d control. On the coffee table in front of her, two glasses of water sat

bsolute, broken only by the faint

e doorbe

d. He was smiling, a casual, easy grin that used to make her heart ache with love. Now, i

isy was br

unlock' button. No emoti

r stepped inside, his smile widening. "Hey, honey, wha

er, to press his lyin

wasn't a dramatic flinch, but it was enough.

faltered, replaced by a flicker of confusion. He studied h

gestured with her eyes toward

evaporated, replaced by a creeping unease. He placed the flowers on a side table and sat down, his kn

mooth surface of the coffee table. It lay between them,

s cold and clear as the water in the gla

was it? This was the emergency? A simple question about his whereabouts. He c

s almost impressive. "I was with the guys, Joss. A little ba

hed the corner of Jocely

l. He was searching for a name, any name. "The Grand H

continued, each question a tightening of the noos

saw it. The muscles in his jaw tightened. He forced a casual laugh, but it sounded strai

he silence stretch, letting him stew in his own deceit.

slow, theatrical. She picked it up, unlocked it with

. And next to it, Amber's hand, the red nails like drops of blood against the whi

od drained from his face, leaving his skin a sic

is not what it looks like!" he stammered, his voice cracking. "It's... it's ph

ling calm, swiping to the next image. The selfie. Amber snugg

mark on your shoulder," she said, her tone conversational. "The lamp I bought last week. Even th

il hammered into the

cade of the devoted fiancé crumbled into dust, revealing the weak, terrified man beneath. He collapsed back

ng dark. "Stop lying, Connor," she said, a we

is eyes swimming with tears of panic and self-pity. "I'm sorry, Jos

pain, no anger, just a vast, empty coldness. The man she was

art?" she asked

is hand. "Three weeks ago," he mumbled. "It only ha

d the phone screen toward him one last time, displaying Amber's te

e loves

tared at the words, knowing he was utterly

might have had for an explanation, for some context that made sense of this madne

remained. Not why he di