Page 3 of Cougar

But that was before I drove by his house this afternoon and saw him making out with Rebecca “the whore” Durant against her little red piece-of-shit sports car.Assholes.

My mother would say I shouldn’t make assumptions because things aren’t always as they seem. But there was no mistaking my boyfriend practically dry humping someone, whom I thought was my friend, in broad daylight. Chris was cheating, and it most likely wasn’t the first time. He sure as hell never kissed me like that.

I immediately felt stupid for thinking we were the perfect couple, or that I’d had the perfect boyfriend who wasn’t pushing me for sex.

Because he was getting it from someone else.

I guess it’s better to know now that he’s a cheating asshole before I gave him my virginity, or worse,married him. The whore can fucking have him.

Liz stops at the front door and turns to me. “Hey, what are you gonna say to Chris?” she asks. “Do you want me to ask Mike to talk to him?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I’ll deal with Chris.”

“Okay.” She smirks. “But say the word and I’ll kick that cheating fucker in the balls.”

I snort a laugh as she reaches for the doorknob. Mike’s house is packed to the walls with what looks like our entire graduating class. Liz leans toward my ear. “I’m gonna go find Mike,” she yells over the noise.

“I’m gonna go use the bathroom.” I gesture toward the stairs, knowing there won’t be a line at the bathroom since the upstairs is off-limits to party guests. “I’ll meet you out back.”

She nods and begins pushing her way through the crowd as I turn and head for the stairs.

When I reach the guest bathroom upstairs, it’s locked. Unable to wait, I sneak across the hall to Mike’s parents’ master bedroom and slip into their bathroom. After I finish, I wash my hands and shut off the light as I open the door.

At the same time, the bedroom door swings open and slams shut. Two silhouettes kiss in the dark as they move toward the bed. I stand frozen in the doorway, not sure what I should do as the two fall onto the bed, moaning and panting as they begin stripping their clothes off.

I’m torn between stepping back into the bathroom until they’re finished or announcing my presence and excusing myself from the room before they start screwing right in front of me.

But before I can do either, the bedroom door swings open once again and the light from the hallway casts a spotlight on the couple in the bed.

Oh. My. God.

“Michael!” Liz screams from the doorway before she stumbles backward in shock, then spins around and rushes off, her sandals slapping against the hardwood as she descends the stairs. I should run after her, but I can’t force myself to move. Instead, I stand rooted in place, blinking in shock that this is really happening.

“Shit!” Mike yells before leaping from the bed, zipping up his pants as Rebecca rolls from the bed, snatches up her shirt, and hurries out of the room, disappearing into the now empty bathroom across the hall.Were they the ones in there with the door locked?

Flicking on the bathroom light, Mike jerks his head in my direction. His face pales as I storm toward him and slap him across the face.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I yell.

Mike shoves his hands into his hair, a mixture of fear and regret on his face. “I fucked up. I-I’m sorry,” he slurs.

He’s wasted.

“Sorry for what?” Liz cries from the doorway as she flips the light switch. I knew she’d come back. Forget Chris, she should kick Mike’s cheating ass in the balls. “Sorry for screwing my best friend?”What?She steps into the room, slamming the door behind her. It’s just the three of us now. I wonder if the whore is still hiding in the bathroom across the hall. I should bust that door down and kick her ass. “Or sorry you got caught?”What?

I frown, confused. “Hold on a minute. Liz, it was—” I start to tell her it was Rebecca, but she cuts me off with a slap to the face.

Liz squares her shoulders with her hands balled into fists at her sides. “Your boyfriend cheated on you so you go after mine?”

The slap pisses me off, but accusing me of trying to screw her boyfriend breaks my heart. Mike has clearly lost his ability to speak, because he’s just standing there staring wide-eyed as if he’s having an out-of-body experience.

“How could you do this to me, Em?” Liz chokes out, her eyes narrowed. I’m speechless as I stare at her in disbelief. She’s officially lost her fucking mind. “When I told you I was pregnant, you said you were happy for me. Was that a lie?”

Mike shakes the buzz from his brain and jerks upright, suddenly finding his voice. “You’re pregnant?” he asks, incredulous.

Liz nods before she covers her face and begins to sob. My knee-jerk reaction would be to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything will be okay.

But now?

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