"How long are you going to study, man? I'm fucking hungry," Clif whined as I sat, still and focused, my nose in a book. Midterms were coming up, and I had a massive amount of reading to catch up on if I wanted to be prepared.

It had been a couple of days since the unforgettable night Connor and I spent together, and I was still basking in the glow after our mutual confession. Because school had slipped down a few notches on my list of priorities, I forced myself to take a little bit of space to focus on academics. The two of us had been attached at the hip for a while, so I thought, if anything, a few days apart might "make the heart grow fonder" as they say. Connor was using the time to catch up on his assignments as well, but we were diligent about calling and texting whenever we had the time.

"I'm at a good stopping point, let's just go," I sighed, breathing in deeply as I stretched my stiff limbs. I pulled a sweatshirt over my turtleneck and grabbed a jacket before I followed Clif out to the dimly lit parking lot.

I let Clif drive my car since he always loved getting behind the wheel of my zippy BMW sedan. My brain was fried from all of the reading anyway, so it was nice to let him chauffeur me around. When we arrived at our favorite pizza place, I huffed in frustration as I noticed the massive crowd waiting outside.

"Clif, there are so many fucking people here. Let's just go somewhere else," I suggested, not feeling up to being social. "You know we're going to end up running into people from school, and I'm just not in the mood right now."

"I'll just go in and grab something. We can take it home, okay?" Clif offered with a sympathetic smile.

"That would be perfect. Thanks, man," I muttered, the exhaustion apparent in my voice.

Clif went inside while I remained cozy and warm in the car. Radiohead played quietly over the sound system as I scrolled through social media, switching apps occasionally. After about twenty minutes, I began to wonder what was taking so long, so I sent him a text.

Me: Hey, what's taking so long? Do you need help carrying the food out?

It didn't take long before three little dots appeared at the bottom of the screen as Clif responded to my message.

Clif Hendricks: What did Connor tell you he was doing tonight?

Me: He said he had some errands to run. Why are you asking, Clif?

Clif Hendricks: Fuck, dude.

Clif Hendricks: [image]

In the picture Clif sent me, Connor was sitting at a corner booth in the restaurant across from a handsome, blonde man, probably in his late 20s or early 30s. Connor wore the beaming smile that was usually reserved for me, and I felt my heart twinge as my throat began to sink down deep into my stomach. Heat was rising in my cheeks as I exited the conversation with Clif and began typing a message to Connor.

Me: Hey! What are you up to?

The three dots appeared for a moment, then disappeared. I watched and waited as he finally began typing again.

Connor Wells: Hey, babe. Just got home from grabbing some takeout. What about you?

Me: Same, actually. Clif and I are bringing some food home now. Mind if I stop by in a bit?

Connor Wells: Of course, I'd love to see you. Is it okay if you wait about an hour? I need to tidy up my apartment before you get here.

Me: Sure. Sounds good.

Fuck. Why are you lying to me, Connor?

Lost in thought, I hadn't even noticed Clif walking back out to the car. He opened the door and plopped down, carefully maneuvering the pizza so that it didn't slide around too much inside the box.

"Hey, man, are you okay? You're crying," he said, lifting a calloused hand to my face to wipe away the tears I hadn't even realized were there. "Did you talk to Connor?"

"Here, you can read it," I squeaked out between sobs, handing him my phone.

"What the fuck is this bullshit?!" Clif shouted. "So you're going to go see him? Want me to come with you? I can kick his ass, ya know."

"That's not necessary, Clif," I whispered, my voice quivering. "Let's just go home and eat so that I can get this over with."

"Fuck, man, I'm sorry. I mean, there's a chance it's not what we're thinking, right?"

"Maybe, but why would he lie? Why wouldn't he tell me he was meeting someone if it was nothing?"

"Yeah, you're right. Something is definitely up. Alright, let's go home," Clif said, gently patting my head. "It's going to be okay, Bo."

"That's what Connor said, too."

* * *

I knocked on Connor's door, unsure of how I got to his apartment. I knew that I drove my car there, but from the moment I saw the picture of my boyfriend out with someone else, my entire night had blurred together.

I felt my cheeks one more time to make sure they were dry, and before I could stick my hand back in my pocket, the door opened. Connor was standing in front of me, dressed in the same outfit I had seen him wearing earlier that night, and he looked down at me with the same loving smile as always.

Feeling paralyzed, both physically and mentally, I just stared at him, unable to speak.

"Bo, why are your eyes red? Have you been crying?" Connor asked as the smile fell from his face, his demeanor becoming tense.

"I'm okay," I lied. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," he said, placing a hand on my back as he led me to the living room. He took my coat and gestured for me to have a seat.

"What did you end up having for dinner?" I inquired, already knowing the answer. He sat down next to me and studied me with a slightly confused expression.

"Just a pizza, nothing too special," he chuckled, adjusting the metal frames on his nose, which was still tinged pink from the cold.

"Oh really? That's funny, Clif and I got a pizza, too," I explained, the emotion absent from my voice. Our eyes met, and I stared at him fiercely, as if I could pierce through his lies with my gaze. Even though he was clearly trying to conceal his anxiety, I could tell that he was getting nervous. It was my intention to figure out why. "We actually stopped by Joey's earlier for takeout. Have you heard of it?"

"Bo--," Connor started, but I wasn't about to give him a chance to lie to me again.

"Who was that, Connor?" I asked angrily, the quiver returning to my voice. Don't fucking cry in front of him. "Why did you lie to me?"