Chapter 2

James took a week off from work, so he could focus on me and nothing else. After three years apart, things felt a little awkward between us.

By six in the morning, I was already wide awake.

Staring at James sleeping beside me, I couldn't even put my feelings into words.

It almost felt like nothing had changed at all.

For three whole years, he never missed a single day by my side. Even when things got rough, he was always there for me.

But somehow, everything felt different now.

For a thousand days, it was like someone hit pause on my life right before the accident.

Now time was finally moving again. I came home, ready to pick up where I left off. But it turned out, this wasn't my home anymore. James wasn't mine anymore, either.

That choking feeling came back.

I opened the door, wanting to clear my head on the balcony.

But the moment I stepped out, I screamed.

Emmy was wearing sleep shorts so short they barely counted as shorts, plus a shawl that only covered her boobs. I could almost catch glimpses of what was underneath whenever she moved.

James was startled awake by my scream.

He jumped out of bed and pulled me into his arms, holding me tight. "What's wrong, baby? You okay?"

He followed my gaze and saw Emily.

Without missing a beat, James dug out a yellow plaid shirt from the pile on the couch and handed it to her. "Look at you. You're scaring Liv. Put something on."

Emily laughed it off, totally unfazed, "Relax. We're all girls here. What's there to hide?"

"Liv's different from you," James said, a bit annoyed. "From now on, dress more appropriately at home."

Emily paused, smiled at me, and said, "Okay."

James pulled me gently into his arms and said softly, "It's alright, I talked to her about it. Make some noise when you leave your room. So she can clear out before you step out."

I leaned against James's chest, my mind completely blank. I didn't even know what to say.

Turned out, he already saw that place as his and Emmy's home. So what about me? Was I just a guest now?

*****

Later that afternoon, James took me to our old favorite restaurant.

Three years had passed, but the place looked exactly the same. The staff we used to know greeted James like an old friend.

When they saw me, their faces lit up with surprise and delight. "Liv, it's been so long!"

It almost felt like nothing had changed at all.

James took the freshly arrived platter of barbecue brisket and slid it toward me.

"You always loved the brisket here," he said softly. "All these years, every time I came by, I couldn't bring myself to order it.

"I was worried you'd get mad at me for eating it behind your back. Maybe even haunt me in my dreams for it. But now I could finally share it with you again. Here, have some."

I took a bite. The familiar flavor hit me. Smoky, tender, with that dark crust and rich, fatty edge.

It smelled like before. But something was off. I spat it out.

James quickly grabbed a napkin to catch it. "What's wrong? Does it taste weird?" he asked. Then he tried a bite himself. He spat it out too. "I'll ask them to make a fresh one."

"No, it's fine," I said, stopping him.

Brisket was a tough dish to get right. Smoked too little, and it turned out chewy. Left too long, and it dried out. Too much rub, and the flavor was overpowering. Not enough, and it was bland. Same with this one. Something was off.

"The old pitmaster must have left," I said. "It doesn't matter if we order another. It'll still be off."

James looked at me, his eyes filled with guilt and a kind of helpless pain. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'll take you somewhere else later, okay?"

Seeing James being so careful with me, I couldn't help feeling uneasy inside.

Before the accident, things were never like this between us. He had really loved me, but he'd never acted this way.

If we got a bad dish, we'd complain about the chef together and brainstorm how to fix it.

He had never been walking on eggshells around me like he was now, afraid of upsetting me.

When we didn't have class, we slept in until noon, had sex all day, and only went downstairs for dinner around dusk.

We argued sometimes. About our future, our jobs, our life together. Life wouldn't be real without all the arguments.

But now all of that was gone.

I saw the worry in James's eyes, and it made my heart ache.

Maybe I hadn't been home long enough. While my life had been frozen for three years, James's world kept spinning, and now he didn't even remember how to be with me anymore.

I told myself not to stress. With time, things would go back to how they used to be.

Ding! James's phone chimed.

"Got paid, baby." He excitedly held up his phone for me to see.

$12,800 had landed in his account, bringing his balance up to $12,950. That meant before payday, he was down to only $150.

All that confusion I felt a second ago turned into pure heartbreak.

For three years, James had covered all my medical bills. Even with a decent salary, he never had anything left to show for it after all this time.

I suddenly felt kind of silly for being so sensitive. He'd already done so much for me. Why was I letting my mind run wild?

James tapped on his phone a few times, then got up and headed to the bathroom. He left his phone right there on the table, totally unguarded, the same way he always used to.

I picked up his phone, curious to see what he had been buying lately and whether he had picked up any new hobbies or habits. After being gone for three years, I really owed him for everything he had done.

But the next second, a flood of messages popped up on his phone, and I froze.

Emily: [Received 6,600 dollars.]

Emily: [James, what do you want for dinner tonight?]

Emily: [Oh, right, forgot you've got your girlfriend to entertain tonight.]

Emily: [I'll eat alone then. I'll hang onto the cash for now. If you need it, hit me up.]

In that moment, my blood ran cold.

I'd already stared death in the face once. But right now, I felt even colder than when I was dying.

Before I even realized it, I opened up the chat between James and Emily.

Her name in his contacts was nothing special, and the background was the standard one.

However, the more I scrolled, the more unsettled and anxious I became.

Emily: [Our pipes are broken. Should I wait for you to come back, or call someone?]

James: [I'm at the hospital. take care of it.]

James: [Sent you 222 bucks.]

Emily: [I want to get new curtains. What color do you think would look best?]

James: [Go with something dark. That way, if you want to nap during the day, you can get some real rest.]

Emily: [Dang, you're really thoughtful.]

Emily: [James! Seriously, how many times do I have to tell you to put the seat down after you're done?]

James: [Sorry, I'll take care of it when I get home.]

Emily: [No worries, the cleaning fairy already handled it.]

The last message before James sent the money was from the day before I came home.

James: [Liv's coming home tomorrow. Could you have the housekeeper clean up the place?]

Emily: [OK.]

James: [Just "OK"? Are you upset or something?]

Emily left him on read after that.

And just now, as soon as he got paid, James sent Emmy the money right away.

James: [Here's the 6,600 dollars for this month's household expenses.]

James: [Liv's out of the hospital now, so we don't have to be so tight with money at home anymore.]

Emily: [About time you showed some heart. Thanks.]

A cold wave went through me. Turned out, all those little everyday things he used to share with me, he now shared with Emily instead.

James came back to his seat and saw me trembling, my lips almost white.

He jumped up, shocked. "Baby, what's wrong? Do you feel sick? Come on, let's get you to the hospital for a checkup."

He grabbed my hand and tried to pull me up.

But I held him back, gripping his hand tight.

"James," I whispered, my voice trembling. Tiny beads of sweat broke out all over me. Anxiety made my skin tingle. "When are you and Emily getting a divorce?"