It was just past eight in the morning, and my dad was pulling the car into the parking lot of Barton Presbyterian Church. Being a committee member, most notably the treasurer, he liked to get there earlier than anyone in the congregation to make sure things were set up beforehand. I didn't see Danny's truck in the lot, so I assumed he wasn't here yet. I'd been waiting all night to see him and ask if there was anything bothering him that he needed to get off his chest, but it would have to wait until after our Sunday School lesson.
While my parents headed in the direction of the church office, I went downstairs to the education nook, which housed the nursery and teen center. The church was nearly one hundred years old, and had been remodeled several times since its opening in the 1920s. The "South Wing" was a great addition, since it was made up of the education nook and banquet hall.
I unlocked the nursery first, and got to work. I needed to set up the projector and couch cushions, so my kids all had somewhere to sit. I played a short biblical movie or show before every lesson, knowing I would have no one's attention otherwise.
I'd been teaching Sunday School on my own for the last three years, and Danny casually joined me sometime last year. He first would just sit in on classes with Aly, but eventually became my right-hand man. I loved getting to hang out with the kids during the service, especially during the longer sermons, but having another young adult with me was refreshing.
As I organized the pillows and cushions on the couch, I thought again about the text. If Danny were lying to me about anything, what would it be? Surely it couldn't be that bad. I thought more about the person wanting me to meet them today, and started to feel anxious. On one hand, I wanted to know who was behind the texts, but on the other, I worried about their motive to meet in person.
There was a knock at the door, and Danny walked in. He was wearing a green sweater that matched his eyes, and he looked like he'd just woken up and rolled out of the shower. "I didn't want to startle you." He smiled warmly. "What's on the agenda today, boss?"
"I was thinking something easy, like some Veggie Tales." I said, pulling a box of DVDs out of the storage closet. "I'm not mentally prepared for an in-depth class with children." I said, making Danny chuckle. I sat down with the box to comb through it and find the disc I needed.
"Did you see the photos your grandma posted of us online? They're so cute." I gushed, thinking about the picture we'd taken in front of the hayride that Linda had posted. Danny didn't use social media much, so I knew the answer would be no.
"I think I last logged into my account in June, maybe?" He chuckled, and I shrugged my shoulders, returning to the box.
"What's on your mind?" He asked knowingly. He could always tell when something was up with me, I loved - and hated - that about him. I inhaled deeply, and thought about my words before I spoke.
Danny came and sat beside me, ready to listen. I sifted through the box, trying to find any short season, and he patiently waited for me to talk.
"I've been getting these weird messages, and they're just unsettling." I said truthfully.
"What do you mean, like texts?" He cocked his head to the side, and I paused my search.
"Yeah, like texts. About you."
"What do you mean, about me?" He furrowed his brow, and worry crossed his face. "What did the texts say?"
"It was just so weird they came from an unknown number." I mumbled, more to myself than to him.
"What did the texts say?" He pressed again.
I shook my head and turned back to the box of DVDs. "They were just weird, it was probably nothing." I shrugged it off, but Danny wasn't averting his attention from me.
"Abby, what did they say?" He sounded almost guilt-stricken, and I started to think that maybe there was something he was hiding from me. Why would he be so defensive if there was nothing to hide?
"It was nothing, just another stupid kid bothered by their insatiable crush on you." I said, and I watched as he relaxed, and focused his attention back on the box in front of me. "Now, can you help me find this stupid video?"
*
Sure enough, at 2:49 p.m., I found myself walking into Brew Brothers.
After going home and thinking more about my conversation with Danny, I knew I wanted to find out some more information. He was acting slightly off all throughout the class and service, he definitely had his mind somewhere else. So, the only place I knew I could get answers, although the last place I wanted to be, was at the coffee shop.
I checked my phone to see if I had another text, after I'd let them know I was here, but I had no new messages. I let out an exasperated sigh and rolled my shoulders. I managed to put on my most believable game-face and walked inside.
The shop was nearly empty, as I thought it would be. Brew Brothers was our smaller coffee shop, but I did appreciate it more than the local Starbucks. I used to frequent the shop a lot more than I did now, it was my hangout spot to come to with Stacy and one of our other friends, Molly. It was one of those shops that served your drinks in glass mason jars if you were staying, and offered a variety of books along the wall. The shop had been owned by the same duo for as long as I could remember, two brothers local to Barton, who'd inherited the space that had once served as their late mother's bakery. Fortunately, one of them had gotten the baking gene, and they served hot breakfast sandwiches and pastries.
My eyes zoned in on a square, wooden table in the corner, and I bee-lined for it. Pulling out one of the brass chairs that was meant to pass as antiquated instead of something from Target's Hearth & Home collection, I scanned the room for any familiar face, unsure of who I was looking for. I didn't see a student from Barton, or even someone remotely close to my age - as the average customer was just south of thirty if I had to guess - so I sat down and waited for my guest to arrive.
I had never done anything this reckless or senseless before, and I knew what I was potentially getting myself into. I had texted Stacy, asking her if she wanted anything to drink from the shop, so she had some sort of idea that I was here. She had declined, like I knew she would; she was out for lunch with her older sister Monica, who was a decade older and had a little girl that Stacy would do anything for. I'd shared my location with her anyway, and told my parents I was coming to study for finals, which were only a few weeks away.
I impatiently tapped my chipped nails against the wooden table top, and looked at the clock on the wall. It was 2:57 p.m., with no sign from any high school student in sight. I decided to go up and get an iced double shot, hoping it would make the wait go by faster. I left my purse and jacket at the table and walked up to order my drink. The barista, who'd graduated last year from Barton and cheered with me, rolled her eyes when I asked for sugar-free syrup.
The bells over the door rang, signaling a new person was walking in or out, as I waited at the pickup counter. I whipped my head up quickly to catch a glimpse of the person walking in, and my face lit up when I saw Rhys. Relief washed over me, knowing I had some sort of friendly face here, even if only for a minute.
"Tyler!" I called, and he gave me a half-hearted smile. My brow furrowed when a girl sauntered in behind him, and her gaze honed in on me. "Hi." I said, my voice quieter and less sure. She didn't look familiar, and she looked even less friendly. She was stunning though, with richly tanned skin and long, curly hair. She had deep brown eyes that would have been overshadowed by her full, scarlet-painted lips, had they not been so piercing on their own. I gulped down my insecurities as the two neared.
"What are you doing here, Rhys? On a date?" I asked, as he walked up to me, with the girl in tow. I watched as her eyes trailed me up and down, and I could feel judgement spewing from her.
"Hey, Abs. Actually," Rhys cleared his throat when he got closer. "We're here to see you." He said, and my mouth parted quickly, realizing what his words meant.
"What...what do you mean?" I stuttered, and my name was called from the counter. I barely took my gaze from Rhys as I picked up my coffee. His face fell as he looked at me. "What's going on with Danny?" I asked, and the girl beside him stepped forward.
"Why don't you go have a seat, and we'll get some drinks?" She suggested, and I shook my head, silenced by her domineering demeanor. Her voice didn't waver like mine when she spoke, and I had even more questions than when they'd arrived.
"Yeah, okay. I'm over there in the corner." I gestured toward the window seat, and she gave me a tight-lipped smile that came across as more of a sneer than a warm face. I looked up at Rhys, worry knowingly settling on my face as I searched his for an answer.
"We'll be just a moment, Abs." Rhys assured me, and he headed for the order kiosk. I forced myself to move from the pickup counter, and paced my steps back to the table. I stole a glance over my shoulder at the two of them, still wondering who the girl was with him. He'd only just broken up with Stephen, was he moving on that quickly to someone else? But, that didn't answer the question of was Rhys the one texting me to begin with. And, what did any of this have to do with Danny? He was Danny's best friend, so I knew what he was about to disclose couldn't be a baseless lie. Which, worried me even more than someone who didn't know Danny at all.
I didn't notice the chair across from me was pulled out while I was in my own head, until the girl let out a long-winded sigh. She sat down confidently, crossing one black tight-clad leg over the other. She pulled at the waistband of her shorts, and made herself comfortable.
"I'm Tessa." She told me, pulling me from my thoughts as she brazenly extended her hand to me. Her two bracelets clinked together as she did so, and I eyed the Cartier logo embedded into the silver of one. I couldn't help but calculate the price tag.
"Abby." I reciprocated, and gripped her hand for a shake.
"Not bad. For a cheerleader." She spoke with an edge of sarcasm, and I opened my mouth to defend myself when Rhys intervened by pulling his chair out and sitting down. How did she know that? I eyed her again as he took his seat, sure I'd never crossed paths with her. I'd have remembered her, surely.
It was quiet for a moment, but the air was thick with anticipation. I looked at Rhys, who sipped from his espresso, before putting the glass down silently.
"So, Abby. How are you?" He asked me, and I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.
"You know, same as I was Friday at the game." I answered, and folded my hands around my coffee cup. "Rhys, what's going on?" I pressed after waiting for him to continue, and he sighed.
"There's something I - we - need to tell you." He said, giving a pointed look to the girl, Tessa, sitting next to him. She cleared her throat, sitting up straighter in her chair. I was absolutely entranced by her, she commanded complete attention with any movement she made. She folded her hands across her chest, waiting for Rhys or I to continue.
"What is this about? What's going on with Danny?" I asked, my voice faltering, thick with worry. I was annoyed that I couldn't seem to hold it together, especially in front of the girl who clearly wasn't my biggest fan.
"Look, Abby." Rhys began, but was cut off by Tessa when he couldn't seem to finish.
"He's cheating on you." She said quickly, and my jaw dropped. What did she just say? Danny was cheating on me? That was impossible. We spent almost every moment together, he hardly had time for anything outside of AP test studying and football practice. I burst out laughing, and Tessa's face contorted with confusion.
"That can't be true," I sputtered, shaking my head. "He doesn't even have free time." I laughed again, knowing she was lying. I rolled my eyes and looked at Rhys, who was silent. I stopped laughing and my hands rested on the table in front of me.
"Abby, it's true." Rhys was straightforward when he spoke, and I was taken aback. Why would he say that about his best friend without reason? I stopped laughing, and took in the pained look on his face. It sunk in that there had to be some truth to the statement, and I felt my face pale. It was a blow to the chest, and all the wind was sucked out of me. I felt a lump form in my throat as I tried to speak, but couldn't come up with any words. Tears forced their way out, and I swiped at my under eye.
"Rhys, please don't lie to me." I looked from him to Tessa, who wore a somber look on her face.
Suddenly, it clicked, and I was enraged. I narrowed my eyes and gestured to her. "Why did you bring her? Don't tell me this is who he's cheating on me with." I spat, resentment in my voice.
She didn't say anything, and Rhys sighed. "Yes," He confirmed. "Danny has been dating Tessa for the last six months." His words infuriated me, and I shook my head and wagged a finger at him to stop him.
"He's been dating me for three years. Three years, Rhys. He isn't dating her. There's a difference." I snarled at her. Tessa cocked her brow, and I continued, as if she weren't in front of me. "I don't believe this, Danny would never do this to me."
Tessa opened her mouth to speak, and Rhys put his hand on her arm to stop her. "Abby, I know you don't want to believe me. But, you have to hear me out." He said, and I rolled my eyes in disbelief. I sighed and plopped back in my seat, letting him continue. "Tessa came to me about two weeks ago, when she started getting suspicious of Danny lying to her about his whereabouts."
"You mean, when he was with his girlfriend." I interrupted him, and Tessa let out an exasperated sigh.
"Look, Abby. He was lying to me just as much as he was lying to you." She said, her voice wavering slightly. I noticed the tears threatening to prick her eyes, and realized she was hurting as well. How could Danny have done this? Why would he have done this? I was so confused and so hurt, I reluctantly gestured for her to continue after a moment, and she breathed in deeply before telling me her story.
"We met about eight months ago, during Spring Fest. He was running the fundraiser booth for his church, and my family stopped for more information. We never ended up going there, we aren't even religious." She chuckled under her breath. "But, Danny asked for my number so he could talk to me about the youth group." She explained, and I closed my eyes briefly, imagining their meeting. She was beautiful, of course he was drawn to her. With everything she said, I felt my heart break even more. I picked up a napkin from the table's dispenser and wiped gently at
my under eyes, as tears continued to well up.
"I also go to that church. I lead the youth groups." I stated shakily, and she pursed her lips in an 'O' shape, assumedly unaware of that fact. "We just taught class together this morning, actually. Which, ironically, is why I'm here I guess."
"I'm sorry, Abby." She said, and for the first time since I met her ten minutes ago, she seemed genuinely bothered by the situation. "You should know, he never once made it seem like there was anyone else in his life. He was actually very private, which I chalked up to him being shy."
"I promise you, Daniel Schwinn is not shy." I laughed coldly. She didn't even know him, it was painfully obvious.
"I didn't even know he had a F******k account until I met up with Rhys. Anyway, he has me blocked, and he even went out of his way to block you on my account." She stated, taking a short sip from her drink. "I just can't believe he would do this to me. Especially to you." She said, and I took a moment to take it all in.
Danny, my Danny, was seeing someone else behind my back. How could he have done this, but more importantly, why? I never would have imagined anything like this happening to us, not in my lifetime. I wanted to talk to him, to have him tell me all of this was a lie, so we could get back to our normal life filled with love. I wanted nothing more than for all of this to be a horrible nightmare. As I looked at Tessa sitting across from me, taking in her solemn eyes, I knew this wasn't a nightmare I would be waking up from anytime soon.
"This can't be happening." I muttered under my breath.
"I expected you to take this just as...well as I did." Tessa said after a moment. "I was hoping we could talk alone, maybe sometime later tonight. I want to give you time to process this, so for now, I wouldn't talk to Danny about this. I haven't even told him I know about you."
I wanted to lash out at her, spill my coffee on her t-shirt, rip her hair out of her head, anything to show how truly hurt I was. But, nothing was intense enough to convey my anger. I felt frozen in place, like I'd just found out my best friend had died. I sat back in my chair and folded my arms across my chest delicately, and shook my head.
"I don't think that's a good idea." I said, and sucked in a breath as I stood up from my chair and pushed it in. I felt unimaginably small compared to when I first walked in, and I needed to get out of there. I could feel a full-on meltdown bubbling up, and I didn't want to be anywhere near Tessa or Rhys, or anything to do with Danny. "I'll see you tomorrow, Rhys."
"Abby, wait." Tessa pleaded.
"What? What else do you need to tell me?" I looked at my feet, biting my cheek to try and stop the inevitable tears from falling again.
"Just give it a day, but don't talk to Danny yet. Please." She asked, and I didn't answer her. Instead, I picked up my coat and purse from the chair, and walked out of the shop.
God, I hated Sundays.
