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Bet You Didn't See Me Leave

Bet You Didn't See Me Leave

Short Story · Romance
By:  Hazel RidgeCompleted
Language: English
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10Chapters
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Synopsis

Tragic Love

Melodramatic

Bias

Mistress

Male POV

Winning Back the Husband

Cheating

My girlfriend, Eliana Hodson, and my so-called best friend, Austin Brock, had this thing for bets. And somehow, I was always the joke. They'd bet on how long I'd wait for them, which puddle I'd slip in when it rained, even whether the crazy-hot pepper Austin snuck into my food would make my nose run. Then Austin went overseas. Eliana and I got married, and I figured their stupid little game was finally over. Yeah. Nope. One night, I was working at a fancy lounge when I walked in on a group playing a betting game called Time Bomb. I set down their drinks just as I heard Eliana. "I lost." Her friends started yelling. "A bet's a bet! Pick a guy and dance with him!" Then Eliana—my wife, who had supposedly been paralyzed for three years—stood up and went straight to Austin. They spun across the dance floor as everyone clapped. One friend laughed. "Eliana, you're seriously messed up. Fake marriage, fake paralysis—you've kept Rafael as our entertainment for three years." Eliana laced her fingers with Austin's. "I lost the bet. Had to do it." Austin doubled over laughing. "We bet on whether Rafael would spend six years taking care of her. Eliana said no. I said yes. "Guess who's winning? "All it took was one fake marriage certificate. Even when Eliana pretended she couldn't walk, Rafael bought the whole thing. Dude carried her up and down the stairs for three years! "I know Rafael way better than she does. I'm gonna win." I stood in the shadows and smiled. 'So the bets never stopped. 'Fine. 'I'm done being part of their stupid game.'

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10 Chapters
Chapter 1
Rafael's POVThe private room exploded with laughter.I stayed in the shadows, dropped off the drinks, and slipped into a corner.Austin spotted the booze and grinned. "New bet. What's Rafael doing right now? Get it wrong, you chug every beer on the table!"Everyone jumped in.Some guessed I was asleep. Others said I was cleaning or doomscrolling.Austin didn't hesitate. "You're all wrong. Rafael's not home. He's out working to support Eliana.""This late? No way."Someone turned to Eliana. "You've known Rafael the longest. What's your guess?"Her face softened. "I'm with Austin. He's always right."Austin smirked and tapped his phone.A second later, every room in my apartment popped up on the massive screen.Lights on. Nobody home.Austin grinned. "Called it. Losers get a bottle. Bottoms up!"The room went wild.I went cold.Eliana had hidden cameras all over the little apartment I'd spent five years making a home.And apparently, I was just their reality show.Afte
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Chapter 2
The private room stank of booze.The game kept going."Austin wins again!"Someone groaned. "Rafael, are you seriously that dumb? You do whatever people tell you! You made me lose again!"Another laughed. "Eliana, you've got him trained. Teach us your secrets."Austin slung an arm around her, looking way too pleased with himself."The three of us grew up together. Rafael's always been easy to mess with."Every time Eliana and I made him part of a bet, it brought us closer."Honestly, I should thank him for guarding our relationship all these years."Everyone cracked up.I shut off my phone and walked out.I quit on the spot.Back home, I found every hidden camera and taped over the lenses.Then I packed my stuff and started looking for a new place.Didn't take long.Everything I owned fit in one small suitcase.Everything else was Eliana's.Her wheelchair. Cushions. Massage pillow.Limited-edition collectibles I'd hunted down for her. Perfume. Handbags.That was when
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Chapter 3
Eliana talked about Daisy like it was some random animal.But she'd been the one who went out of her way to get it for me.After my parents died, I lived alone and never felt safe.So Eliana spent a fortune on Daisy, hoping it would keep me company and protect me.And just now, it had sensed Austin's hostility and warned him off."Okay, don't fight over me," Austin said. "It's just a dog. Lock it up."To keep things from blowing up again, I locked Daisy in the bedroom.Then I went to the bathroom and made myself throw up until there was basically nothing left.By then, angry red welts had spread from my face and neck all over my body.The door opened, and Eliana wheeled herself in.She wiped my mouth with a towel, looking weirdly conflicted."Austin took the joke too far, but it's just an allergy. You're a grown man, Rafael. Stop being so dramatic."I said nothing and pushed away the ointment.Her face went cold again. "Rafael Reid, enough."Austin's staying with us for a
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Chapter 4
I got to Le Crown at eight on the dot.Nothing but scraps and cold leftovers.Eliana looked pissed."I said eight, and you seriously show up at exactly eight? You couldn't come a little early?"You made everyone wait. That's so inconsiderate."Austin gave her a light tap. "Enough. I'm just glad Rafael showed up. Cut him some slack."There were no seats left, so Austin squeezed me between two girls I didn't know.One shoved a glass of wine at me. "You're Rafael, right? You're late to Austin's welcome-home dinner. Drink this and we're even."I picked up the glass and tipped it back.Then the wine blasted straight into my face.It hit my eyes and nose, burning like hell.My eyes watered instantly, and I could barely breathe.The room erupted.Then everyone started cracking up.Austin slapped the table, doubled over laughing."Told you! Rafael's way too easy. No chance he'd catch the trick glass."I win again. Ten bucks each. Pay up!"Everyone groaned."Damn it! I knew I
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Chapter 5
By the time I reached the mountain with search and rescue, everything was buried in white.Visibility sucked. The slopes were brutal.Then I spotted Daisy on a live camera feed.It was struggling on a steep, icy slope when its bad leg gave out.It slid hard down the mountain and slammed into a deep snowbank.Its front paws clawed at the edge, desperately trying to pull itself free.My heart broke.Daisy's collar had a GPS tracker I'd put on it.I followed the signal.I hadn't made it far when a group came sprinting toward me, totally panicked."Didn't everyone evacuate? Why are you still here?""Another avalanche! Run!"I was already wiped.My legs gave out.I dropped into the snow and couldn't get back up.***Third-Person POVMiles away in Stonebridge, a bad feeling hit Eliana out of nowhere.The TV was covering breaking news from Aspen Ridge."At 9:00 a.m. on July 25, a second avalanche hit Aspen Ridge. One man was buried, and rescue crews are still searching..."
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Chapter 6
Rafael's POVMy phone buzzed.I opened the message.Eliana. Same bossy, accusing tone as always.I scrolled through our chat.Aside from Austin pretending to be her, almost every conversation we'd had over the years was somehow about him.[Rafael, Austin's birthday is tomorrow, so I can't hang out with you. I'm flying over to surprise him.][Rafael, what kind of stuff do guys like?][Rafael, what color dress goes with the necklace Austin gave me?]...Seeing those messages again, I expected it to hurt.It didn't.I calmly typed back.[Eliana, I'm not coming back. Don't look for me. I hope you and Austin are happy together.]No reply.Same as always.One second she cared. The next, she vanished.I unpinned our chat.'Never again, Eliana. I'm done staring at my phone, waiting for you to text back.'I curled up with Daisy and slept better than I had in forever.Early the next morning, Eliana's call woke me."Rafael, what was that message supposed to mean?"I scoffed.
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Chapter 7
Third-Person POVAfter the call ended, Eliana frowned.She couldn't believe Rafael had actually walked away that easily.'Then what the hell were those six years supposed to mean?'Pissed, she called again.Nothing.She sent a text.Undelivered.Eliana just stood there, stunned.A sharp knock snapped her out of it.She opened the door to find the landlord, Henry Parker."Ms. Hodson, your lease is up in a month. Are you renewing?"Eliana froze again.She and Rafael had been fake-married for five years.They'd lived here that whole time.And for five years, he'd taken care of her."I'm still living here. Why?"Henry smiled. "Mr. Reid stopped by a few days ago. Said he'd moved out and I should deal with you about the apartment from now on.""Okay. Got it."After Henry left, Eliana stared at her phone, her hand trembling.Rafael hadn't just threatened to leave.He'd planned it.And now he was gone.Eliana sank to the floor.Her toes bumped a pair of men's slippers b
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Chapter 8
Eliana searched everywhere.Finally, she found one last trace of Rafael—a sticky note on the fridge.She'd written it herself when they first moved in.[Rafael has severe allergies. No seafood, coffee, or peanuts in the house. They can cause suffocation and shock. Remember!][Rafael's afraid of the dark and hates conflict. No fighting. No lying.]...She'd written down every one of Rafael's triggers herself.And over six years, she'd forgotten them one by one.Tears splashed onto the note.Then she broke down.Rafael had been gone for a month.And she was already completely lost without him.When Austin came in, Eliana was sitting on the balcony, staring into space.He glanced at her phone.Her chat with Rafael was still open.Austin rolled his eyes. "You seriously spoiled Rafael way too much. We only borrowed his dog, and he's still holding a grudge."That's messed up."Eliana spun around. "What the hell did you just say?"Austin sneered. "Am I wrong? Ever since we w
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Chapter 9
I saw Eliana again six years later.I was skiing alone on Aspen Ridge when someone pointed out a woman trailing behind me.She kept falling, but still got back up and followed.I turned."Eliana?"She froze.Then she brushed the snow off her clothes, looking totally lost.I walked a little closer."Long time no see.""Yeah. Long time."She stood there awkwardly. "Want to grab coffee?""Sure."She took me to a café nearby.We sat across from each other.When the server brought our coffee, he nodded at Eliana like he knew her."Ms. Hodson, waiting for someone again? Hope your sweetheart finally shows up this year."Eliana avoided my eyes and gave him a small smile.After he left, silence settled between us.Winter here was brutal.Heat from the café fogged the windows, blurring everything outside.I spoke first. "How've you been these past six years?"She looked at me, then dropped her gaze."Not good. My life's been... a total mess."I studied her face.Still bea
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Chapter 10
"Six years ago, when Daisy got sent up the mountain, I went after it and got buried in an avalanche."My leg was broken, and I spent a month in the hospital."Daisy and my wife found me. She was on the rescue team back then."She saved both of us and took care of us afterward."So, Eliana, I guess I should thank you and Austin."If it weren't for you two, I never would've met the love of my life."I told her what happened six years ago.When that second avalanche hit, I was buried under the snow.I thought I was gonna die.As I started blacking out, something licked my face.Then a gentle voice came from beside me."Your rescue dog is still alive, so you have to stay alive too. I'll get you out of here. Just hang on."Her words kept echoing in my head.And somehow, I made it.Eliana stared at me. "Rafael, I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd gotten hurt that badly—""It's over. I'm happy now."Right then, the café door opened.A woman and a dog came in with a blast of cold a
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