Chapter 2

I didn't sleep at all after the birthday party.

At 8:00 AM, I was sitting on the couch in my pajamas, sipping black coffee, trying to figure out how to talk to Nathan without starting an argument.

Then, I heard the front door unlock.

I froze. Nathan was still asleep upstairs.

The door swung open, and Cassidy walked in. She was carrying a brown paper bag that smelled like bacon, wearing an oversized navy crewneck. Nathan's college crewneck. The one I had been looking for since October.

"Morning, Elise!" she chimed, dropping her keys onto the entryway table. I stared at the red leather keychain. Our house key.

"Cassidy," I said, my voice dangerously low. "Why are you walking into my house unannounced?"

She stopped in the kitchen, pulling out two breakfast sandwiches. "Nathan gave me a spare key when you two moved in. Plus, I know he always has a killer hangover after his birthday. I brought him his favorite cure from that diner we used to skip high school for."

She looked me up and down. "You look exhausted, by the way. I figured you wouldn't be up for cooking."

She wasn't just crossing a boundary. She was bulldozing it.

"Give me the key, Cassidy. You don't live here."

Cassidy's smile vanished. She crossed her arms, leaning against my granite counter. "You need to calm down, Elise. Nathan is my family. You're acting paranoid over a breakfast sandwich."

She leaned in closer, dropping the friendly act. "If I wanted your husband, I would have married him when we were twenty-two. You only have him because we decided we were better as friends."

There it was. The ultimate trump card. I was his first choice; you're just the safe option.

"What is going on down here?"

Nathan walked down the stairs, rubbing his eyes. He saw Cassidy, and his face instantly lit up. "Wait, is that Maple Street Grill?"

"Yep!" Cassidy's voice instantly reverted to a sweet, cheerful tone. "Brought it just for you. But I think Elise is upset with me. She's demanding my spare key back."

Nathan stopped smiling. He looked at me, a deep frown forming on his face. "Elise, seriously? She's bringing us breakfast. Stop starting drama."

He didn't ask her why she let herself in. He didn't tell her to respect our space. He immediately took her side.

"I'll see you later, Nate," Cassidy said softly, slipping into the role of the victim. "Call me."

She walked out, leaving the food on the counter.

That night, I tried the communication route. I sat Nathan down and calmly explained how Cassidy's comment made me feel. I asked him to set boundaries.

Nathan looked at me like I was suffocating him.

"I've known her for twenty years, Elise," he sighed, rubbing his temples. "You're asking me to cut off a limb. She's not just a friend, she's family. Why are you constantly trying to make me choose between my wife and my family?"

"Because she doesn't respect me," I whispered.

"Because you push her away!" he shot back. "If you just relaxed and stopped being so jealous, we could all get along."

He rolled over and went to sleep.

I lay awake in the dark, listening to his steady breathing. He didn't get it. And he didn't want to. I was alone in this marriage.