Chapter 2

Alex

I didn’t go to my brother’s.I drove to Juan’s.

I drove past the speed limit but I didn't care. My hands hurt from how hard I was holding the wheel. My best friend 

I kept seeing her face every where I turned. I almost believed her. What a fool I would have been. I hated the fact that even after everything I'm still worried about her, I wanted to gather her up in my arms earlier. It took a lot of restraint for me to stop. 

 I shouldn't care about her but I can't bring myself to stop. I could not stop thinking about it. My best friend and my wife.

“You piece of shit,” I said, and I didn’t know if It was for him or me for taking so long to see it.

I turned onto his street too fast. His porch light was on. His car was in the driveway. Good. My phone rang but I could not bring myself to answer it. 

I parked across from the house then I got out and went straight to his door. I knocked hard enough that the door shook. 

“Juan,” I yelled. “Open the fucking door. Now.”

The door opened. Juan had a beer in his hand. He looked horrible. After what he did he should. He saw me and blood drained from his face.

“Alex? Listen to me”

I hit him. My fist caught him in the mouth and the beer went flying. He stumbled back into the hall and I went in after him. 

“The hotel,” I said. “You slept with my wife.”

He touched his lip, blood dripping from his mouth.

“Jesus Christ Alex, it's not what it looks like" 

“Don’t.” I grabbed the front of his shirt. “ I know what it looks like when a man takes another man’s wife to a room.”

“We didn’t have sex”

I laughed

" Did both of you practice this, I must say you both lie like a pro. Tell me what were you doing in an hotel room with my wife”

“I don’t remember,” he said.

“The hell you don’t.”

“I mean it.” He swallowed.  “I remember going there. I remember the lobby. After that it’s… nothing. I woke up in the room. She was on the bed. She looked as scared as I did.”

“That’s your story?.”

“It’s not a story. Someone set us up.”

I let go of his shirt and sat back on my heels. My hands were still folded

“You expect me to believe that?.”

“I don’t expect you to believe anything right now. I’m telling you what I know. I didn’t touch her. I wouldn’t. And she was fully dressed when I woke up. Shoes on. She was trying to wake me up.”

“You both were not fully dressed in the picture I saw" I sneered at him.

" What picture?” 

" The picture of you and my wife on a bed naked, is it clocking to you or do you want me to spell it out”

" I don't know what you saw but look at me Alex it's not true” Juan said,his voice filled with sincerity.

I looked at him and he looked like he was telling the truth. I have known Juan since birth and he is a shitty liar. It's either he is telling the truth or he has developed his lying skills.

“What were you doing at the hotel?" I asked him

“I was there because I got a text. From your number. It said you wanted me there. That you had something to tell me. I remember getting there but I can't remember anything else.”

“I didn’t send that.” I did not know what to believe anymore 

“Anna said she didn’t cheat.” I mumbled to myself 

“She didn’t. I don’t think she even understood why we were there until I was out of it.”

I looked at  the floor, then at his face. I wanted to believe him but I just couldn't.

“I don't believe you Juan and I don't think I can,” I said.

“I’m not lying.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Somebody wanted you to walk in on that. Or hear about it. That’s the part you should be angry about.”

I didn’t answer, I was done with him. I looked at him for a long time before walking away.

“Alex.”

I stopped.

“Call her,” he said. “Before you wreck the rest of it.”

"It's none of your business you backstabber!" I yelled at him

I walked to my car, my phone rang again and I angrily switched it off. My thoughts were everywhere, the two people I trusted the most betrayed me. I did not know what else to do so I drove to the only place I could be right now, my brother's place.

My knuckles hurt. I kept seeing Juan and Anna on the bed. They both played me like a fool and I fell for it but not anymore. I did not believe either of them and Daniel did not believe them either.

“A fake text,” he said. “A blackout. A hotel and nothing happened. Come on.”

“That’s what he said.”

“That’s what a man says when he gets caught.” He opened two beers and set one in front of me. “You hit him. Good. Should’ve done it twice.”

I drank. It didn’t help the way I wanted it to.

“She cried,” I said. “Looked wrecked.”

“They all do. Doesn’t make it true.”

We sat there and finished those and then two more. Daniel kept talking. About loyalty. About how a friend doesn’t take your wife to a hotel for any reason that sounds clean after midnight. I was too caught up in my own thoughts to care.

“You’re not going home tonight,” Daniel said.

I groaned “No.”

“Good. Jake’s having people over. You need noise. You need a drink that isn’t at my table while you think about them.”

“I don’t want a party.”

“Yes you do. You need to forget about her and your shitty friend”

He's right, I need to clear my head. I can't let a cheating wife get to me.  We took his car. I sat in the passenger seat with my swollen hand in my lap. I brought out my phone and switched on. Messages kept popping it from Anna and Juan as I was about to read the Daniel took the phone and switched it off then he mouthed

“good riddance" 

The party was already loud when we got there, people were dancing everywhere. 

" This is a bad idea, I think I need to talk to Anna” 

“No you're not backing out now and you are not talking to her" he said then pushed me inside 

“I’m fine,” I said.

“You’re not. That’s the point. Drink. Don’t call her. Tonight you remember whose side you’re on.”

I knew I wasn't fine. I was dying inside and all I need right now is my wife but I don't even know her anymore. Daniel passed me a cup of whiskey before following a brunette into a room.

I finished the drink. My heart still ached and I felt really drunk.I was thinking about the hotel again when a girl stopped in front of me.

“You’re Alex, right? Daniel’s brother.”

“Yeah. What?” I eyed her.Dark hair, red lips, smokey eyes. She stood closer than she needed to.

“You look like you need company,” she said.

“Maybe I do.”I drawled.

“Mind if I join you?” she bit her lower lips and I looked at it.

She tilted her head. “I’m Lena. You’re allowed to look at me, by the way. I came over on purpose.”

“Rough night?” she asked.

“You could say that.”

“Want to talk about it, or want me to distract you?”

I should have said I was married. The words were right there. Instead I heard myself say, “Distract me.”

Her smile changed. “Okay.” She reached past me for the bottle. Her arm brushed mine and stayed a second longer than an accident. She poured, handed me the cup, and kept her fingers against mine when I took it. I drank it all at once and the room spun. I should have walked away but I didn't.

“Come on”

She pulled me into a room and shut the door.

“You're going to keep looking at me like that,” she said, “or are you going to do something?”

“Come here.”

I kissed her hard. She bit my lip and laughed against my mouth.

“That’s better. I’ve been thinking about this since I saw you by the counter.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Wanted your hands on me. Wanted you to fuck me into the horizon.”

We backed toward the bed. My legs hit the edge. She pushed me down and climbed on. Her mouth found my neck.

“Tell me what you want,” she whispered.

I started to answer. The room spun. The ceiling tilted. Her face slid blurred.

“Hello?”

I tried to sit up. Nothing worked. Then everything went black.