The Moment I Looked Back, I Won

I had always been competitive. If I played a game, I had to win. So when someone suggested a No-Looking-Back Challenge on the yacht, everyone laughed and said I had this one in the bag. The rules were simple: stand still and don't look back. The second you turned around, you lost. My boyfriend, Keith Sterling, and my close friend, Anna Foster, stood behind me while my brother, Julian Quinn, tried to trick me into turning around. The game had barely started when Julian called out, "Natalie, Keith's holding Anna's hand." I didn't even blink. He laughed. "Still not looking? They're hugging now." I stayed right where I was. Then his voice suddenly went flat. "Natalie... they're kissing." I knew it had to be another trick. But I turned around anyway. And there they were. Keith was leaning down, Anna's face tilted up toward his. They were really kissing. My mind went blank. I walked straight over and slapped Keith across the face. Anna's eyes reddened instantly. Keith stayed silent for a long moment. Julian was the first to break the silence. "Natalie, they just got carried away." Then he added awkwardly, "We thought you'd never turn around. You hate losing. Who knew you actually would?" That was when Anna finally spoke. "Natalie, I don't want to hide this from you anymore. Keith chased me for four years in college. "We just... didn't want to have any regrets about those four years." I had always known Keith had spent four years chasing some girl in college. I'd watched him get drunk over her. I'd even sat beside him and called her an idiot for not realizing what a catch he was. What I never knew was that the girl was my close friend Anna. Everyone else knew. I was the only one they'd kept in the dark.