He Chose Her Over Us

Port

a cloyingly sweet perfume clinging to him like a second skin. It was t

he couch, a book resting unread in my lap. He

kneeling in front of m

ifted, letting it fall between t

id, my voice even, almost conversational. "A lit

aby. He thought I was oblivious, that my silence was

ng tone he used when he was about to explain away a bad business decision. "I know how

pocket. "I got you something. T

people' s homes. It was exquisite. It was also identical to the one Adrianna was wearing in the photo she h

hot through my chest, so

nd that will be the end of it?" I asked, my ga

"A clean break. I just need to make sure she

usly soft. "That grand declaration in front of the entire

. It won' t happen again." He leaned in, trying to kiss me, but I turned my head. His lips

most invisible smear on the collar of his whi

fingers trace the line of his collar, stopping just short of

lightly. He knew.

sperate attempt to reclaim his territory. I placed a hand

the bathroom, the bitter taste of bile rising in my throat. The stress, the hear

ve, the familiar scent of his mother' s ginger and chicken soup filling the air. For a horrifyin

soup into a bowl. "This always

self believe the illusion. I remembered all the times he' d

screen, and the mask of concern dropped

ulling on his coat. "It' s Adrianna. She

s out the door before I could even p

scent of ginger, chicken, and... peanuts. A tiny, almost imperce

ned about me. He had once berated a five-star chef for letting cross-contamination happ

d for

s guilt, he had completely and utterly forgotten something that cou

sharp. It was a dull, heavy weigh

up down the drain. I walked to the living room, picked up t

e sky slowly lighten from black to bruised purple to a cold,

y phone screen just before

Whenever yo

was just

ready