Honeymoon's Over Before It Began

Lisa Goodner reached out to grab me, but I sidestepped her.

"Can you not throw a tantrum over something this small?" Her tone softened, turning coaxing.

I didn't say anything. I just stared at her coldly.

She couldn't hold up under my gaze and let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll talk to him. I'll tell him to leave."

She raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. "You're the boss. Happy now?"

With that, she turned and walked over to Drew Fenton, keeping her voice low.

Drew's shoulders slumped at once. He looked up. "Lisa, is it because Brad doesn't like me?

"Did I do something wrong? I'm just feeling down because of my breakup. I only wanted to soak up a little of your happiness."

As he spoke, he cast a wounded glance my way, then turned his eyes back to Lisa and grabbed her arm. "Lisa, I know Brad has the wrong idea about us. But you explained it to him, and he still doesn't trust you?"

That same look again. That same fake-innocent act again.

Something buzzed loudly inside my head.

Two months ago, Drew had shown up at the door of the new home Lisa and I shared, dragging two enormous suitcases behind him. He'd worn this exact same look then.

That day, Lisa had hugged me, though her eyes, brimming with pity, were fixed on him.

"Babe, Drew just broke up with someone, and then his landlord kicked him out. He's all alone in this city. It's so sad.

"Let him stay with us for a little while. As soon as he finds a job and a place, he'll move right out."

And then what? Once he moved in, he never mentioned moving out again.

Then there was the pre-wedding party, two weeks before we got our marriage license.

In front of everyone, Drew gazed at Lisa with red-rimmed eyes. "I'm so jealous of Brad, getting to marry someone as wonderful as you, Lisa. The person I dated before didn't treat me half as well as you do."

Our friends egged them on, telling him and Lisa to link arms for a lovers' toast.

Lisa hesitated.

But Drew just took her by the arm. "Come on, Lisa. Think of it as an early toast to your happy marriage."

Half protesting, half willing, she drank.

Later, when we took a group photo, Drew shoved me aside outright and pressed his face almost flush against Lisa's cheek.

That night, she and I had the biggest fight we'd ever had.

"Lisa, do you have any sense of boundaries at all?"

"Babe, don't overthink it. We were just messing around. We've been like this since we were kids."

I was shaking with anger.

We gave each other the silent treatment for a week. I had already packed my bags, ready to end the relationship.

It wasn't until the night before we got our license that she finally held me and apologized.

"Babe, I'm sorry. From now on, I'll keep my distance from him, I swear. I promise, this is the last time."

I looked into her bloodshot eyes, and I believed her.

But now, standing in the airport terminal, it was clear her promise was nothing but a joke.

The way she looked at Drew was full of heartache. And that heartache wasn't for me.

She walked over to me, exhaustion written all over her face. "Babe, look how upset Drew is. Maybe..."

I headed for the exit before she could finish. "I'll leave. You two enjoy the honeymoon."