Chapter 2

Yana tried calling almost immediately after the first call got cut off. Eventually it rang out, then she called again.

I answered with Yale Jensen standing right there, and put her on speaker.

"Tessa, what I said on the phone before was just a forfeit from a party game. Please believe me.

"I don't even like Yale. There's no way I'd sleep with him, much less get pregnant by him. I feel gross just saying it."

Yale froze so completely he might have been carved from stone.

It lasted only a second, but I saw it clearly. Disappointment flashed across his face before he could hide it.

"Tessa?" Yana called again, her voice starting to shake. "Are you listening?"

Yale seemed to snap back to himself. He reached over and ended the call.

The apartment went dead quiet.

He swallowed, and when he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry, Tessa. This is on me. I'm the one who's engaged to you, and I'm the one who let you find out the truth like this."

My nails dug hard into my palms. "When did you two get back together? How long has this been going on?"

He said nothing.

So I started putting it together for him.

"Two months ago, on my birthday, you came back without telling me because you wanted to surprise me. A few days later, you suddenly said something had come up at work, and you had to leave early.

"You were distracted when you left, like you had something to say but couldn't bring yourself to say it. You even apologized to me."

I looked straight at him.

"You weren't apologizing because you couldn't stay longer. And that split on your lip wasn't from dry weather."

His face tightened, but I kept going.

"The day I saw Yana off, you proposed as soon as I got home. It's because you felt guilty, didn't you?

"So you decided you had to make it up to me twice over. You were extra attentive about everything. Even in bed, you tried harder than usual."

"Enough!"

Yale finally snapped. A vein throbbed at his temple, and his face had gone ugly with tension.

"Stop."

"Why?" My voice shook, but I didn't look away. "You weren't too ashamed to do it. Why are you so afraid to hear me say it?"

He closed his eyes as if I'd backed him into a corner, then lowered himself beside me until he was half kneeling near my legs.

"Tessa, I know I wronged you. But we've come this far. Please don't do anything rash while you're upset."

Something about that was almost funny.

"We're done, Yale. I'm moving out in the morning."

All the color drained from his face. He reached for me, then stopped with his hand hanging uselessly in the air.

"I proposed because you're the one I want to marry."

"It's too late to talk about this tonight. Neither of us is in any state to think clearly. Get some rest. I'll come back tomorrow."

He left the apartment to me and took nothing but his phone, going to stay with his younger cousin in the complex next door.

Half an hour later, he messaged me to say he'd arrived. He even had his cousin speak for a moment so I would know he really was there.

By then I was curled up on the couch, slick with cold sweat. The pain had gotten so bad that even my thoughts were starting to blur.

I didn't know how long I stayed like that. Eventually, the worst of it eased enough for me to move, and I dragged myself up to look for some medicine.

Then someone knocked on the door.

"Tessa! It's me. I know you're still awake. Please open the door."

I froze.

That was Yana's voice.

For a moment, I genuinely thought the pain was making me hear things. She was supposed to be in Elaria. Even if she'd left immediately, it would have taken her at least ten hours to get back.

Then I laughed bitterly at myself.

Of course there hadn't been just one lie.

Before I could decide what to do, the lock clicked, and the door opened from the outside.

I'd given Yana the code myself.

It was my birthday.

It was also the date she'd said yes when Yale first asked her out.

For years, I'd gone out of my way not to think about the fact that those two dates were the same.

Yale hadn't forgotten.

There was a good chance Yana hadn't either.

"Tessa..."

She rushed inside, stopped when our eyes met, then dropped to the floor in front of me.

My heart gave another painful jolt.

"I'm sorry. I don't even know how to apologize to you. Nothing I say can make up for what I've done."

Tears spilled down her face as she struggled to keep talking.

"I never meant to hurt you. I just... I've been alone overseas for so long. I was lonely."

Her crying got worse.

"I thought I'd gotten over Yale years ago too. But when I came back and saw him this time, I realized I hadn't. I still love him."

Every word felt like a dull blade being dragged across an open wound.

She was shaking so hard that when she reached for me, she stopped before her hand could actually touch me.

"But I can't lose you either, Tessa. I really can't.

"I'll get an abortion. Then we can act like none of this ever happened, okay?

"Please. Just think of it as one terrible mistake. Forgive me this once, Tessa. Please."