Chapter 2

The owner stood there waiting, his eyes moving back and forth between Melissa and me.

Melissa had already pulled out her phone, acting like she was all set to Venmo me the money. That was her usual move.

Every single time, she put on this little show of pretending to transfer me the money, but after I paid, she would put her phone away like it was no big deal.

Then she would say something like, "Oh no, the signal is bad. I'll send it when I get home," or "I don't have enough in my balance right now. I'll transfer it later."

Sometimes she wouldn't even say anything at all and simply acted like it never happened.

I took a deep breath and pulled my car keys out of my bag.

"Here, hold these for a sec. I'll go move the car," I said, keeping my voice calm and a smile on my face.

Melissa froze for a second, like she didn't quite understand what I meant. "Wait, right now?" she asked.

"Yeah, I can't park at the entrance for too long. I need to bring the car closer so we can load everything up." I pointed toward the street outside.

The owner nodded and said, "She's right. The parking enforcement is really strict out there. You should definitely bring your car closer."

Melissa looked at my keys, then at the three baskets of king crabs. "So you want me to wait here?" she asked.

"No. Go ahead and pay for them. You can't expect him to hold onto your picks forever," I said.

And with that, I turned around and walked away.

I heard Melissa call my name behind me, but I didn't look back.

I made my way through the crowded market to where my car was parked, slid into the driver's seat, and closed the door. The noise from outside was instantly shut out.

I started the car, took one last look at the seafood market in my rearview mirror, and then hit the gas, leaving Lakeside Avenue behind.

My phone buzzed in my bag. I knew it was Melissa calling, but I didn't pick up.

*****

By the time I got onto the city overpass, my phone had already rung five times, all from Melissa.

I put it on silent and set it down on the passenger seat.

The screen kept lighting up and then fading out again.

The scenery outside flew by in a blur. Since there weren't many cars on the road at this hour, I was driving smoothly.

The sunlight poured through the windshield and made my eyes sting a little, though maybe it wasn't the sunlight. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down, but my mind started playing back old memories on its own.

The first time it happened was two years ago at a restaurant.

It was Melissa's birthday, so a few of us friends got together to celebrate it with her.

When the bill came, she suddenly said she had left her wallet at the office.

"Emily, can you cover me? I'll pay you back tomorrow," she said.

There were so many people around, and I didn't want to make things awkward, so I swiped my card. It came out to about 220 dollars.

The next day, she didn't say a single word about paying me back. I thought asking for the money would make me look cheap, so I dropped the topic.

It was only a couple of hundred bucks anyway, so I told myself it was her birthday present.

The second time happened when we went to the movies.

Melissa said she wanted to see that new international hit and dragged me along, but when we got to the ticket counter, she said she had hit her spending limit on her payment app.

She said she'd send me the money when we got home, since it was only two tickets and not even a hundred bucks, so I paid again.

Then it happened a third time, a fourth time, and a fifth time.

Every single time, the amount kept getting bigger, going from a few hundred dollars for dinner to a few thousand for a beauty salon membership, and from electronics to household items.

She always had an excuse ready, like her phone was dead, she had hit her limit, or she had left her card at home, and I chose to believe her every time because she was my best friend.

We spent four years together in college, taking classes and pulling all-nighters at the library.

After graduation, we ended up working in the same city and always made time to hang out.

She would order takeout for me when I was stuck working late, and she would keep me company with drinks when I got my heart broken.

I thought that was what friendship was supposed to look like.

But as I looked back now, so many little things didn't add up.

When she ordered takeout for me, I always ended up paying for it myself, and when she drank with me, I was always the one picking up the tab.

She would take me to her favorite beauty salon and say her membership would get us a discount, but when it was time to pay, her membership card had conveniently expired.

She would tell me about some restaurant with amazing food and insist on taking me there.

Then she would order the most expensive dishes on the menu without a second thought.

But when the bill came, she would turn to me and say, "You pay first. I'll send you the money later."