ing denied. She followed me out of the house and into the c

walk away from

my car. I had nothin

e, blocking my path. Her face

"You can't just embarrass me like th

, humorless laugh. "I think you've

ed across my cheek. She had slapped me. H

eamed, her voice breaking. "

have tried to fix it, to understand what I did wrong. But now, all I felt was a

lightly, and I saw the whole pathetic

e overpriced club?" I asked calmly. "Or is it bec

ing to regain her composure. "W

lowering my voice so

in her eyes. "How long has it been going on? How lon

ir between us, stark and und

e talking about," she stammer

their friends came out of the

, immediately positioning himself next

rsting into dramatic tears and b

bed. "He accused me of... o

which had been confused moments before,

y named Kevin, said. "That's a messed up

other one added. "Why woul

een fed. They saw a crying girl and a stoic guy and immed

face from Mike's shirt. She l

ce thick with fake emotion, "then I don't think

eat, a final, desperate move to manipulate me into begging for her forgiveness. She

looked

," I

her harder than her slap had hit me. Her ja

repeated,

each syllable. "We're over. You

It was like a massive weight I didn't even know I was carryin

h again. He still had his arm around Sarah, but his eyes wer

nd reasonable. "Let's not make any rash deci

t intact. If Sarah and I broke up, his access to

and pulled out his wallet-t

done for tonight. But I'll make it up to you guys. We'll go on that ski trip next weekend. I'll p

ribe. He was using my own money to promise gifts to the very people w

't just a user and a backstabber. He was a master manip

laughed. It wasn't a happy sound. It was cold and shar