His sweet smile was gone, and he frowned at
me like I was his worst enemy.
“I know what you’re up to, okay? I’m just
helping a friend avoid pressure from her
family. It’s a good thing, so don’t you mess it
- up. If you mess this up, we’re done.”
He’s the one in the wrong.
And he was threatening to break up with me
without a second thought, as if our
relationship was just a card he could play
whenever he wanted.
I stared at him in disbelief.
“But that’s our condo! You’re my boyfriend!”
Chad didn’t seem to care.
“I told you, I’m just helping a friend. Her
family is all over her about getting married,
it’s suffocating her. If it really bothers you, we
can sell it and buy a new one. I don’t even like
the way it’s decorated.”
The place he said he didn’t even like was the
place I bought so we could live there
together!
What didn’t he like, the condo or our
relationship?
A bitter taste spread in my mouth, and I felt
nauseous.
But he didn’t notice. He was looking at his
phone and smiling about something someone
just texted him.
Then he looked up, said something short, and
left.
“I gotta go. Either don’t come to the
restaurant or come and don’t cause trouble.”
I stood there and laughed.
How could I leave?
How could I not see you be happy?
When I got to the restaurant, they’d already
started eating.
Г
Chad was at a table with the “uncles,”
drinking, eating, and chatting.
He always said he hated dealing with
relatives, but he looked pretty good at it.
I guess he only said that to me.
Ashley was at the young people’s table, and
she’d clearly had a few drinks. Her face was
red, and she was talking to the people next to
her.
I overheard her say:
“You can’t give a man what he wants too
easily. The colder you are to him, the harder
he’ll try to win you over. He was all over me in
college, it was so annoying.”
L
Someone asked, “Then he must have
something you wanted, or you wouldn’t have
kept him around.”
Ashley waved her hand as if it was nothing.
“I wouldn’t want to marry him if he wasn’t
making money. And he’s always been super
loyal to me. He told me he can’t even touch
another woman, even the thought of it is
gross.”
Someone didn’t believe her.
Ashley raised her hand, and Chad left his
table to ask Ashley if everything was okay.
Ashley shook her head, and he went back to
his table.
Ashley shrugged and said she had him.
trained.
The women at the table applauded.
I took a deep breath and unclenched my fist.
This was the guy I cared about?
Chad and I had been dating for a while, but
he never touched me.
He said women were more sensitive, and we’d
wait until we were married to have sex.
I thought he was a good guy.
But it was just like Ashley said. He wouldn’t
hold my hand because he didn’t want to
touch another woman who wasn’t her.
<
I stood up, raising my glass, and all eyes were
on me.
Chad turned pale, staring at me and warning
me with his eyes.
I ignored him and said, “I have a few things to
say.”
“Even though this is the first time I’ve met my
cousin, we’re so similar, we’re practically
sisters. We like all the same things. So, I have
a bunch of wedding stuff that I think she’ll
like. It’s for her. Congrats on your wedding!”
Everyone applauded.
I added, “I’m a germaphobe, and I think I
touched something dirty, so I’m going to
leave ”
