One of the names belonged to a man named Victor Hale.
Victor was the same man I had seen at Adrian’s funeral.
Adrian had confronted him.
Soon afterward, Adrian’s car crashed.
His brakes had failed.
Another man had died in the accident.
Adrian had survived but was badly injured.
When he woke, he learned that authorities believed the unidentified victim was him.
Instead of immediately correcting the mistake, Adrian disappeared.
He contacted his mother and brother.
They decided that allowing everyone to believe he was dead might protect him while the investigation continued.
But there was one problem.
They never told me.
I stared at Adrian.
“You could have told me.”
“I wanted to.”
“But you didn’t.”
“I thought staying away would keep you alive.”
I felt tears in my eyes.
“You made that decision for me.”
He didn’t argue.
“I know.”
Then he explained the wedding.
