two have a similar vibe. Like they know each other well. There’s a certain level of comfort between them. Whatever is going on between them has been going on for a while.
I feel a little faint.
I can’t believe this is happening to me again. If this is Trevor’s girlfriend…was he with her while we were sleeping together? How long has it been going on?
I back away from the door. It’s opening; they’re coming in. I run into the living room. I don’t want to see them together. I don’t want to talk to them. I’m sure he doesn’t care. I’m sure he doesn’t see anything wrong with it. We aren’t sleeping together anymore. What we had was casual and stupid in the first place.
This is clearly a woman who is much better suited to him.
They’re still talking as they walk into the living room.
“Oh!” the woman remarks when she sees me.
“Hi, Blaire, sorry for the lateness,” Trevor speaks up.
“I’m leaving now,” I say quickly and rush past them. I don’t care if they think this is awkward or weird; I just can’t put myself through it.
Since I returned to my apartment, stepping over the sprawled-out bodies of my friends in the living room, I have been lying awake in my bed, unable to sleep.
When it’s time for me to get ready, I slip out of bed and take a long bath to calm my nerves. It’s been a heavy shock to the system. I’ve always known that Trevor and I need to move on with our lives. I’ve always had this nagging fear that I’m going to one day see him with his new arm-candy. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon. I definitely didn’t expect them to look so normal and comfortable with each other. And what if he was seeing her the whole time we were together? What if he did exactly what Stephen did?
I have forced tears back all night, but I cry a little in the bath.
There’s no denying it. I fell in love with him. There is a part of me that still loves him. For a split-second, I actually pictured a future with him and Anya. As foolish as that was and as much as I didn’t want to admit it to myself.
By the time I’ve changed and made myself presentable, my friends have finally started to wake up from their near-unconscious state.
“Off to work?” Maria asks as I grab a coffee in the kitchen.
“You work too hard,” Lacy adds.
“Come on, guys, it’s Monday. Don’t you have jobs to go to also?” I say with a laugh and walk to the door. I wish Kim were here so I could tell her exactly how messed-up I actually feel. The fact that I’m trying to hide from the rest of the world.
I’m still a little worried that I might bump into the happy couple outside in the corridor. So I peak through the peephole to make sure the coast is clear.
“What are you doing?” Jacob asks as he catches me in the act.
I turn to look at him and give him a shrug before I open the door. Jacob really shouldn’t have distracted me! If he didn’t, I would have seen Trevor step out of his apartment. The woman is with him, and so is Anya.
Oh God!
I freeze at my door as they all turn to look at me in unison.
“Blaire!” Anya shrieks with delight and comes running to me. I give her an awkward hug. I can feel their eyes on me. What is the woman thinking? Does she know who I am?
“How are you doing, hon?” I ask Anya while I pat her hair affectionately.
“I’ve missed you, Blaire!” she exclaims.
I’m managing to smile when I look up at the other two. There is an empty expression on Trevor’s face. Almost like he doesn’t even see me standing here. The woman comes forward. She’s smiling now, but it’s a commanding smile, like she is somehow demanding my respect and reverence.
“Thank you again for stepping in last night. Trevor and I are very grateful for that,” she says and looks to him for his approval that she doesn’t get. I have an incredible urge to just tell her everything. Shouldn’t she know what happened between Trevor and me?
But Anya is here. In fact, she seems very comfortable around this woman too. My fear is rising—that she has been a part of their lives for a long time. Then why haven’t I seen her