“What is happening?” Summer sounds utterly baffled.

“You seriously got married?” Hunter asks incredulously.

“Yeah, we did it in a courthouse in Boston. Our witness was a dude trying to get out of a traffic ticket.”

I tamp down a laugh.

“And now you’re on your honeymoon in Nepal,” Brenna says, each word coming out slowly and lined with bewilderment. “But you’re having an official wedding this summer. In India.”

“Yes!” Rupi say proudly. “Isn’t this amazing?”

Nobody answers.

The brief silence summons a shriek from her throat. “Are none of you going to say congratulations?” she demands, her eyes on fire.

That snaps us into action, and soon we’re all blurting out our congratulations.

“We’re so happy for you! I promise!” Summer assures them, and there’s nothing insincere about it. “We’re just stunned. We didn’t expect you to elope.”

“That’s why people elope, because nobody expects it!” Rupi chirps happily.

“So how long are you in Nepal?” Fitz calls toward the phone. “When are you home?”

“We’ll be back in a year,” Hollis says.

“A year?” Summer echoes in amazement. “But…”

“What about your job?” Hunter asks Hollis.

“Rupi, what about school?” I pipe up.

“I quit.” Hollis.

“I dropped out.” Rupi.

I gape at both of them.

“I haven’t even picked a major,” Rupi says, waving an indifferent hand. “I don’t care about college.”

“And I don’t care about my job,” Hollis chimes in. “Davenport said we should travel, so that’s what we’re doing.”

I glance at Hunter as if to say what the fuck?

“I advised him to take Rupi on a weekend getaway or a summer trip,” Hunter retorts. “Not to elope and run off to India!”

“Nepal,” Hollis corrects. “Jeez, pay attention, dude.”

“Well.” Summer clears her throat. “We’re all thrilled for you. I can’t believe you’re married.”

I can’t either, but Rupi and Hollis seem over the moon about it, and who am I to judge?

“Okay, you guys, it’s like eight in the morning here and we have a big day planned,” Rupi announces in her shrill, bossy voice.

“We’ll call back in a few days,” Hollis assures us. “Or a month. Whatever. Love you guys! Be back in a year!”

The call disconnects.

And we all exchange mystified looks.

“She dropped out of college,” Brenna says, sounding impressed

“They got married,” Fitz says, sounding horrified.

“She’s only nineteen,” I realize.

“Yeah, but in Rupi’s defense, she knew she was going to marry Michael Hollis the second she met him,” Summer points out.

“True,” Brenna agrees.

“They’ll either be divorced in a week, or they’ll be together forever,” Hunter predicts with a sigh. “There’s no in between with those two.”

Summer tucks her golden hair behind her ears. “I’m happy for them, I really am. But holy shit, that came out of left field.”

Hunter shakes his head a few times, as if trying to come out of a daze. “Okay, then. That was…fascinating.” He picks up the remote control. “Should we keep watching? We were about to find out if the dismembered head winds up in the magic guy’s hat.”

“I’m going upstairs to play Fortnite,” Fitz grumbles.

“I’m going to sleep,” Summer says.

Brenna stands up. “I’m going to see if Jake’s still awake so I can tell him about this latest development.”

“Party poopers,” I accuse.

As Hunter’s roommates scatter and disappear, he tugs me closer to his warm, muscular body. “What do you say, babe? Shall we?”

I slant my head and grin up at him. “Yup yup.”

The End