Page 71 of Aperture

I hold my hand up. I was going to watch him stammer through this, but I’ve lost my patience.

“I saw you, Theo. I was there.”

He gives it one last try to make me think I’m wrong.

“Wait? You saw me where? What are you talking about?”

“I. Saw. You.” I repeat. “At the club. I saw it all with my own two eyes.”

It’s then that I see the anger spark in his eyes. “How’d you even know about that, Millie?” Before I can even answer he continues.

“Oh, let me guess. Wyatt? This has him written all over it.”

“Is that honestly the best you can do, Theo? You’re not going to turn this around on me. Or Wyatt.”

“I just find it really fucking interesting that you happened to know where I was last night.”

“I don’t give a damn what you find interesting, Theo. Not since you cheated on me. You can try to deflect all you want, but this is on you! I’m not going to let you manipulate this situation.”

“Millie,” he pleads, “Whatever you saw, it doesn’t matter. It didn’t mean anything.”

“It means something to me!” I grip my head in frustration. “God, who are you right now?! What happened to my boyfriend?!”

“Maybe he got sick of being second best,” he spits.

“That’s bullshit and you know it. You were never second best,” I seethe. Our voices get louder with each word being spoken, our emotional control evaporating.

“Is that right? Because it seems to me that you never really gave your heart to me and we both know why.”

As much as I want to argue with him, there is some truth to his words, and it hurts me to know that he felt it.

I take a step back and gather myself. Yelling is getting us nowhere.

“You’re right,” I say more calmly than I feel. “I wanted so badly to give you my entire heart, and it wrecked me that I couldn’t, but don’t think for a moment that you don’t mean something to me. Seeing you with another woman, especially right after we were together, makes me physically sick. We didn’t even use a condom, Theo! Jesus Christ. Should I get tested for an STD now?”

Theo sits down on the couch and sighs heavily, dropping his head and clasping his hands behind his neck.

“No, of course not, Millie. I would never do that to you.”

“Have you had sex with anyone else since we’ve been dating?”

“No, I swear. That woman in the club,” he pauses. “I don’t know. I don’t know why I did that. We didn’t have sex though. I promise.”

I take a seat opposite him.

He shakes his head while still looking down. “I was never worthy of you, Millie.”

“Is that why you cheated? Because you think you’re not worthy?”

He looks up, considering my question before answering. “I wish I knew,” he admits. “My whole life I’ve never felt good enough. It makes me do things. Things I don’t understand.”

Chills break out over my skin at his admission. I think about the things Wyatt has said about Theo being two different people. I’m scared to probe further, but I have to know.

“Theo, what kinds of things?” I ask tentatively.

He’s quiet for a long time before speaking again. “I get angry. I don’t trust people, especially women.”

“Why?”