To distract myself, I decide to go to the market. Since I’m out anyway, I buy a couple of dresses a few sizes bigger. I know I’m going to start showing soon, and I want to be comfortable.
As I am heading home, I freeze in the driveway.
What is
Chris doing here?
He looks up, and strangely, he doesn't seem surprised to see me.
"What are you doing here?" I ask as I open the door. I don’t want to invite him in, but I’m tired and I need to get inside and get out of the sun.
He follows me in. "I could ask you the same question. After all, it's Saturday, and you're prancing into your boss’s house. I think I'm allowed to ask some questions."
"No, you aren’t. You lost that right five years ago.”
Chris folds his arms in front of his chest. "Is this what overtime looks nowadays?"
"I don’t owe you shit."
He shakes his head. "You think I'm so terrible, huh? You've made this entire thing about me in your head."
"I didn't have to imagine anything, Chris," I say. "I walked in on you with not one but two girls. You didn't even notice I was there."
"That's because I didn't know you were coming."
"How would that make a difference?"
"I would have cleaned up my act."
"It would have just delayed the outcome. Because you would just end up cheating on me another time, but I would always end up finding out sooner or later."
"I always suspected it, but I think I know now. It was Jake, wasn't it?" Chris says. "He told you."
"He didn't."
Chris scoffs. "You think I'm going to believe that now that you're sleeping with him?"
"You're crossing a line."
"Am I, Kiera?" Chris taunts me. "I'm not sleeping with my ex's best friend who also happens to be my boss."
"Whatever, asshole." I know he's trying to get to me. This is Chris. Makes everything about himself and never takes responsibility for anything.
Problem is my stupid hormones get to me, and tears start gathering up in my eyes.
When the first rolls down my face, Chris steps forward. "Don't cry, Kiera. I didn't mean to upset you."
"Just leave me alone," I say, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.
"I always regretted how we ended," Chris says. "Now I know who was really responsible."
"It was you," I say. "You were selfish. You never loved me, or even cared about my feelings."
"You're wrong. I did love you. I loved you for a long time," Chris says. With each word, he takes a step forward. "I never stopped caring for you. That's why I'm here to warn you."
"What?"
"I knew Jake was hiding something from me. He was acting so fishy," Chris says. “But he isn’t as suave as he thinks he is. I saw you guys together the other day as you were walking down the street to the car. I was coming to see him and there you were, leaving the house with him.”