Chapter Three

I woke up that morning to the soft hum of my alarm clock. It was 7:00 a.m. Leah got up at the same time. We had spent the night at my house just like we planned.

“Gosh, my body aches so badly,” she complained. “I literally had to rest my head on those uncomfortable chairs.”

Then a text came in from Dan. “Hey baby. I had a really busy Zoom meeting last night. I got so tired that I fell asleep right after. I’ll call you when you’re up. Love you.”

I stared at those words for a brief moment before putting my phone down. At that point, I was not so surprised by whatever lies he had planned to tell me. He probably fell asleep because he got so tired fucking another woman last night, but what do I care?

“Was that him?” Leah asked.

“It was no one.” I tossed the phone onto the bed and got up.

“You know you eventually have to confront him, right?” Leah sat up in bed with her messy hair in her face.

“Maybe,” I breathed. “Right now I have better things to do. Now get up so I can make my bed.”

“Ughh,” she groaned as she got out of bed. “Zara didn’t make it.”

I shrugged. “You know how her mom can be with work. She probably kept Zara busy.

I changed my sheets and put on a new cover, then tossed the old one into the washing machine in my washroom.

My phone vibrated but I ignored it thinking it was still Dan. Leah picked it up. “Oh, it’s Zara’s text.”

“What does it say?” I asked from the washroom, then turned on the faucet.

Leah walked closer and read it aloud. “Sorry I couldn’t make it. My mom and work. But I’ll be there later today.”

“See? It’s work.” I grabbed a face towel and patted my face dry. Leah’s expression shifted like she almost thought of something, but then something else caught her attention.

She pulled me out of the washroom. “So what happened upstairs?” She crossed her arms and gave me a teasing smile.

“What? Nothing happened.” I walked past her to my closet.

She followed right behind me. “Thought you didn’t like the guy who got us drinks.”

I turned to face her. “Yeah, and I don’t. He was just a… good person.” I took a dress out of the closet.

“Ouuu.” She tried to tickle me, but I tapped her hand away.

“No, please. I’m literally still trying to deal with the whole Dan madness.”

“I know… I know. What’s his name?”

“Who?” I wrapped a towel around myself.

“Mr. Good Person?”

“Oh…” I almost smiled. “Nick.”

“Nick who?”

“I didn’t really care to ask… or even want to talk to him.”

“He seems like a nice guy.”

“Sure.” I shut the door to the washroom and turned the shower on.

I watched the steam from the hot water cloud the bathroom before I turned on the cold water. The second I stepped under the shower head, the memories returned. I could only see moments of Dan and me. The promising look in his eyes whenever he said, ‘I love you,’ and the warmth in his touch whenever he held me.

He seemed so perfect that I never had a reason to doubt him.

He bought flowers, planned dates and always had time for me. The only reason I ever thought to check his phone was because my friends had joked about no man being faithful.

I remembered the night I went through his phone. My fingers went stiff, and my blood ran cold the moment I saw another woman’s name in his hidden chats. At first, I didn’t want to make anything out of it. Maybe there was an explanation for it. I opened the conversation… I wish I hadn’t. Each time I scrolled, my stomach twisted a little.

I didn’t want to continue reading because I knew it would only hurt more, so I quietly put his phone back. I almost confronted him, but I knew it would lead to tears and I wasn’t ready to show that I was weak, even though I was. Five long years tossed away like it meant nothing. I wondered how a man could love someone that much and still be sleeping with another woman. Maybe he was just good at the game, and I was just the silly woman who loved with all her heart.

I heard a knock on the door that snapped my head back into place. “Everything okay in there? It’s been really quiet.” Leah sounded concerned, like any other best friend would after watching her friend’s heart get broken.

“Yeah. I’m just… trying to mix the temperatures.”

I took a really quick shower and stepped out immediately.

“Zara texted again,” Leah said, turning to face me. “She’ll be here in like five minutes.”