Chapter 3

Christian's usually placid face suddenly showed a flicker of panic and tension.

It only made everything look more suspicious.

"It's just a watch. Why are you so wound up about it?"

"I'm not wound up about anything."

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, the smile forced and guilty.

"I just bought it. Haven't even broken it in yet. Don't want anyone else touching it."

"Is that right."

"Yeah."

He pulled the drawer open, shoved the watch inside, and slid it shut.

Fast, like he was afraid I'd get one more look.

"Come on, I'm already dressed. What are you dawdling for? Let's go catch the movie."

Christian practically pushed me out of the room, as if he couldn't stand my being in there another second.

I couldn't focus for a single minute of that movie.

Christian's mind was somewhere else too. Every so often his phone would light up and he'd type out a message.

"Chatting with your girlfriend?"

I started to lean over for a look, and he clapped a hand over the phone. "Stop that. Let a guy have some privacy."

He covered it fast, but I still saw it.

That woman's profile picture, the matching half of my couple's photo, was Ebony.

Back home, Ebony was in the shower.

Her phone, left on the coffee table, lit up.

A message popped onto the screen. The contact name read "Chris."

"Ebony, I think Guy's getting suspicious. Be careful for a while. We should stop meeting."

In that moment, my heart went completely cold.

For days after that, I still kept trying to get Christian to meet up.

"Where are you? Let's grab lunch."

"Ah... today's no good, I'm stuck at the office. Tons of stuff to do."

"Is that so?"

I glanced at the time on my screen. "Then I'll come to you. Your office isn't far from me anyway."

Two seconds of silence on the line.

"No, no, I'll be done soon. Another time!"

"Christian."

I said his full name, my voice going cold.

"Sneaking around with your buddy's girlfriend, does it feel exciting?"

Silence for a few seconds. Then came Christian's cold laugh, the sound of a man who'd stopped caring.

"Guy. Didn't think you'd actually catch on."

"What? You going to pull the same act those women do, the wronged partner busting the affair?"

Hearing him admit it, something in me turned to ice.

"Christian, we've known each other seven years."

"The year you got dumped, I climbed the fence at midnight to go drink with you, and the next day the RA hauled me in to write an apology."

"When you broke your leg in that fight, I skipped class to buy your meds and wait on you, and you cried and hugged me and said we'd be brothers for life."

"I always thought there was nothing we couldn't tell each other."

"But you knew Ebony and I had been together five years. You knew she was my girlfriend. So why did you have to go after her?"

"Christian, tell me, it's not like every other woman in the world dropped dead!"

The more I said, the more I fell apart.

"Why did you have to go after Ebony?"

We were supposed to get married next month. Everything was supposed to be moving in the right direction.

And like a soap bubble, Christian popped it with his own hands.

A long silence on the other end.

Then, finally, Christian spoke.

"Guy, you've got some serious rose-colored glasses on when it comes to Ebony, don't you?"

"You think I'm the only one who came onto her, and she's completely innocent?"

He sneered, and sent me a hotel address. Room 302.

"This hotel tonight. Come take a look."

"For old times' sake,"

"I'll let you see your good girlfriend's true face with your own eyes."

I waited through the day, uneasy the whole time.

I watched the sun sink inch by inch. Ebony's usual quitting time came and went, and she still wasn't home.

At eight, a message came in from her.

"Sweet Guy, working late again tonight, home late."

Right below it, a transfer of 1314.520.

"Buy yourself something to eat if you want, okay? Be good."

I clenched the phone, looked up, and watched with my own eyes as Ebony walked into that hotel.

I saw the lights come on. I tugged the brim of my cap down and followed her in.

Through the door of Room 302 came faint sounds, low and impossible to make out.

Until a delivery guy came and knocked.

"Hello, your adult toys order is here."

"Coming."

Ebony's voice. The handle turned, and I saw her come for the delivery in a camisole.

"Will that be enough?"

My sudden voice froze her.

She looked up, saw it was me, and the color drained from her face.

"Guy?! Why are you here?"

And I, in a single glance, saw the hickey on her neck.

Through the gap in the door, I saw Christian, bare from the waist up.

I swung my hand across her face.

"Ebony, is this how you treat me?"

"Guy, don't do anything crazy!"

Ebony grabbed desperately for my arm, but I was already inside, swinging my bag down at Christian.

"Christian, you piece of garbage!"

"You called me here just so I'd see this? You have no shame."

Christian sat there calmly, a cigarette between his fingers, smiling at me.

"Guy. How about it? Didn't disappoint you, did I?"

I lost my mind completely.

I lunged to hit him, and Ebony seized my wrist.

"Guy, can you please calm down?"