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“Why did you let him get away with it?”
“Because... I don't know. It didn't seem worth fighting about at the time. I was too overwhelmed. And all week, it's been festering in me.”
“Of course, it has!” She finishes her drink and slams the glass on the table, getting the attention of a few people nearby. Then again, she's always an attention grabber with red hair that goes perfectly with her name and a much more vibrant, outgoing personality than I've ever possessed as a boring, bookish blonde. Ever since we met as undergrads, I've wished I could be more like her. Daring and ballsy.
She grabs for my phone, snatching it up before I can stop her. “Did you install Find My Phone like I told you to the last time you were worried about him?”
My stomach churns at the idea. “I mean, yeah, I put it on his phone, but I've never actually tracked him using it.”
“Why the hell not? Damn it, if he's cheating on you, you deserve to know.”
“But that's the thing.” I gently but firmly work the phone out of her grip. “I don't want to know. At least, I didn't. It's one thing to suspect, but it's different when the evidence is right in front of your face.”
Her expression softens and the anger drains from her intense gaze. “You're right. I'm sorry. It's easy for me to get all worked up when you’re the one going through it. But I still think you should activate that damn app and see where he is, just for your own peace of mind.”
The rest of my martini goes down so smoothly, I might consider a third. “Well, he’s supposed to be in Huntington Beach right now. At least, that's what he told me he was doing tonight.”
“It's obviously going to bug you if you don't check up on him.”
“It's already bugging me,” I admit.
She holds her hands up in surrender. “No judgment here. Do whatever feels best to you.”
What feels best to me? Getting answers. Knowing whether I'm right to be suspicious. I've done enough doubting myself and my judgment. “I better not regret this,” I mutter, opening the app so it can help me spy on my boyfriend.
“Well? What does it say? Huntington Beach?”
Not quite. At first, I'm confused, thinking there's a malfunction—the blinking, blue dot is located close to where I am now. Too close.
When I spot the second dot, I understand. And my heart sinks.
I hand the phone over for Ruby to see the truth: he's only a few blocks away from where we're sitting.
“That son of a bitch,” she whispers, glaring at the phone. “He's at another bar.”
“He's supposed to be at some kind of meet and greet with a bunch of other agents.”
“There's a reason this is happening.” She grabs her purse and slings the strap over her shoulder. “I mean, he is within walking distance.”
My blood just about turns to ice. “No. I don't think this is a good idea.”
“He needs to know he can't do this to you. If he knows he can get away with it, he's not going to stop.” When I still hesitate, she gives me another one of those intense glares. She's good at those. “Do you respect yourself, or don't you? Because you know he lied to you. Nobody's saying you have to cause a scene, but I think you should at least let him know he can't get away with it anymore.”
That's what does it. “You're very persuasive.”
“I know. Maybe I should be the sports psychologist instead of you, since I'm so good at getting into people's heads.”
“Okay. Let's go, before I lose my nerve.” We hurry through the process of paying for our drinks, then weave our way through the increasingly crowded bar before stepping outside. The night air does nothing to clear my head when I know that just a few blocks away, my boyfriend is more than likely hitting on some random girl who doesn't know he's hinted at us getting engaged sometime soon. Just the thought of it makes my stomach churn until I'm afraid I'm going to lose my drinks all over the sidewalk.
No. I'm not going to do that. It's not like any of this is a shock. I've known for a long time there was something wrong—I didn't want to admit it, was all. And Ruby's right. I need to respect myself a little more, which means facing the truth.
With that in mind, I walk with my head high.
This could end up being the first night of the rest of my Kyle-less life.
2
HARLOW
