Chapter 3

After a moment of hesitation, Emmitt grabbed his phone and headed out.

"Honey, I'm heading out. I'll be back early, and I'll bring you some barbecue from your favorite spot," he said.

"Okay," I replied.

I nodded.

Not long after Emmitt left, I got a message from an unknown number.

It read: [Hey, don't you want to know what Emmitt's been saying about your four years together behind your back?]

Did I really want to know? Not particularly.

Emmitt didn't see me, but the girl did. She snickered at me.

She sat right on Emmitt's lap, wine glass in hand, and arched her eyebrow at him.

Emmitt froze for a moment, and the whole room started hooting and hollering.

I could already guess what was coming, and my heart ached. But I couldn't tear my eyes away from Emmitt, not even for a second.

Red wine slid down Emmitt's collar, and the girl pressed herself closer to him.

Emmitt was lurking in the shadows, the ember of his cigarette flickering in the dim light.

The rowdy cheers in the private room grew louder, the vibe turning more and more suggestive.

Emmitt chuckled, turned his head to dodge the wine glass, and pressed his lips to hers.

The cheers in the private room were so loud that it felt like the roof might blow off.

"Oh, Emmitt's darling!" someone called out, egging him on.

That was when I walked in.

Everyone froze, looking at each other, stunned. "Who is she?"

"Did she walk into the wrong room?"

I smiled and replied, "Nope, I'm here for Emmitt."

"Emmitt? Who the hell are you? Never seen you around before," someone blurted out.

"Let me guess, another chick trying to confess to Emmitt now that we're graduating?" someone else joked.

I just laughed, "Nope."

"I'm the one Emmitt's with. But not for much longer," I said.

They all just stared, totally clueless.

We'd been in a long-distance relationship for four years, and I'd never met any of Emmitt's friends.

He always said he'd introduce me someday. After four years of waiting, I was finally meeting them, just not under circumstances I'd ever wanted.

I held my wine glass and slowly walked up to Emmitt.

Emmitt froze, his face full of panic. "Honey..."

"Yes?" I replied.

I nodded and retorted, "Is cheating fun for you, Emmitt?"

Emmitt's face instantly turned ashen. He pushed the girl off his lap, got up quickly, and rushed over to me, stammering, "No, it's not what you think, Rayna. We were just playing a game..."

"Oh?" I replied coolly.

I cut him off mid-sentence, calling his name with icy calm. "Emmitt."

"We're done," I said, my voice cold and final.

Emmitt stood there, his face drained of color, completely stunned.

I brushed his hand aside and walked out, with everyone in the room just staring in stunned silence.

I didn't go back. I'd already packed my stuff before I left for the meeting, so I just grabbed a cab and headed straight home.

As soon as I got home, I dove into my bed and buried myself under the covers.

I felt disgusted, suffocating, and just plain awful.

I wanted to cry, to scream, but in the end, I just lay there, numb and empty, totally spaced out.

I had no idea how much time had passed when someone knocked on my door.

My mom knocked gently.

"Rayna, Emmitt's here," she said. "Are you in your room? He says he wants to see you."

She had no clue what had happened between Emmitt and me, so she tried to coax me gently.

"Rayna, don't be so stubborn, okay? Emmitt really seems sincere. It's normal for couples to have little fights. Just talk things through, it'll all work out," my mom coaxed gently.

"Rayna..." she called softly.

I shook my head, wanting to say something, but no sound would come out.

Emmitt called my name a few times from outside the door, but I didn't respond.

After a while, it got quiet outside. It seemed like he left.

I was curled up in bed, clutching my blanket, zoning out. No clue how long I'd been lying there when suddenly, the front door slammed open.

Light spilled in from the hallway, hitting me right in the eyes. I squinted and threw up a hand to block it.

Emmitt burst in, looking totally panicked and on edge. He rushed over and grabbed my hand.

"Rayna," he called out.

"Yes?" I murmured.

I tried to speak, but my voice came out hoarse and sharp, like it was being forced through an old broken bellows.

Emmitt's heart clenched painfully. He just stood there, frozen, staring at me. "Rayna, you..."

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean for that to happen. It was just an accident, I can explain," he blurted out, desperate.

I pulled away from him. "Emmitt, it's over. We're done."

"I'll mail your stuff back. Don't come find me again," I said, my voice cold and final.

Emmitt just stood there, completely stunned.

"Don't, Rayna! Please," he blurted out, his voice cracking with desperation.

He lunged for my hand, reaching out in a panic.

"Just hear me out... let me explain," he begged.

I looked up at him, my eyes stinging, my voice raw.

Rayna glared at him, her voice hoarse and trembling, "Explain what, Emmitt?"