Chapter 3

...

That night, I scrolled through Megan's social media.

A video showed a plate of neatly-cut steak and a glowing scented candle nearby.

The vibe was romantic, and the caption was ambiguous.

[Can't cut this steak. Good thing Desmond is here.]

A familiar voice sounded in the background. It was none other than Desmond.

Soon, Megan posted again.

Her manicured fingers held a glass jar of candy, her excited squeals filling the air.

[OMG! Thank you for the gift!]

I knew that brand. It was very expensive.

Years ago, on my birthday, I saw it while shopping with Desmond, but the price stopped me cold.

Desmond cupped my face, promising he'd buy it for me someday. He kept that promise, but it was for another woman.

I scrolled through her posts again and again until Desmond came out of the bathroom, his face darkening at the sound.

He snatched my phone and tossed it onto the pillow. "You freaked Megan out today with your attitude. I just took her to dinner to apologize. That candy is just kid stuff. I was gonna get it for you, but you said you were dieting. Would have been a waste."

'Dieting? Since when?' I snorted inwardly, but I didn't argue or question him.

I just grabbed my phone, plugged it in, and shrugged. "No big deal. I don't even like that candy anyway. It contains a lot of calories and would take tremendous workouts to burn off. Thanks for the thoughts, though."

He sensed something off with my tone, but my face gave nothing away.

He knelt on the bed, wrapping an arm around me. "We haven't gone out in forever. How about the day after tomorrow? Dinner and a movie? You dumped your old clothes, right? I'll buy you new ones. And marriage... We talked about it before. I've been swamped, but I'll get you a ring, okay?"

He had been promising to marry me for five years. Now it was just a joke.

With four days to go until I left, I didn't want to get tangled up with him, so I didn't commit. "Sure, if we've got time."

Before he could say more, I lay down, pulled the blanket over me, and switched off the lamp.

"Sleep. It's late," I added.

Desmond finally noticed that the house was emptying. He stared at the bare dresser, freaking out. "Where is your stuff?"

"Black Friday is coming up. Need room for new things," I muttered.

He bought it, sliding into bed and trying to inch under my blanket. "Let's go out tomorrow. I'll book a restaurant and pick you up."

His effort to get close made me uneasy. I shifted away. "Alright. Just stop crowding me."