’s not cheating on him with anybody. What possible excuse could he have for acting like this?”

“Something set him off. Henry is the most boring man alive. He doesn’t have a good enough imagination to be paranoid,” Ben said. “I’m not saying he’s right. Just—”

“Just what?” Beatriz demanded. “Just you and Henry pulling this college-boy bros-before-hoes bullshit again?”

“What are you talking about?” Ben asked.

“Back in college, you and Henry just went off and decided you and I shouldn’t be together. And now Henry’s decided to dump Claudia and you’re taking his side.”

“I’m not taking his side, Bea. I’m just saying he has one.”

“So you’re saying he’s right? That Claudia’s cheating on him?”

“I’m not saying that.” Ben raised both his hands in surrender. “I’m saying something must have set him off.”

“He’s decided to lose his fucking mind four days before the wedding. That’s what set him off, Ben. You want to take his side?” Beatriz pointed at the door. “It’s out there. Go find it. And when you find him, you two just have a nice life together. We’re done with you both.”

Ben stared at Beatriz. She could see the shock and hurt on his face.

“Look, you’re right to be pissed at me,” Ben said.

“Yes, I am. And that should be the end of your sentence,” Beatriz said. Ben opened his mouth and closed it again. He turned his back on her and walked out. Nothing surprising there. He’d done it before. She should have known he’d do it again. “Hasta la madre… I swear if Henry doesn’t get his ass back here…”

“I can’t tell everyone this is happening. I can’t,” Claudia said, and Beatriz turned her attention back to her sister. “Everyone will freak out. Mom will have a heart attack.”

“Oh, God, she will,” Beatriz said. Their mother had burst into sobs last night just at the sight of Claudia and Beatriz standing side by side for the first time in over a year. Her girls, she cried. Her two beautiful girls… Mom cried at the drop of a hat. This constituted far worse than a simple hat drop.

“We’ll tell everyone you’ve got mild food poisoning and you’re not going to be able to leave your hotel room for a day or so,” Beatriz said. “No one will know anything’s up. They’ll just think you and Henry are holed up while you’re puking your guts out. Okay?”

“Okay,” Claudia said and blew her nose extravagantly. “You and Ben were fucking when I knocked on the door, weren’t you?”

“Like demon bunnies,” Beatriz admitted. She gave Claudia a kiss on the forehead as she stood up.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. We were niney-nine percent finished by that point.” She handed Claudia a bottle of water and a tissue. “And we’re one-hundred percent finished now.”

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