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"No," I said. "Cheating, especially when you’re married, is the worst. I couldn't forgive it."
"Research shows that thirty percent of people cheat at some point in their relationships."
She didn't say anything else and the two of us continued to eat our breakfasts. Did she know Eric had cheated on her?
It sounded like she was willing to forgive.
"Would you forgive Eric if you found out he cheated on you?"
She continued eating, not meeting my eyes. "It would depend on the circumstances, I guess. Men can have sex without caring about the person much more easily than women. At least, none of the women I know." She shrugged. "Usually, if a woman's cheating on her husband or boyfriend, it’s because she's emotionally unhappy at home with her partner. When a man does, it means he's not getting enough sex and probably couldn't care less about the woman he's cheating with."
At that moment, it almost seemed as if she knew Eric had cheated on her after all. Maybe all this charade Luke and I had been involved in was for nothing.
"I couldn't imagine it," I said, not wanting to give anything away. "Finding out that my boyfriend or husband cheated on me."
"You have to decide what makes you happier. Being alone or being with someone."
"Being alone," I said. "I was with someone who tried to control my every move and every thought. When I escaped, I realized that I would rather be alone than be with someone who was that obsessive."
"Did he hit you?"
I shook my head. “No he choked me,” I replied quietly. "He threatened me when we broke up. I got a restraining order." I didn’t tell her the rest.
"I'm so sorry. I agree that in your case, it would be better to be alone than with someone like that."
We ate in silence for a few moments, and I thought it was one of the strangest conversations I'd ever had with someone I barely even knew. Dana was so open and so easy to talk to, it seemed almost natural for us to talk about anything, even things you would only normally talk about with your best friend.
We finished our meals and the talk turned to more mundane things like her pregnancy and plans for the baby and how she'd manage juggling work and being a new mother.
I enjoyed our talk and sharing a meal with her, regretting that we wouldn’t become more than just accidental acquaintances. She told me so much about Luke, filling in bits and details about his life before and after their parents died. It made me regret even more that he and I could never be a real couple.
"Well, I better go. I'm meeting Eric for a pre-natal class at the hospital." We stood up and grabbed our bags, then walked out into the warm morning sunshine.
She squeezed me briefly. "Don't give up on my brother. He's one of the good ones, and I'm not just saying that because I'm biased."
"Thanks for breakfast," I said and waved as she walked away.
I made my way back to my apartment, my hands stuffed into my hoodie, regret filling me that Luke would soon be going and would be out of my life completely.
It seemed so unfair for us to meet the way we did – so accidentally, and then for us to enjoy each other so much to our mutual surprise.
And to have to now say goodbye.
Life wasn't fair.
Chapter 20
Luke
* * *
The note sat on the coffee table.
I'd read it over several times, debating with myself whether to text Alexa and protest. Argue with her that we should keep seeing each other to see where this relationship went.
Instead, I texted Dana.
She always had good advice.
