Rob doesn’t respond immediately. He doesn’t have his read receipts on, so I have no idea if he’s even seen it.
And I frown. I remember that I asked him to turn those on months ago.
“Maisie, talk to me.” Nate’s voice is urgent, and I don’t blame him for it. When I go silent is usually when somethingbighas happened.
“What is there to even say?”
“How about what you’re feeling?”
“I feel exactly like any woman would when she finds out her fiancéhatedher at any point in their relationship.” I run a hand over my face and find tears on my cheeks. “I mean, was it obvious to everyone? Am I just an idiot?”
“Not that he hated you. I always thought he talked a different way with his friends, but I didn’t think it would be ...this.”
“Fuck,” I mutter as I stand. “I can’t—why would he say this right before our wedding? Couldn’t he have told me this, I don’t know, before he proposed?”
“He didn’t think he would get caught, Maisie. This is probably why he didn’t want me there.”
It makes complete sense.
That’s when my phone goes off.
Rob
How did you see this?
He’s more worried about how I saw it than what he said.
Every cell in my body burns. I’m angry. I’m devastated. And the idea of putting on that stupid white dress hanging in my room makes me want to scream.
“What did he say?” Nate asks.
Rob
It’s not as bad as it sounds. It’s just some guy talk.
“Guy talk. He says it’s guy talk.”
My phone is out of my hands and Nate’s reading the messages with a furrowed brow. “Come on, he’s not even denying it.”
I hear adingand now Nate’s glaring at my phone. He doesn’t get angry often. I’ve only seen it happen twice. Once when someone rear-ended me and tried to blame me for it, and once when his mom tried to make his graduation about herself.
“What thefuck,” he mutters as he reads it. I sit beside him and do the same.
Rob
Who sent you this? Was it Nate?
“Like I wouldn’t let you know what he was saying,” Nate says. I grab my phone just as another text message comes in.
Rob
Let me guess, Nate snuck in. He has it out for us, Maisie. He’s probably spinning this to be something it isn’t. Don’t listen to him. I didn’t mean it in any negative way.
I thought I was burning before, but something about this turns up the heat.
I answer before my rare bravery fades.
Maisie
