Jenni stands there with messy hair, and makeup smudged from last night, but the second she sees me, her eyes go wide.
“Honey.” She breathes my name, then immediately pulls me into a hug. “Oh my god. I’ve been so worried about you. Come in, please, come in.”
I let her pull me inside, too tired and broken to resist.
She closes the door and turns to face me, her eyes taking me in with concern. “I didn’t sleep at all last night. I kept thinking about you, about what you must be going through. Did Zach find you? Did he try to—” She stops herself, biting her lip. “I’m so sorry, Honey. I’m so sorry you had to find out like that.”
“Find out what?” My voice sounds hollow even to my own ears.
“Oh.” Her voice is dripping with sympathy. “About him. About what he’s been doing behind your back.” She moves to her desk, her hands shaking as she picks up her phone. “I didn’t want to tell you since you said you avoided social media, but after last night—after he tried to—” Her voice breaks. “I can’t keep covering for him anymore.”
“Covering for him?”
“Look.” She pulls up her messages, scrolling quickly, then holds the phone out to me. “I need you to see this. I need you to understand that I've been trying to protect you.”
I take the phone, my hands trembling.
The messages on the screen are between her and Zach.
Zach:You looked really good tonight. Wish Hail Mary’s had a more private room than the hallway.
Jenni:I wish you hadn’t said those things to me Zach.
Zach:Why?
Jenni:You know why. Honey’s my friend. We shouldn’t be doing this.
Zach:But what if it’s what I want?
Jenni:This is a bad idea.
Zach:Come grab a drink with me. Five minutes.
I thumb down the conversation. The messages keep going. All implying they’re meeting up. My chest tightens, and for a second, I can’t breathe.
Was he lying?
“I know it’s hard to see,” Jenni says softly, moving to sit on her bed. “But it’s been going on for weeks, Honey. It started at Hail Mary’s when he—” She breathes in and then lets out a shaky breath. “When he kissed me in the hallway. I pushed him away. I told him no and I’ve been trying to shut it down since, but last night he just—” She presses her hands to her face. “He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
I don’t say anything. I just keep reading the messages, my stomach twisting, but something doesn’t feel right. This doesn’t sound like Zach. He doesn’t talk like this.
I scroll up, looking for more context, but all the messages are short.
Wait.
My thumb hovers over the contact name at the top of the screen.
Zach
I click it.
The contact info loads.
And when I see the last three digits of the number I realize I’ve been played. I’m a fucking fool.
“This isn’t his number.”
“What?” Jenni’s head snaps up.