The driver dropped me off at Alex’s apartment on the Upper West Side, and I gave him far more money than the ride required. He took it without a second glance in my direction, surely only grateful that I didn’t vomit in his taxi.
Alex’s building stood brilliant and tall, with a doorman who let me into the deep green lobby with a quizzical, worried glance.
“Ms. Brennan,” he said with wide bulging eyes. “What are you doing here tonight? Isn’t your wedding tomorrow?”
I put a finger over my lips and held in a fit of giggles. “Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret.”
“I don’t think you should go up there —”
“Everyone and their superstitions,” I grumbled. I gave him a wave and a grin before stumbling off to the elevator bank and hitting the button for the 13th floor.
“I’m a woman of the 21st century,” I murmured to myself while the elevator carried me up. “Why is everyone so old-fashioned? Even Lily.” I blew a raspberry. “The girl can’t keep it in her pants either.”
I tripped over my feet and out of the elevator once it dings open on Alex’s floor. My keys jingled in my hands, and I couldn’t stop the devious grin from raising the corners of my lips.
“He’s gonna be so surprised,” I said with a quiet laugh.
The apartment was pitch black, but the light underneath Alex’s door was on. His bachelor party was tonight as well, so maybe he just got home, too. I slipped my high heels off and locked the door behind me.
I could be blind and walk through this apartment without making a sound. A two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan was no small feat and Alex made it look good. Beautiful cherry floors and granite everywhere else marked the modern sophisticated style Alex had hired a designer to replicate.
The bed creaked in Alex’s room, and a deep groan came from him. Probably exhausted, same as me, no doubt.
Time to wake us up a little bit.
I put my hand on his doorknob but paused at another breathy moan.
From a woman.
Her moans grew louder and more desperate. All fogginess in my brain from the drink cleared, and I listened to her call his name in her high-pitched elation.
It must have been a nightmare because there was no way this was real. Alex? Cheating on me? Sure, he was busy a lot at work and needed to stay late, but being a lawyer required that. When would he have the time to fuck someone else?
His grunts sent me over the edge. Red rage blinded my eyes, and I threw open the door to see him kneeling on the bed, fucking a faceless woman from the back.
I wanted to scream, but all the breath was knocked out of me. They were so into it they didn’t even notice me standing in the doorway until Alex finished inside her.
“What the fuck?” I breathed.
Alex froze and the anonymous woman dove under the covers to hide her face.
“B-Belle!” he exclaimed. He stood, flaccid penis hanging in front of him, and his beautiful self, with his gorgeous blonde hair and bright blue eyes, suddenly seemed hideous to me. “It’s not what you think —”
“It’s not what I think?” I breathed. “Oh sorry, you’re not standing naked in front of me? Sorry, there’s not a naked woman in our bed? Seriously, Alex? Are you saying I didn’t just watch you fuck this woman the night before our wedding? Fucking herraw? And you’re saying that I didn’t hear her, whoever thefuckshe is, yelling your name?” He made a move toward me, but I shoved past him and yanked the covers off the woman, only to turn to stone at the reveal.
“Lily.” Her name came out of my mouth in a weighted drop. A sheepish grin tore apart her face, and even Alex’s spineless protestations were drowned out by the roaring in my ears.
“Hey,” she said.
“I can’t believe this,” I whispered. I turned back to Alex, and he raised his hands as if I were directing a weapon in his direction. “How long has this been going on? No,whyis this going on? How could you two do this to me? Tell me. Tell me!”
“Don’t be like this, Isobel,” Lily said with a laugh. “You were never willing to share. Give us a break.”
“Lily,” Alex hissed. “Stop —”
My palm connected with Lily’s cheek. She clutched at her reddening face and were it not for her nakedness, it might have turned into a full-blown brawl.
“Have a good life together,” I snarled. “Stay the hell out of mine.”