Paige narrates:
I'm focused on work, until a WhatsApp message distracts me, I look over and see that from Riley.
"Bad friend, you come to see your husband and don't stop by to say hi to me? Just know I'm upset with you, toxic mode on."
What is she talking about? I haven't been to see Mason, why do you think that? I'd better ask Mason when I get home. I continue working and forget about what my friend sent me. Although a lot of possible scenarios happened before it disappeared from my mind. Could it be that he brought a woman to his office to get even for the time he hasn't seen his mistress? I don't think he's that brazen, I mean he can do whatever he wants, but he can't let himself be seen being unfaithful, that would be the last thing he could stand. It could be that he was with a friend and the secretary told him he was busy, I don't know, there are thousands of possibilities. The best thing to do would be to wait until I talk to him.
As if I had been summoning him my cell phone shows an incoming call from Mason. He invites me to lunch, and I accept, so I'm out of doubt about the message. I notice him nervous when I hear his voice, these years at his side have helped me to get to know him and notice when he lies, hides, is happy, etc.
I continue with my work, it's more than an hour to leave for lunch, at least I thought so until Mason, minutes after finishing the call appears in my office, anxious to leave. That's funny, I explain to him that I have to talk to Ethan, to my surprise he has already done it, and everything is ready for us to go out to lunch.
I take my things, and, in the car, I see his nervousness increase, I continue calmly waiting for his reason of anxiety to see us. I realize he took a different path; he parks the car and looks at me.
After of his verbal vomit, I decide to interrupt him to stop his self-pity. Poor man. I respond that it's okay and that it's normal to have sex, that our bodies crave it, especially for men. I see that he's surprised by my attitude. The only thing I ask him again is not to get caught, as that would ruin everything.
"Do you understand that if we get caught, we'll be in big trouble? There's only one more year left, and I think you can do it without being discovered," I say calmly, looking ahead.
I can't say that it doesn't hurt to know what he did. In all this time, I haven't managed to forget or stop feeling something for my fake husband. My mind understands that nothing will ever happen between us, but my heart doesn't accept it.
We remain silent for a few minutes, longer than I would like, as it allows my mind to wander and wonder about the woman he was with and if she enjoyed it.
Of course, she enjoyed it, you fool.
Damn conscience tormenting me.
Since you rejected him when he was drunk, I've been making sure to show you how foolish it was to reject him.
Ever since that day, my inner self has been my worst punishment.
"Shall we go eat? My lunch break is almost over, and I won't make it in time," I explain, trying to pull him out of his lost world.
"I guess in my mind, I had expected an argument, a fight, or something about what happened. I never imagined being understood," he says.
"As I told you, we all suffer from lack of sex. We just have to think carefully and do it without anyone noticing. So, I ask you not to let it happen again. I don't want to end up looking like a fool and hating you," I respond to his words.
"It won't happen again," he says with a smile.
"Now that we've cleared the air, let's eat. I'm actually hungry," I say timidly.
Mason simply nods in silence. I notice that he seems more thoughtful since I told him that it's okay for him to have sex. Maybe he's disappointed that there wasn't a fight over it. Men would be happy to avoid a fight over infidelity.
Throughout the meal, I wear a smile on my face, pretending that everything is fine and that I feel nothing about what he did. All I want is for this to end quickly so I can be alone and show how much his betrayal affected me. It doesn't count as betrayal, does it? But my heart doesn't understand that.
Maybe you should do the same as him. You've been without sex for a while, and there's nothing wrong with releasing your anger with a guy you won't see again.