Graduation Trip to Catch a Cheating Boyfriend

I stood there, completely frozen. I kept telling myself I had to be overthinking it.

Then, I saw the poster's reply from a minute ago.

"He said he'd be here soon."

The comments were already filled with people waiting for an update.

I opened my rideshare app, my hand trembling uncontrollably.

I'd been to Bexford countless times, and every single time, Blake Jones had come to pick me up as soon as I arrived, no matter the weather.

This was the first time he hadn't.

Maybe it was because of the gloomy weather, but I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in my chest.

I switched to my private account and followed the poster. A few minutes later, she updated the post with a caption that was almost teasing.

"He really does have a soft spot for me after all."

The photo showed two hands intertwined, fingers laced together.

I recognized Blake immediately.

The watch on his wrist was the Valentine's Day gift I'd given him. I'd worked part-time for nearly two years to save up for it, spending every dollar I'd earned from my internships.

I took a deep breath and kept reading.

"The second he heard me cough, he rushed right back. He's so sweet."

The comments blew up again.

"You have to confess! We're rooting for you."

"Isn't this wrong?" Maeve Robinson replied. "He's been with my best friend for seven years."

"Why would it be wrong?" someone answered. "Ever heard of the seven-year curse? Your childhood friend probably lost interest in your best friend ages ago. He only has eyes for you now!"

A deafening rumble of thunder shook the sky, followed by a sudden downpour. I stood in the terminal, shivering from the cold.

Blake and I had been together for seven years. We'd made it through three years of high school and another four years of long distance.

When he and Maeve were both accepted into graduate programs at Bexford University, I decided to move to Bexford so we could finally be together again.

A few days earlier, we'd been on a video call.

I saw Maeve with her arms around Blake's neck, leaning close to whisper something in his ear. He didn't push her away. They laughed and joked together, and then the call ended.

Something had felt wrong in that moment, but I'd told myself it was nothing.

I hadn't realized their relationship had already crossed the line between friendship and developed into something more.

It took me 20 minutes to finally get a ride.

Rain poured down as I headed toward Blake's apartment.

The radio reported that Bexford was experiencing unusually heavy rainfall and that the storm was expected to continue for several days.

To make matters worse, the car I was in had such low clearance that it stalled almost as soon as we reached downtown. The driver cursed the extreme weather in his thick Bexford accent, then eventually told me to get out and make my own way there.

I called Blake. He normally answered within seconds, but this time, I was left waiting for several minutes.

I stood alone on the street, cold and hungry.

The moment I heard his voice, tears filled my eyes.

"Blake, could you come get me? I—"

"Noelle, you're not a kid anymore," he cut me off in a low voice. "I can't always drop everything to come pick you up. Just come back yourself, okay?"

"No, that's not what I meant. Listen, I—"

He hung up before I could finish.

Just then, a new email appeared on my phone.

It was an offer from a company in Bexford.

I'd spent all four years of college doing everything I could to build my résumé—keeping my grades up, taking internships, and entering competitions—just so I could end the long distance between us.

I turned down an offer from a company in Southbury and sent more than 1,000 applications to companies in Bexford. After nearly 50 failed interviews, I finally landed the offer I'd dreamed about.

This should have been the moment I finally got to celebrate, but I didn't feel happy at all.

I stared at the email for a long time, then ultimately rejected the offer.