001

Noelle

I balanced the cake box carefully in my hands, the little golden ribbon slipping against my wrist as I climbed the steps to Evan’s apartment. My heart was practically doing somersaults at this point, and I was too giddy to care that my heels pinched. Three years together, three years of late night calls, of me defending him against my family’s endless doubts, of believing that we were building something real, and tonight was another day to share the milestone we'd achieved.

Tonight was supposed to prove it, and we even had our own little tradition. We always had an anniversary dinner in his place, me bringing dessert, him handling the wine and what not. It was simple, private, and ours, and believe me when I said nothing could top that feeling of curling up in your lover's arms afterwards.

I knocked once, then twice at his door, but there was no answer. I smiled, just before pressing my ear to the door. I'd walked past his car parked downstairs, and that was all the confirmation I didn't know I needed that he was planning something. Maybe he was setting up candles, maybe he wanted me to walk in to some sweet surprise. He wasn’t a grand gesture type, but my chest filled with hope anyway. He'd always said the number three was a special number for him since we met in our third year of uni, so I had high hopes for tonight.

When the door finally creaked open, all thanks to my spare key ,silence met me. There was no Evan in sight, and no surprise either. His house looked the same from a glance, but I stepped in, the cake box still secure in my hands, as I inhaled the faint scent of cologne and something muskier, something like sweat.

Like that wasn't enough, some strange noise cut through my thoughts. A muffled laugh came first, then a woman’s gasp, and even I couldn't help the way my pulse skipped.

A frown made its way to my lips as I headed toward his bedroom, trying to keep my mind from spiraling. Maybe he’d left the TV on? Or left one of those clips from those sites he always frequented. He’d told me he only watched them because he needed some inspiration to spice up our relationship, and I let him. But no, the sounds tonight were too real, and too raw. Without wasting so much as a second, I adjusted my grip on the cake, throat tightening as I pushed the door open.

The world split in two at what laid in front of me.

Evan was tangled in sheets with another body. Pale skin, long hair I knew too well. They all belonged to my best friend, Harper. Her legs were locked around his waist, their mouths slick with each other, and her nails dragging across his shoulders.

“Evan?” The cake slid from my hands before I could stop it. The box hit the floor with a dull splat, red frosting smearing like blood against the carpet.

Both their heads snapped up, and for one stupid, hopeful second, I thought maybe they’d leap apart in shame. That they would ologize,beg or even blame the devil for this misfortune,but they didn't.

“Oh wow,look what we have here.” Instead, Harper smirked, her voice dripping with venom. “Guess the surprise is ruined.”

“Looks like it.” Evan’s lips curved in something that wasn’t guilt, it was relief. Like it was nothing, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Well, I guess you know now.”

“What?” I couldn’t breathe. “What the hell is this?”

“It’s our anniversary too, Noelle.”

Harper leaned back against the pillows, stretching like a cat who’d just eaten. “Didn’t Evan tell you?”

“Evan?” The words hit harder than any slap. My gaze snapped to him, but he didn’t even flinch. “What is she talking about?”

“Harper and I have been together longer than you and I ever were.”

He shrugged, as if he were explaining the weather. “You were just… convenient.”

Convenient. The word hollowed me out, and I almost passed out right there.

“I gave you everything,” I whispered, but the shake in my voice betrayed me. “My family hated you. I fought for you, for us. How could you do this?”

“Your mistake,” Harper said breezily, twisting the knife. “He was mine first, always was. You were nothing short of a stain that refused to disappear”

The dam inside me cracked at her words. I blinked back, trying desperately to hold in the tears that were threatening to spill, but they slipped out anyway. As my vision blurred, I expected sobs. Instead, the tears burned away into fury.

“You two deserve each other.” My hands clenched at my sides as my voice rose, sharp and shaking. “Every filthy, pathetic piece of you. I hope you rot together.”

Evan rolled his eyes, while Harper laughed outright, like they'd expected all of this to happen and something in me snapped. I wanted to yell, and maybe slam a piece of cake into their faces, and rip out their faces while I was at it too, but I turned on my heel before they could see me crumble.

By the time I burst out into the night, the cool air stung against my damp lashes. Goosebumps raced down my spine, but I fought against them. My sobs were growing persistent now, and threatening to break free from my throat, but I forced them back down.

In the blink of an eye, I yanked my phone from my bag, my thumb trembling over the screen until I found her number.

“Mom,” I said when she answered, my voice steadier than I felt. “You know that blind date you’ve been begging me to go on? …I’m ready. Set it up.”

“Noelle?” Her voice held more surprise than anything, and I was torn on if she had felt my pain, or if she was just caught off guard by the timing. “What's gotten into you? Are you okay? What about….”

“Just set it up mom.” I cut her off. “and send me the details.”

I ended the call before she could answer, before I could second guess myself. As I stood in my spot, my chest still heaved with rage. My heart was a shattered mess, but one thing was clear. I wasn’t going to cry over Evan and Harper anymore.

Let them rot, while I made them pay for this.