I left the coffee shop shortly after seven.
Tessa stopped me near the door.
“For whatever it’s worth, none of us knew you were actually still together when we became involved with him.”
I looked at her.
“I believe you.”
I still didn’t know whether I could forgive them for what they had done to his car.
But Marcus was the person who had made vows to me.
They hadn’t.
When I returned home, Marcus was waiting in the living room.
He looked as though he had been rehearsing his expression.
“Where were you?”
I placed my bag down.
“Meeting Tessa.”
I said it casually.
Like I was mentioning a normal errand.
The color disappeared from his face.
“You know Tessa?”
I tilted my head.
“Tessa. Brooke. Olivia.”
Marcus said nothing.
“How many?”
“Whatever they told you, don’t believe them.”
“How many, Marcus?”
“They’re exaggerating.”
“There are screenshots.”
“Messages can be misunderstood.”
“There are photographs.”
He began pacing toward the window.
“Some of those women knew what the situation was.”
“What situation?”
Silence.
“Say it.”
His shoulders dropped.
“It wasn’t serious.”
I slowly nodded.
“And what was I?”
He looked at me.
I pulled out my phone.
Then read his message aloud.
“Danielle makes my real life work.”
Marcus winced.
“That sounds terrible.”
“It sounds accurate.”
“I didn’t mean it the way you’re interpreting it.”
He moved closer.
“I meant that you were my real life.”
He apparently believed that explanation made things better.
It didn’t.
I walked upstairs and took a suitcase from the closet.
Marcus followed.
“What are you doing?”
“Packing your things.”
“Danielle.”
“You’re not permanently losing access to the house. Legally, it belongs to both of us.”
I opened the suitcase.
“But tonight, you’re sleeping somewhere else.”
He followed me into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed.
Then he told me he loved me.
