Chapter 2

When Damon finally got me to agree, his expression relaxed. As usual, he reached over and ruffled the top of my head.

"All right. We're going to a gathering with friends tonight. We already agreed we'd go together. Hurry up and change. We're running out of time."

Kendra seemed to remember something just then. She quickly pulled out a dress and handed it to me. "Damon specifically bought this for you. Try it on. We'll wait for you downstairs."

It was the latest design from a brand I'd talked about for ages but never brought myself to buy.

But the label at the neckline was Kendra's size: S. It was obvious she'd already worn it once.

I tossed the dress onto the sofa. It felt as though a heavy stone had settled on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

Right on cue, my phone buzzed twice.

It was Damon.

[Are you coming down?]

I'd just tapped the message box when another message popped up before I could reply.

[Bring Kendra a jacket. It's windy and a little cold tonight.]

He wasn't asking why I hadn't come downstairs. He just wanted me to bring Kendra a jacket.

I stopped and looked out the window. Damon's car was still parked by the curb.

Kendra sat in the passenger seat, tilting her head back to drink from the matching couple's tumbler I'd bought for him.

It wasn't just the tumbler. In the half month since Kendra had moved in, she'd started wearing Damon's slippers, saying the extra room made them really comfortable.

She'd also slip into his white dress shirts, claiming men's clothes were made from softer fabric and that the oversized fit made them perfect pajamas.

Since they worked at the same company, they naturally started commuting together every day. Even the passenger seat had become her exclusive spot.

And Damon had never once refused her any of it.

At first, I hadn't thought anything of it. They'd known each other longer than I'd known him.

Kendra had even helped bring Damon and me together in the first place. She'd played matchmaker when he pursued me, and she'd helped us reconcile through every breakup and reunion over the past five years.

If there had been anything between them, I would never have stood a chance.

But now, I could finally see it clearly. They'd crossed the line a long time ago.

Just then, a message came in from the police station.

[Ms. Valentine, we still need you to come in and assist with the investigation into the incident you reported two days ago.]

I took a deep breath and finally approached the car.

When Kendra saw me, she pretended to unfasten her seat belt. "Sorry, Meredith. I've gotten so used to sitting here lately. You can take my seat."

Damon noticed that I hadn't changed into the dress or brought a jacket. His face darkened with displeasure.

He reached over and pulled Kendra right back into her seat. "Forget changing. There's no time for all that now."

I didn't say anything and simply walked away.

Damon froze for a moment, then stepped on the gas and pulled his car directly in front of me, blocking my path.

He got out and grabbed my arm. "Meredith, what are you throwing a fit about now?"

"I'm not throwing a fit. We're just going in different directions."

He let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're going to the gathering. I'm going to the police station. We're not going the same way."

He stared at me for two seconds. When he realized I wasn't just sulking, a hint of unease finally crept into his expression. "Why are you going there?"

I looked toward Kendra in the passenger seat.

Two nights ago, I had been working overtime when my supervisor sexually harassed me at the office.

After finally managing to get away, I called Damon in tears, begging him to come pick me up.

I hadn't even finished explaining when he cut me off. "Kendra got drunk at a business dinner. I'll pick her up first, then come get you."

But even after the police finished collecting evidence at the scene and taking my statement, Damon never showed up.

The memory of that night still pierced me like a needle.

I didn't want to say anything more. "It's nothing."

Damon frowned, about to question me further, when Kendra suddenly leaned out of the car with an apologetic expression.

"Clark's already called several times to ask where we are. If we're late again tonight, I'm probably going to get pressured into drinking all over again."

The hesitation in Damon's eyes disappeared. He gave me a brief explanation. "I'll drop her off first, then come find you."

The car sped away.

Standing beneath the streetlight, I smiled, unsurprised.

On my way to the police station, I took out my phone and sent my company a resignation letter as well.

[I'm not dropping the case. I'm not the one who did anything wrong.]