I can’t be sure anymore.
I press my palm to my forehead, trying to force the memory back, but all I see is Alicia’s tiny face. The IV. The fear that swallowed me whole. Back then, I wasn’t searching for betrayal. I never thought to.
The thought rises anyway, jarring and unwanted.
Colin wouldn’t cheat on me.
He loves me.
…Doesn’t he?
What if he’s cheating?
The question hits like a blow, stealing the air from my lungs. My hands shake so violently the phone nearly slips from my grasp.
No. There has to be another reason. Colin wouldn’t do this.
He couldn’t.
Could he?
My eyes fall back to his text.
The office.
Heat floods me. Rage, fear, disbelief, everything tangles into something unbearable.
If the truth is waiting anywhere, it’s there.
Montgomery Clifford & Co.
If Colin is hiding something from me, I’ll find out.
No more excuses. No more lies.
Not even the ones I’ve been telling myself.
Colin
I look at Ceci once more. The black dress she’s wearing tonight is modest and elegant from the front, but the back is almost entirely bare. A delicate expanse of skin that draws my attention without asking for it.
She’s exquisite. She always is. My hands stay firm on her waist, a silent claim for anyone watching.
“Another glass?” I murmur, leaning in until my lips almost graze her ear. She only shakes her head, lifting her half-full flute as if to remind me she’s fine. No words, just the smallest gesture before she turns back to Felicity.
She’s quieter than usual. She has been all evening. Even on the ride here, she seemed miles away, her gaze fixed on the passing lights.
Earlier, while we were getting ready for the evening, I slipped up behind her and kissed the soft curve of her neck. Normally, she melts into me, but tonight she stayed still. When I asked ifshe was all right, she gave me a quick, practiced smile, said she was just thinking about a new article, and brushed me off with a light kiss, careful not to smudge her lipstick.
I told myself not to push. Still, the way she’s holding herself now makes me wonder. Something feels different. Not wrong, exactly… but shifted.
"Come with me for a walk around the room? I see some people I’d like to speak with."
Ceci slips her arm through mine without a word. Still withdrawn. Still distant. I’m about to ask her again if she needs anything when a voice cuts through the hum of the ballroom.
"Cecily?"
Her head turns, and I catch the flicker in her eyes. Surprise first, then warmth. She smiles, real and unguarded. It’s the first genuine smile I’ve seen from her today, and the sight of it leaves me torn between relief and a sudden, disquieting confusion.
