Chapter Two: Nowhere Else to Go

Evelyn

My scream tore through the room and Daniel practically threw himself off her.

“Evelyn—”

“What the fuck!” I didn't recognize my own voice or my bedroom, I didn't recognize the man scrambling for his jeans or the woman sitting in my bed with my sheets pulled over her body.

For one horrible second, I just stood there and my brain kept rejecting what my eyes were showing it, the same Sienna who had sent me a picture of my wedding dress less than two hours ago.

The same Daniel who had told me he loved me before canceling dinner because his father was supposedly sick.

I looked at him. “Your dad.”

Daniel froze and I laughed but it came out broken. “Your dad is sick?”

“Evelyn, I—”

“You weren't at work.”

He opened his mouth to defend himself but nothing came out.

“You fucking lied to me.”

“I know.”

“You told me you were at work!”

“I know.”

“And then I come home and find you—”

My voice broke but I couldn't finish, Daniel took one step toward me and I immediately backed away.

“Don't.”

“Please, just let me—”

“Don't touch me.” I said calmly.

“I wasn't going to—”

“DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!”

He stopped and his face was pale, good at least one of them had the decency to look like something terrible had happened because Sienna didn't, she was getting dressed.

I stared at her, she pulled on her underwear, found her dress and stepped into it as though she'd been caught changing clothes instead of destroying seven years of friendship.

“Sienna.”

She kept dressing. “Sienna!”

“What?”

That nearly knocked the air out of me, the fact that I didn’t hear not I'm sorry or Evelyn, please.

I just stared at her. “What the fuck do you mean, what?”

She zipped her dress and Daniel looked at her. “Sienna, don't.”

But she ignored him, I couldn't understand what I was seeing. “You're my best friend.”

I saw regret on her face, then it disappeared. “Were.”

I went completely still and Daniel swore. “Sienna.”

“What?” she snapped at him. “You think lying now is going to fix this?”

“Just shut up.”

“No. I'm done hiding it.”

Hiding it, my stomach turned and I looked between them. “What does that mean?” But neither answered.

“What does that fucking mean?”

Daniel looked at the floor, Sienna looked directly at me and nd suddenly I was terrified.

“How long?” I demanded.

Daniel's head came up. “Evelyn—”

“How long?”

“It doesn't matter.”

I laughed. “You're naked in our bedroom with my best friend and you're telling me it doesn't matter?”

“I didn't mean—”

“How. Long?”

Daniel couldn't answer, he looked at Sienna and that was when I knew whatever answer was coming, it was worse than I thought.

Sienna picked up one of her earrings from my nightstand.

“Two years.”

The room disappeared, not literally but everything blurred.

“Two…” I couldn't finish and Sienna put the earring on. “Years.”

Daniel's face twisted. “For fuck's sake, Sienna.”

“What?” She looked at him. “She asked.”

I stared at them, my brain started doing the math even though I desperately wanted it to stop.

Two years ago, Daniel had proposed and Sienna had helped him choose my ring, she had known before I did and had helped him plan the proposal, she'd hidden behind a tree with her phone while Daniel got down on one knee, screamed when I said yes and hugged me afterward, I'd cried into her shoulder while she was sleeping with him.

“No.”

The word barely came out and Daniel stepped toward me. “Evelyn, please.”

I backed away. “No.”

“I can explain.”

“Then explain.”

He stopped and I waited. “Explain it.”

His eyes were wet now. “I…”

Nothing. “Go on.”

“I don't know what to say.”

I turned to Sienna. “You helped him propose to me.”

She didn't answer. “You helped him choose my ring.”

Still nothing. “You came wedding-dress shopping with me.”

“I remember.” My chest tightened at her reply.

“You're my maid of honor.”

Sienna finally looked irritated. “Oh, Evelyn, stop.”

“Sienna—”

“No.” She turned on me. “You want me to sit here crying and begging you to forgive me? I'm not going to.”

My mouth fell open. “You were never fucking there.”

“What?” I asked

“For him.” She gestured toward Daniel. “You're always working. Always at that office. Always answering Adrian Vale's calls. Always canceling something because your boss suddenly needs you.”

I couldn't believe her. “So you fucked my fiancé?”

“You neglected your relationship.”

Daniel finally found his voice. “Don't put this on her.”

Sienna looked at him. “Oh, fuck off. You've been complaining about it for years.”

I looked at Daniel and he still couldn't meet my eyes, that hurt almost as much as everything else. “You talked about me?”

He swallowed. “Evelyn…”

“To her?” I hated how my voice broke.

He said nothing and my voice dropped. “You talked to my best friend about me while you were fucking her?”

“I made a mistake.”

“For two years?”

He had nothing but Sienna did.

“Daniel was lonely.”

I looked at her and something about the complete lack of remorse on her face finally made me understand that this wasn't my best friend making one terrible mistake.

She didn't care, maybe she hadn't cared for a very long time.

“You don't even feel bad.”

Sienna picked up her phone. “I feel bad you found out this way.”

I flinched she did feel bad for what she had d done just that I'd found out.

Daniel shook his head. “Jesus Christ.”

But I wasn't looking at him anymore, I was looking at her, now all our memories suddenly felt contaminated.

“How could you do this to me?”

For the first time, Sienna hesitated and then she shrugged. “I didn't do it to you, Evelyn.”

I couldn't breathe and she picked up her shoes. “You weren't around. I was.”

That was it, no apology I felt my heart break and sadly Daniel seemed to notice.

“Eve…”

I looked at him and he looked terrified now maybe because I wasn’t screaming, I slid the engagement ring from my finger as my hand was shaking.

Daniel stared at it. “No.”

Then I placed it on the dresser. “Evelyn, don't.”

Six years reduced to one tiny diamond sitting on polished wood. “I was going to marry you.”

“We can fix this.”

I looked at him, for a second, I genuinely wondered if I'd heard him correctly and then I laughed. “Fix what?”

His mouth opened but nothing came out again, I nodded that was what I thought, I walked out of the bedroom and he screamed my name still following me “Evelyn.”

I didn't turn around, I knew I needed clothes, a toothbrush and my charger, I needed to get out before I completely fell apart.

I grabbed the small overnight bag from the spare-room closet and threw in enough to get me through the night. I didn't care what I took. I could come back for everything else when I could stand to look at this place again.

Daniel remained in the doorway. “Where are you going?”

“I don't know.”

“Please don't leave.”

I stopped packing, for one second, I couldn't move then I looked at him.

“You've been sleeping with my best friend for two years.”

His eyes closed. “And you were going to marry me in three weeks.”

“I know.”

“You don't get to ask me for anything.”

He didn't answer, there was nothing left for him to say, I zipped the bag and walked past him, Sienna was downstairs when I reached the living room fully dressed with a phone in one hand and shoes in the other.

She looked at me and I waited for an apology Instead she slipped on her shoes.

“Maybe now you'll finally admit you can't make a relationship work when you're married to your fucking job.”

Daniel came down behind me. “Sienna, get the fuck out.”

She shrugged, then she picked up her handbag and walked toward the door she passed me without touching me without apologizing or looking back.

I made it into my car before I broke, the door slammed, I locked it and then I sat there.

My hands rested on the steering wheel and it felt like the dam of teras broke as a sob tore out of me.

I covered my mouth, another followed then another, I bent forward until my forehead touched the steering wheel.

My phone started ringing, it was Daniel, I rejected it but he kept on caking and calling again, then finally, a message appeared from Daniel.

Please come back upstairs. Let me explain.

Another.

I love you.

I threw the phone onto the passenger seat. “Fuck you.”

The words came out broken as I cried until breathing hurt, then I sat back and stared through the windshield.

Where was I supposed to go? My parents? Sienna? A laugh escaped me through the tears, right there went that option.

I could go to a hotel but the thought of sitting alone in some unfamiliar room with nothing but my thoughts made my stomach turn.

I could call someone, but who? Most of my friends were also Sienna's friends and I couldn't say it yet, I couldn't hear myself explain that my wedding was probably over.

That Daniel had—

No, I wiped my face. Clean but I needed somewhere familiar and quiet where nobody would ask questions.

My eyes dropped to the small bag beside me, then to the time glowing on the dashboard.

8:26 p.m.

And suddenly I knew exactly one place that would be nearly empty at this hour, the last place any sane person would voluntarily return to after finally escaping it.

Vale Global.

I started the car because I had nowhere else to go so I went back to work