The Delay In Love

A hand was clamping my mouth tightly, so I couldn't make a sound.

By the time it was over, Cody had comforted my best friend and carried her into the private room next door.

Soft gasps and low moans intertwined, seeping through the crack of the door left slightly ajar.

I dragged my torn, wounded body to the doorway.

My hand, which was about to push the door open, paused. A black card was tossed at my feet.

In the darkness, Cody spoke, his voice hoarse, "Waitress, buy me a box of ultra-thin condoms. Hurry."

Numbly, I picked up the card, limped to the front desk, and bought a box of condoms.

I pushed open the room door and placed the box on the table.

"I brought what you asked for."

The two people on the couch, locked in a passionate kiss, suddenly went rigid.

When Cody saw it was me, the lust in his eyes disappeared bit by bit.

"Rebecca... what are you doing here?"

"I sent you a text."

My gaze fell on their intertwined bodies, my voice utterly lifeless.

Cody finally came to his senses. He abruptly pushed Summer away and scrambled to put on his clothes.

In the chaos, I pulled his phone from his pocket and entered my birthday.

The screen lit up.

What greeted my eyes was Summer's chat pinned at the very top.

Next to my profile picture hung a cold "Do Not Disturb" icon. The icon of 99+ unread messages stung my eyes.

I thought he just couldn't be bothered to reply, but it turned out he couldn't even be bothered to read my texts.

Staring at that screen full of blatant favoritism, I forcibly swallowed back all the grievances that had risen to my lips.

Cody grabbed my hand, his voice laced with a rare panic.

"Rebecca, I can explain."

I said nothing and simply stared at his chest.

Cody was a clean freak. He was always restrained and under-control even in sex. He never allowed me to leave any marks on his body.

Once, I accidentally left a love bite on him, and he was so furious he forbade me from being near him for three months.

Yet now, his chest was openly covered with large, suspicious-looking red marks.

Seeing me neither argue nor make a scene, the panic in Cody's eyes intensified. He tried to explain, "Rebecca, Summer was drugged. This is an accident."

Summer leisurely sat up and put on Cody's shirt right in front of me.

She then wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at me with a smile.

"Since you've seen us, there's no point hiding it from you anymore. Let's reintroduce ourselves. This is Cody, my boyfriend."

Cody snapped at her, "Shut up!"

Summer didn't listen. She picked up the box of ultra-thin condoms from the table and let out a chuckle.

"Cody really hasn't touched you much, has he? You don't even know his size. This is way too small for him. Are you trying to torture him?"

"Summer, I said shut up!"

Cody's eyes were bloodshot as he grabbed her throat.

Summer giggled coquettishly and stroked the back of his hand.

"Stop yelling. When you were choking me earlier, you sounded way better than you do now."

"Get lost!"

Cody exploded in anger and flung her out the door.

Then, he turned and grabbed my hand.

"Rebecca, you have to believe me, it was just a moment of weakness..."

Before he could finish, the light from outside finally revealed the blood and grime covering my body.

Cody's pupils constricted sharply, his eyes filled with pain.

"Rebecca, how did you get hurt?"

I evaded his touch, my voice wooden.

"I slipped."

"Wait here, I'll go get a first-aid kit."

Panic-stricken, Cody carefully carried me to the couch and rushed out of the private room.

Some time later, the pain hit me belatedly.

Cody was gone for a long time. Dazed and groggy, I curled up.

Somehow, I accidentally called Cody.

This time, the call connected in less than a second.