The screen lit up and I caught the briefest glimpse of the message before she angled the device away. It was Nathan.
He sent a selfie of his chiseled abs with a message: [Mrs. Colby, I'm at the hotel. It's so hot here... I could use some help...]
Alexa's breath hitched, her fingers tightening around the phone as if it might betray her secrets aloud. She looked up at me, her expression quickly shifting into something apologetic, sincere.
"Harry..." she began, her voice soft, tinged with regret. "It's from the university. Something urgent has come up, so I need to leave. It won't take more than an hour and a half, I promise. I'll come right back and we'll continue celebrating your birthday."
Her eyes searched mine for understanding, a faint flicker of panic betraying her otherwise composed demeanor.
I held her gaze for a moment longer than she probably expected, before offering a faint smile. "It's fine. Go ahead."
Relief flooded her features. "You're the best," she said, leaning in to kiss me on the forehead. "Order whatever you like—I'll take care of everything when I get back."
***
Thirty minutes after she left, my phone vibrated. Nathan sent me a video and quickly I opened it.