I snapped out of my daydream, feeling disappointed. Emily Harper, the girl who'd set my phone buzzing with flirty iMessages, had spent less than an hour in my Athens apartment before saying she'd be with her cousin instead. The Emily I'd imagined was adventurous, excited to be with me, felt like a fantasy compared to the one who had come and gone, leaving me unsure about everything. Did I misread her? Or was there something else going on?
As I wrestled with my thoughts, my phone buzzed. Emily's name appeared on the screen. I stared at it, my frustration rising. I had gone all out, stocked up on snacks, cleaned my place, and even bought a couple of craft beers to share. And for what? I ignored her call, letting it go to voicemail. Another call came in, but I didn't answer. To distract myself, I opened my phone, planning to scroll through Instagram. But when the login page appeared, I stopped. Emily's email was already filled in, with eight asterisks in the password field. A memory surfaced. When she arrived yesterday, she borrowed my phone, saying her Phone was dead. She logged into her ChatNow and handed it back after logging out. I remembered the browser prompt: Do you want to save this password? She must have clicked yes. Curiosity pulled at me, and despite feeling guilty, I logged into her account.
What I found hit me hard. Emily's inbox held a collection of flirtations; her playful chats with me were mirrored with at least four other guys. One conversation with a guy named "Hunter_X" stopped me in my tracks. Their messages revealed he lived in Athens, Georgia. Emily had told him she wanted to visit, and when he said he couldn't cover her travel costs, she replied, "Don't worry, I'll handle it." My mind raced. Was this why she asked me for train fare? I scrolled further, my heart sinking as I saw they'd exchanged explicit photos and messages, their chemistry as strong as what I thought we had. They were dating, too. The cousin she was staying with? No cousin at all. She was with him.
But a nagging doubt crept in. She had invited me to her "cousin's" place yesterday. Would she do that if she were with another guy? My thoughts swirled, torn between anger and confusion. It was 8:43 a.m. I called Emily, keeping my voice steady. "Hey, I'm feeling better. Can I come by your cousin's place? What's the address?" Her response was quick, almost as if it were scripted. "I'm sorry, you can't come. My cousin and I had a huge fight last night, and we're not even speaking to each other. It's not a good time." I muttered a weak "Okay" and hung up. Man, you're such an idiot, I thought, realizing I'd been played.
Anger rose, then twisted into darker thoughts. Should I find the address from her ChatNow? Confront her? My imagination ran wild, but before I could spiral further, I got a text from Emily: "Babe, I'm on my way to your place." My heart raced. I paced my apartment, planning how I'd call her out on her lies, her games, and the other guy. But when a soft knock came at my door thirty minutes later, followed by her voice, "It's me, Emily," my resolve faltered. I opened the door, my face set in a scowl. Emily dropped her backpack, wrapped her arms around me, and kissed me, her lips warm and inviting. For a moment, my anger faded in the warmth of her embrace. Before I could process it, she pulled back, flashed a playful smile, and headed to my kitchen. "Babe, I can't travel on an empty stomach," she called over her shoulder. "I might pass out on the train!"
I stood there, dumbstruck. My rehearsed speech is gone. The courage to confront her about her ChatNow messages vanished. Should I bring it up? What if she denied it? Or worse, what if she walked out? My thoughts raced as she rummaged through my cabinets, pulling out a pack of ramen. She started cooking, and we fell into an awkward conversation. "So, what happened with your cousin?" I asked, leaning against the counter, trying to sound casual. Emily sighed dramatically. "Ugh, don't even ask. I told him I'm heading back to Miami today, and he was supposed to give me some cash, but he's being a total jerk about it. Said he's broke." I raised an eyebrow, my doubts flaring. "Really? Why would he do that to his cousin?" She shrugged, stirring the ramen. "He's just cheap. I mentioned I was coming to Athens to see someone; you and he got all weird about it. He insisted I stay at his place. Even called my mom to make sure I did. So, I had no choice." I nodded, but my mind was elsewhere. The address I'd seen in her Instagram chat with Hunter_X was in Five Points, a trendy neighborhood about twenty minutes from my place. "Where does your cousin live, anyway?" I asked, testing her. "Over in Five Points," she said casually, then caught herself. "I mean, near there. It's complicated." Five Points. Exactly what I saw. My jaw tightened, but I pressed on. "That's not far. Maybe I could swing by and meet him? You know, say hi to my future in-law," I joked, watching her closely. Emily's smile faltered. "We're not on speaking terms right now. I kinda went off on him this morning and stormed out. Maybe next visit." She turned back to the stove, avoiding my gaze. I let it go, but my frustration boiled. "It's 10:20 now," she said, glancing at her phone. "I need to head out by noon to catch my bus train back to Miami. So, what'd you get for me? Some snacks for the road? Maybe a little something to remember you by?" She winked, but her words felt like a jab.
I couldn't hold back any longer. "Emily, you're unbelievable," I snapped, my voice sharper than I meant. "You show up, stay for an hour, ditch me for some 'cousin,' and now you're asking for stuff? I'm so mad at you." She froze, her eyes wide. Then, in a surprising move, she stepped closer, resting a hand on my forehead before sliding it down to my chest. Her touch was soft and intentional. She leaned in, her lips brushing mine as she whispered, "What's wrong, my love?"
I wanted to stay angry, to call her out for her lies, for tricking me, and for Hunter_X. But her closeness, the warmth of her hand, and the way her body pressed against mine scrambled my thoughts. "I was sick yesterday," I managed, my voice softer than I intended. "You didn't even check on me. All you care about is what I can buy you. It's not fair." She settled onto my lap, her hands cradling my face, her breath warm against my skin. "I'm so sorry, babe," she murmured, her voice sweet. "I didn't mean to upset you." Before I could respond, she kissed me again, deeper this time, her lips erasing the words I'd planned. My hands moved without thinking, reaching for her shirt, but she pulled back with a playful laugh. "Hold on, the ramen's gonna burn!" She hopped up and darted to the kitchen, leaving me breathless, frustrated, and painfully aware of my weakness.
I'm such a fool, I thought, shaking my head. How could she keep doing this to me?