Trey takes my hand in his as we cuddle on the couch. “Love ya.”
I look up at his beautiful dark, chiseled face, then sink into the warmth of his chest. “I love you too.”
I want to bring up that I’ve felt distant from him. Even now, as he has his arm around me, I feel like there’s a wall between us.
He used to be the perfect guy. Now it seems like whenever he gets a chance to leave me, he’s gone without a backward glance.
My dad suddenly appears in the room once again. “Trey, can I bother you for a few minutes?” he asks. “I’m trying to replace a sprinkler head, and I’m having a helluva time.”
“Sure, Dr. Fox,” Trey says without hesitation.
“Dad, we were just about to put in a movie,” I say, my voice sounding whiny. “Can’t he help you later?”
Trey pats my knee, then practically jumps up. “Don’t be contemptuous. I’ll be right back.”
Contemptuous?
I used to think the way Trey sprinkled what my second-grade teacher would call “five-dollar words” into his sentences was cute. It made Trey unique and reminded me of how smart he was. But today I just find it condescending.
Trey exits the room with my dad, leaving me alone to fast-forward the beginning credits and pause it right where the movie starts.
I know that helping my dad won’t take a few minutes. I check my phone as the time clicks by. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes.
Trey’s phone buzzes. It must’ve fallen out of his pocket when he was sitting on the couch. I figure it’s one of our friends, but it’s not.
ZARA: Hey, baby! I miss u, Einstein! Call when you’re alone. xoxoxo
The text has a bunch of hearts after it.
My breathing slows as the reality of it all sinks in. My boyfriend is cheating on me. Even though I’m not shocked, I feel sick and numb.
Don’t come to conclusions, I tell myself.
I read the text ten more times and contemptuous doesn’t even begin to describe my mood.
Not wanting to freak myself out further, I walk outside and find my dad proudly showing Trey the new lawn mower he got a few weeks ago. Trey is kneeling down, examining the machine as my dad excitedly explains the features. I watch them work together to figure out some problem. They’re bonding like father and son.
Trey finally notices me watching them.
“Trey, you got a text,” I say, holding out his cell. “You left your phone on the couch.”
He takes the phone from me and shoves it in his pocket. “Thanks.”
“Aren’t you gonna read it?” I ask, gauging his reaction.
He makes no eye contact with me. “Later.”
“Go inside with Monika,” Dad says to Trey. “I don’t want to interrupt your date.”
“It’s fine, Dr. Fox. Right, Monika?” my boyfriend says before winking at me and flashing me a smile that’s uniquely him.
I remember the first time Trey smiled at me. It was right after cheerleading practice the summer before freshman year. The football team was passing us as they went into the locker room. Trey and Vic were walking together as they passed me. Vic just nodded to me while Trey smiled. He has a smile that screams confidence and sincerity at the same time. While I was interested in getting to know Vic better, he didn’t pay me any attention and Trey did. The next day Trey found me by my locker and asked me out—and smiled again. We’ve been dating ever since.
“Trey,” I tell him. “We need to talk.”
“Sounds serious,” Dad says. “You want an old man’s piece of advice, Trey? When a woman says they need to talk, brace yourself,” he jokes as the wrinkles around his eyes bunch up in amusement.
Trey chuckles. “Thanks for the warning, Dr. Fox,” he says as he follows me into the den. “What’s up, baby?”
I swallow, hard. “Who’s Zara?”
A look of confusion crosses Trey’s face. “Zara?” he asks as if he’s never heard that name before.
“Yeah. You know who she is because she’s a contact in your phone.”
“You were looking at my contacts?”
“No, I didn’t look at your contacts,” I say defensively. “A text came up on the screen from a girl named Zara. Read it.”
He pulls his phone out. After reading the text, he shoves it back in his pocket. “It was obviously meant for someone else.” He raises a brow. “You don’t think for one second that text was meant for me, do you?”
Now I’m confused.
My mind is a blur.
“I don’t know what to think, Trey. It’s kinda shady.”
“Seriously, that’s ludicrous. It’s kinda dumb for you to think it’s shady.” He shakes his head in frustration. “Don’t you believe me?”
I used to hang onto every word Trey said. He was always so smart and I looked to him for guidance and friendship. Today, though, the words coming out of his mouth seem forced and hollow.
“I don’t know,” I say. “She called you Einstein, Trey. That’s so you.” I want to believe him, but I’m having a hard time.
“I don’t feel like watching the movie now,” he says. “I’m gonna go. I mean, if you can’t believe your boyfriend of over three years, just forget it.”
“Forget what?” I ask. “Don’t you want to talk about it? I mean, you haven’t even told me who this girl is. She’s programmed in your phone, so you know her.”