As soon as the door shut behind Zac, Kate announced “I asked him about Lydia.”

I sat down at the table across from her. “Did he tell you?” I asked, not completely sure I wanted to know.

She nodded her head and slowly explained, “At first he didn’t, but then I pulled the ‘we’re-married-now-we-can’t-have-any-secrets’ card. That always works.” She closed her laptop and continued, “So anyways, this Lydia tramp-“

I cut her off saying “Kate, I don’t think I really want to know.” I looked down at my hands, and started picking my nail polish off. I had been thinking about it and maybe it would be better not to know. If I knew it might just drive me crazy.

She rolled her eyes and explained, “You should know, considering you’re about to marry this guy and I think the information is pretty important.” She paused waiting for my consent to continue, and after a moment I nodded for her to go on. “Basically,” she started “Lex and Lydia were dating for a long time but they weren’t always exclusive, you know what I mean? Like they always cheated on each other but it was a mutual kind of thing. I guess… it’s not cheating if it’s okay on both ends? Yeah,” she said nodding, “messed up. I know.” I nodded in agreement and she continued, “Anyways, they were dating, or not dating but doing each other, whatever, for about a year...” She trailed on as I listened to every detail that she shared. After a good hour of hearing details about my fiancée’s ex-girlfriend that I probably shouldn’t know, she finished up, “So basically, the reason he got kicked out is because Lydia got pregnant, and Lex's mom decided she couldn’t handle him anymore and sent him to live with his dad.”

My jaw and heart dropped simultaneously. I couldn’t believe that Lex had a kid with another girl and never mentioned it to me before. In my book that’s a pretty big deal. I sat silently in shock for a minute, after awhile “What the fuck?” was all I could say. After a little while longer I had put my thoughts in order and started, “He has a kid and doesn’t want me to know?” I raved on for a few minutes before Zac walked back on the bus caring my stuff. He looked like a deer in headlights when I turned to look at him.

“Hey…guys...” he said slowly trying to figure out the situation, “What’s goin on?”

I folded my arms over my chest and replied, “Oh, nothing, just talking about Lex’s kid. No big deal,” I practically yelled sarcastically.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Zac said raising his voice over mine, “The kid wasn’t his,” he said as he looked at Kate, “you told her the kid was his?”

“No!” Kate replied raising her hands in the air in defense, “I just didn’t get to that part yet.” I took a deep breath and wiped the tears away that were forming. “Sorry,” Kate explained “you interrupted me-“

She was then interrupted by Zac who took over the explanation. “She got pregnant and so it was like the last string for his mom. She sent him to Ohio to live with his dad because she thought – she didn’t know - that he was the one who got Lydia pregnant. She hated Lydia and thought she was pretty trashy, which she was by the way, and didn’t want Lex to having anything to do with her. A couple months after Lex moved she had the baby and it came out half black. Obviously Lex isn’t black so it wasn’t his after all.”

By this point I had sat at the table holding my head in my hands. I couldn’t believe Lex hadn’t told me all of this and wondered why he had kept it a secret. After awhile I decided that maybe the reason he didn’t want to tell me was because he thought that I would think that he’s still the kind of guy who cheats on girlfriends. We are constantly arguing about his habit of flirting with girls. Zac must have read my mind because as soon as the thought crossed my mind he spoke again.

“Trust me, Jovie, Lex isn’t like that anymore. He’s head over heals for you. I swear on my life that he’s not like the old Lex anymore; you have nothing to worry about.” Kate nodded reassuringly but I couldn’t take anymore that night. I announced I didn’t want to talk about it anymore, and then asked where I could sleep.

Zac instructed me to go to the bathroom and just take a few minutes to calm down and said he would set up a bunk for me. I thanked him and Kate and walked to the small bathroom. I splashed water on my face and tried to control my breathing. Once I was a little more composed I walked out of the small room then Zac told me which bunk he put my stuff in and I climbed in.

My thoughts were going crazy. I couldn’t stand thinking about Lydia. I hated Lex for a moment and then scolded myself for thinking such a horrible thing. After awhile I heard the rest of the people enter the bus and a few minutes later Zac poked his hand, holding his phone into my bunk. “Hey, Jovie, Lex is on the phone and wants to talk to you.” I took Zac’s phone and put it up to my ear, still quietly sniffling. I didn’t bother saying hello, but rather greeted him with “Why did you lie about Lydia and why you moved to Ohio?”

“Joves, listen, I’m so sorry and I’m sure you hate me right now but please listen.”

“Lex, you listen, I don’t want to talk about it right now. We’ll talk about later,” I said ready to hang up on him.

“Please don’t hate me Jovie,” he pleaded.

“Lex, I don’t hate you, you know I’ll always love you, but right now I just don’t like you.” I hung up the phone and handed it back to Zac.

“Goodnight, Jovie” he whispered and I shut my eyes starting the long process of crying myself to sleep.