Chapter 6

(Evelyn's POV)

The cab smelled like stale cigarettes and cheap air freshener, but I didn't mind.

Instead, I pressed myself against the worn leather seat, eyes fixed on Julian's car three vehicles ahead. My heart hammered so hard with anticipation, I could feel it in my throat.

"You sure about this, ma'am?" The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror. "Following someone like this... it usually doesn't end well."

But I didn't answer because If I opened my mouth right then, I might scream or cry or both.

The red taillights of Julian's Mercedes weaved through the evening traffic. I'd memorized everything about that car—the small mark on the rear bumper from when he crashed into a pole last summer, the way one taillight was slightly dimmer than the other. 

Seven years of marriage taught you these details. Seven years of believing I knew everything about the man behind the wheel. It turned out I didn't know anything at all.

My phone buzzed in my lap and I glanced down. It’s Serena.

 "Sorry I had to end the live so abruptly. My man surprised me,” the message read, with exaggerated surprise and love emojis.

My fingers tightened around the phone. The heart emoji blurred as tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them back. Not yet. I could cry later. But right now, I need to see clearly.

"He's turning," the driver said.

Julian's car pulled into an urban apartment complex. I knew this building. 

I'd seen it before, in the background of Serena's I*******m posts, the ones she captioned with hashtags like: #NewBeginnings and #LivingMyBestLife.

She'd messaged me the address months ago, inviting me to visit sometime.

I never did.

"Pull over here." I pointed to a spot across the street, far enough to stay hidden but close enough to see.

The driver obliged, then shifted in his seat to look at me properly. "Listen, I don't know what's going on, but—"

"I'll pay you to wait." My voice came out quickly. "However long this takes.”

He studied my face for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Meter's running then."

I watched Julian park. He didn't head for the main entrance. Instead, he walked around the side of the building, shoulders relaxed and steps confident. 

He'd done this before. Many times before, judging by how easily he navigated to a side door I didn't even know existed.

Then he pulled out a key.

A freaking key!

My husband had a spare key to my best friend's apartment. Somebody wake me up!

The side door swung open and he disappeared inside. I counted the floors and windows, trying to figure which unit was Serena's from her posts.

 It was the fifth floor, the corner apartment. The one with the white curtains she'd been so proud of, posting them with the caption: "French and elegant, like something out of a movie.”

Those curtains were closed now, but light filtered through them. I stared at the window, willing myself to look away, to tell the driver to take me home, and to pretend I never followed him here.

But I didn't move. Minutes ticked by. Five. Ten. Fifteen. Then the light in Serena's apartment flicked on.

Two shadows appeared behind the curtains. Even through the fabric, I could make out their shapes. The taller one, Julian, moved toward the shorter one, and they blurred together into a single silhouette.

My breath caught in my throat.

 There it was. The proof I didn't want but needed. The confirmation that every instinct screaming at me for the past year wasn't paranoia or insecurity or hormones or any of the other excuses Julian fed me.

It was the truth!

The phone in my hand started ringing and Julian's name flashed across the screen.

I stared at it. He was calling me, while he was in her apartment and I could literally see his shadow holding hers.

The audacity was impressive, I needed his plug.

My finger hovered over the red decline button. I should ignore it and let him worry. But I answered anyway.

"Hey, babe." My voice was steady and calm. Years of swallowing my doubts had made me an expert at sounding fine when I was anything but fine.

"Hey, honey." He sounded relieved. "Just wanted to check on you. How's your stomach?"

I watched his silhouette behind Serena's curtains. He moved away from her, hand probably pressed to his ear. Playing the concerned husband while standing in his mistress's living room.

"It's better." The lie tasted like ash. "Much better."

"Good. Excellent. So babe, this client meeting is running longer than expected. I might be late tonight."

“Client meeting indeed,” I almost scoffed.

I watched him gesture with his free hand. Was he talking to Serena? Telling her to be quiet while he told more lies? The smaller shadow moved, disappearing deeper into the apartment.

"That's fine." I kept my voice light and sweet, just like he expected. "Take your time."

"You're the best, you know that?" He laughed, that warm and affectionate sound that used to make me melt. "I don't deserve you."

You're right. You don't.

"Don't be silly," I said instead. "You work hard. I understand."

There was a pause and a background noise filtered through. Was that music? Serena's taste in jazz, probably. I used to tease her about it.

"I love you," Julian said. "Get some rest, okay?"

The silhouettes merged again. He was touching her, while telling me he loved me.

"I love you too."

The words were automatic. I'd said them thousands of times over seven years. But that was the last time. I knew it with the same certainty I knew the sun would rise tomorrow.

That was the last time I'd tell Julian Hart I loved him.

The call ended and I watched him toss his phone. I could see the motion even from there, the careless way he discarded it. Probably onto Serena's couch. Our couch was cream-colored, I wondered what hers looked like.

The shadows finally moved toward what I knew was her bedroom. The light in the living room stayed on. 

They weren't even trying to hide it!

Why would they? I was home, trusting and believing every lie that fell from his lips.

The driver cleared his throat. "Ma'am? You alright?"

"No." The word escaped before I could stop it. "No, I'm not alright."

He nodded like he expected that answer. "Where to now?"

Good question. Smart man.

I could go home, crawl into bed and pretend this night never happened. Wake up tomorrow and smile when Julian kissed my forehead and told me he loved me.

I'd been doing that for eighteen months, apparently. What was one more day?

But then I thought about the storage unit and the box labeled "Miscellaneous" that I hadn't opened in over a year. The one filled with receipts and tickets and little inconsistencies I noticed but paid little heed to.

Evidence I collected without even realizing I was collecting it.

"Lakeview Storage," I heard myself say. "Fifth and Main."