Chapter 3: Something's Off

The house felt different the deeper I went into it. It was too warm, too loud, and just too full for my taste.

I passed a group in the hallway, someone laughing too hard at something that wasn’t even that funny, a couple pressed too close against the wall, and a door half-closed with shadows moving behind it.

I tried telling myself that it was normal.

This is what parties are like.

I’m just not used to these kinds of things.

Still, my chest felt tight, and I felt oddly out of place.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I paused.

“Relax,” I whispered to myself. “You’re just here to see Tyler.”

That was it. It wasn’t anything complicated or scary — just Tyler.

I stared up at the stairs.

Each step I took felt louder than it should have. While the music faded ever so slightly the higher, I went, replaced by quieter sounds. Voices, movement, laughter, coming from the top floor. It made me freeze because I knew that laugh all too well.

Even before my brain caught up, my body already had. It was Brianna.

I swallow hard.

“No,” I whispered under my breath. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

There were dozens of people — dozens. It could be anyone.

I’m probably just being paranoid.

The Door

When I finally had reached the top floor, I observed my surroundings.

The hallway was dim, and doors were closed on both sides, except one. It was half open, as light was spilling out into the corridor. Despite that, I still glanced toward the bathroom first. It was empty, which made a flicker of confusion pass through me.

“Daniel said..”

My voice trailed off, because suddenly the laugh came again. Clearer this time.

I walked closer to the room, as my heart started pounding faster for every step I took.

It felt loud, loud enough for those around to hear it, but they didn’t.

I didn’t want to check, but despite that, my feet kept moving towards the door.

Even my hand moved before I fully decided to, like it had a mind of its own.

The door creaked softly as I pushed it open, and at that moment everything stopped.

On the bed, I saw Brianna, and on top of her was Tyler, naked, only half covered by a flimsy sheet. It was barely even covering anything.

There was no way of denying what I was seeing. It was too much, too obvious, and too real.

For a second, none of them noticed me, and for that second, I got to see it for exactly what it was, and there was no way to unsee any of it.

The unfiltered, undeniable, painful truth.

Then Brianna turned her head. Her eyes met mine, and at first there was a hint of surprise, but then it slowly turned into something else, a smile.

“Aw,” she said, like my presence was a mild inconvenience. “That’s unfortunate, we were just getting to the fun part.”

Tyler froze, as his eyes met mine, before he jerked back like he had just been burned.

“Julia, I—” he started, but I couldn’t hear the rest. It was like something inside me just turned completely off, as if I for a moment was completely unable to comprehend what had just happened.

The collapse

When I finally snapped back to reality, I stepped back. Once. And then a few more.

“Julia, wait!” Tyler started scrambling off the bed, grabbing his shirt, but I didn’t wait for him. Instead, I turned and started walking away. My legs felt strangely steady, like they weren’t connected to the rest of me.

“Julia!”

His voice followed me into the hallway, turning louder and more panicked, but still I continued walking.

When I reached the stairs, I grabbed a firm hold on the railing.

Breathe. Don’t cry. Not here. I told myself repeatedly, letting people see me like that would only make it worse, especially if it was in front of him.

“Julia?”

Daniel stared at me from the bottom of the stairs, with confusion written all over his face.

“What happened?”

I shook my head.

“I-nothing. I just...” I tried to seem unaffected, but my voice broke. It was just a little, but it was enough to make his expression shift, as concern replaced confusion.

“Hey,” he said, while he continued to step closer. “You can talk to me.”

He said that, but I already knew I couldn’t. If I did, it would become real, and I wasn’t ready for that.

“Julia, please wait!”

Tyler’s voice came again, and this time it was coming closer. Too close, making me flinch, which Daniel immediately noticed.

His gaze flicked past me, up the stairs, and then Tyler appeared, half-dressed, rushed and guilty.

That was all it took for Daniel to put two and two together.

The moment Daniel understood, something in his posture changed.

It was subtle, but immediate.

“Seriously?” He said under his breath, more to Tyler than to me.

“Daniel, not now,” Tyler started, still focusing his gaze on me.

“The hell do you mean ‘not now’?” Daniel snapped, stepping forward slightly.

“Please, Julia, let me explain.”

“To her?” Daniel cut in sharply. “Looking like that?”

A heavy, uncomfortable silence spread, as Tyler narrowed his eyes.

“Move,” Tyler said, as he tried to step around him, but Daniel didn’t let him.

Instead, he planted himself firmly between us.

“Don’t,” he said, quieter now, but firmer.

Tyler blinked, clearly thrown off by Daniel’s change.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t embarrass yourself,” Daniel elaborated, as his voice edged with something close to disappointment. “And let her go.”

That clearly hit Tyler, as his jaw tightened.

“This isn’t your business.”

“It became my business the second you decided to do that in my house,” Daniel shot back.

I didn’t wait for more. I couldn’t.

“Julia...” Tyler tried again, but this time, he didn’t follow me because Daniel wouldn’t let him, and I walked out of the front door alone.