I clenched my jaw. It was clear he was with her, not me! He quickly covered the phone, but I heard it all.
“It’s okay. I’ll manage on my own,” I said, trying to sound convincing, though I knew he could hear the crack in my voice.
Just as I was about to hang up, Asher called out. “Lois, head home. I’ll explain everything later.”
Explain? What was there to explain? Another round of lies?
Wow.
Without a word, I ended the call and arranged for a ride back to the pack house. That night, Asher didn’t come home.
I lay awake, the faint sound of wind rustling through the trees outside rattling my thoughts. I picked up my tablet, trying to distract myself by sketching designs for a client.
But then I accidentally brushed against the chat app, and a new post popped up from Celeste.
A picture of a candlelit dinner table adorned with roses, captioned with:
“After half a lifetime away, I return to you. And here, the world feels warm again, just as it should.”
My heart sank. Only when I tried to log out did I realize the chat app was still open on Asher’s account.