End Game - Taylor Swift

🧳

I laid there, my head resting on Riley's chest, feeling the steady thrum of her heartbeat. She ran her fingers lazily through my hair.

A few moments of silence passed before Riley spoke up, her voice quiet and almost contemplative.

"You know I care about you, right?" She said, her fingers threading through my hair again.

I nodded slightly, my throat feeling tight. "I know," I said, my voice raspy. "But what we're doing... it's not right."

"Why not?"  Riley countered, sounding genuinely confused. "We're both adults. We're not hurting anyone."

"What about Alex?" I shot back, sitting up and facing her. "She's my girlfriend. I'm cheating on her without her knowing."

"She doesn't have to know," Riley replied, her voice nonchalant. "It's not like we're in love, right? We're just having fun."

"That's not the point," I said, feeling a surge of anger. "I made a commitment to her. We're in a relationship. This... what we're doing, it's cheating."

"Oh, come on," Riley scoffed, sitting up and crossing her arms. "You're acting like you're the first person to ever cheat on their partner. People do it all the time."

"That doesn't make it right," I said, my voice firmer. "And I never thought I'd be one of those people. I love Alex."

"But you still enjoy being with me," Riley shot back. "You can't deny that."

I swallowed thickly, knowing that she had a point. I did enjoy being with her. That was what made the situation even more messed up.

Riley, sensing that the conversation was getting heated, leaned in and kissed my neck gently. "Let's calm down, No need to get worked up like this."

INSNEXT DAY EMOJIS

We were standing in my living room, having a heated argument. Riley had been bugging me for days to go on a trip with her to Australia, and I had been resisting. The thought of being spotted by paparazzi in a foreign country sent chills down my spine.

"I can't go to Australia with you," I said firmly, crossing my arms. "It's too risky."

"You're being paranoid," Riley retorted, her voice annoyed. "No one is going to recognize you there. We can fly under the radar."

"You don't know that," I snapped back. "All it takes is one person with a camera, and suddenly my life is splashed all over the internet. And Alex..."

My voice broke as I said her name, the guilt gnawing at me.

"Alex will never find out," Riley said, her tone dismissive. "You can't let your fear of what might happen stop you from living your life."

"It's not just about fear," I said, frustration building inside me. "It's about respect. I betrayed Alex's trust, and going on a trip with you would only make things worse."

Riley scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You're always so damn concerned about what's right and wrong. Can't you just do something spontaneous for once?"

"Doing what's right should always be a priority," I shot back, my jaw clenched. "And going on a trip with the person I cheated on my girlfriend with is not what I would consider right."

"You're taking this whole guilt thing way too far," Riley said, her voice sharp. "It was one mistake, four times. It's not the end of the world."

Hearing her say the number out loud sent a wave of nausea through me. Four times. Four times I had cheated on Alex, betrayed her trust in the worst possible way.