Chapter 3

At the office, my manager slid a form across the desk and told me to fill in all my personal information today, since the system would close down for the night.

I opened the folder and found the most important document missing. I went cold all over and tore my desk apart, but it wasn't there.

I'd filled out that application eight times, gotten it signed by senior leadership, and stamped with an official seal. Redoing it now was out of the question.

I rushed home and searched everywhere I could think of. Nothing.

I sank to the floor, sweat running down my forehead. Something occurred to me. I pulled out my phone, my fingers trembling.

"Stacy, did you hide one of my documents?"

Her voice was all innocence. "Yep. It's the treasure hunt game. Go find it!"

I lurched to my feet, my vision going dark at the edges.

Jeremy walked in and saw the mess. "What happened?"

"Stacy hid an important document of mine!"

Jeremy looked at the sweat on my forehead and frowned, then started helping me search. Half an hour later, I was ready to break down, fistfuls of my own hair in my hands. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught him only pretending to look, one hand busy texting Stacy the whole time.

I gritted my teeth. So he hadn't actually been searching at all. He'd just been stalling.

I stood up and shouted, "Enough! I give up. Where is it?"

Jeremy's face turned serious. "Stacy, quit playing around and give it back to her."

"No," Stacy said, pouting. "Not unless she begs me."

Jeremy handed me his phone, his eyes telling me what to do. I took it and stayed silent for a long moment. For one instant, I genuinely wanted to say I didn't need it back.

In the end, I closed my eyes, and the tears came.

"Please. Please just tell me."

It wasn't hurt driving it. It was fury.

I couldn't understand why Stacy needed to torment me like this. In this friendship, I was always the one underneath, always the one who backed down, who sacrificed herself to keep the other happy. And no matter what I did, it was never enough for her.

Her laugh came through the phone, easy and light.

"Fine, fine. Since you're so pathetic, I'll take pity on you. It's behind the washing machine on your balcony."

I dropped the phone and bolted for the balcony. Jeremy called after me, "See, Stacy wouldn't actually hurt you. It's just a joke!"

I ignored him, grabbed the document, and rushed to the office.

That night, when I got home, the apartment was empty. I was getting ready to head to the airport when my phone rang.

It was one of Jeremy's friends. "Connie, Jeremy's had way too much to drink; you need to come get him!"

I'd been on edge all day. My voice came out flat with exhaustion. "I'm not coming."

"Come on, Connie, he's in a good mood tonight and had one too many. I'm worried something'll happen. Just come by, okay?"

Loud music blared through the phone.

I stayed quiet for a long moment.

If I brought him home safe, that would be the end of this relationship, as far as I was concerned.

"Send me the address."

At the bar, I pushed open the door to the private room. Jeremy sat in the middle of the couch, Stacy pressed against his side holding a drink. Both their faces were flushed, and the people around them were egging them on to drink from linked glasses.

The room went quiet the moment they saw me.

Jeremy's friends shot each other frantic looks, trying to signal the two on the couch.

Jeremy was too far gone to react. Stacy was slumped against him, barely able to get her words out.

"Drink up..."

A few people mumbled, unsure how to explain themselves to me. Todd Cohen, the one who'd called me, steeled himself and stepped forward.

"Connie, they're both drunk..."

I walked past him, calm, and pulled Jeremy to his feet.

He came over to help. "Connie, I'll call you a cab."

"No need."

I half dragged, half carried Jeremy out of the room and shoved him into a taxi. On the way out, I realized he'd left his phone inside. I turned back to get it, and he grabbed my wrist from behind and pressed a kiss against my cheek.

"Connie, I'm so happy. I'm finally going to marry you..."

I froze for a second, then pulled free and kept walking. Before I reached the door, voices drifted out from inside.

"I really don't get what Jeremy sees in Connie. She's so boring."

"I heard Stacy was seeing someone else back in college, and Jeremy only confessed to Connie out of spite."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, I heard it from Jeremy. He said he couldn't have Stacy anyway, so he settled for someone close enough."

My hand froze in midair.

"Stacy mentioned once, just offhand, that she wanted to know what it felt like to be a bride. And Jeremy went and threw her an entire wedding abroad, just like that."