Page 14 of Homewrecker

He took a sip of his drink. I expected a quick answer to come back. Something like… Eventually. If I meet the right woman. Something, but instead, Caleb just set his glass down.

I watched his face. “Caleb?”

His jaw shifted. “What?”

I laughed a little. “Why are you looking like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like I asked for your social security number.”

He looked down at the table then back at me and something in my stomach changed.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

Every woman knew those words because nothing good ever followed them.

My smile disappeared.

“Okay," I said, confused.

He leaned back exhaling, and suddenly I noticed everything. He was carefully choosing his words. His thumb rubbed the side of his glass.

I had six months of conversations rearranging themselves inside my head in less than six seconds.

“Are you seeing someone else?”

“No.” His answer came quick.

“Okay, then what?”

He looked at me. “I’m married.”

Someone laughed behind us, silverware clinked against a plate, the song playing overhead changed, and somehow all of that registered before the sentence did.

I stared at him then laughed. My body chose that emotion before my brain caught up.

“You’re what?”

“Married.”

That time I heard every letter and every syllable. Married.

I looked down at his left hand, but it was bare.

I looked at him. “You’re married?”

“Yes.”

My chair scraped against the floor before I consciously decided to stand.

“Blair.”

“No.”

“Let me explain.”

“Explain what?”