𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑋𝑜𝑛𝑒

𝑋𝑋𝐼

"Hey," I said, smiling as Justin settled behind Jared, wrapping his arms around him and looking over his shoulder at me.

"So, what are you guys talking about?" he asked.

"This one," Jared gestured at me with a look of exasperation, "is cheating on Emily. With a DL chick." His voice still carried a trace of anger.

Justin gasped, eyes widening. "Nooo!" he looked over at me, surprised.

"I love Emily, but... not like this, girl. Plus, Emily's about to take that job in New York," I explained, feeling a twinge of guilt even as I tried to justify myself.

Jared groaned, throwing up his hands and shaking his head in frustration, while Justin chuckled at his reaction. Jared, exasperated, walked out of Justin's embrace and turned to the counter, beginning to wash dishes with intense focus.

Justin leaned toward me with a warm smile. "Sometimes he does the dishes when he's mad." He twirled a finger by his head, signaling Jared's quirks. "He says it calms him."

I chuckled as Justin leaned on the counter, facing me. "Honestly, I think it's mature of you to realize your true feelings. It's better to be honest now, before it hurts Emily more."

"Somebody gets it!" I said, raising my voice slightly and looking pointedly over Justin's shoulder at Jared, who only shook his head without replying.

"So... how'd you meet this woman if she's DL?" Justin asked, curious.

I giggled, recalling the memory. "You won't believe this, but she made the first move."

Justin's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"Yeah, she took me to her hotel... this was before I met Emily. We had sex, and it was... really good. I mean, way too good for someone who's DL."

Justin's eyes grew wide, and he lowered his voice. "Better than Emily?"

I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah," I whispered.

He nodded, absorbing my confession. "So how did we get here?" he asked, leaning in a little closer.

"We've... done it maybe two more times since I've been with Emily. And now," I paused, feeling the weight of my words, "she's thinking about coming out... for me."

Suddenly, Jared slammed a dish into the sink, the sharp noise startling me as it echoed through the kitchen. I flinched at the unexpected sound, the tension in the room thickening as Jared turned around.

"I don't wanna see you get hurt," he said, his tone firm, "that's why I'm upset."

"Well, I'm leaving Emily," I replied, voice steady, "so there's nothing you can do, Jared. I came here because I needed to vent, not because I wanted to change my mind."

Jared stared at me, brows knit together. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

I glanced at the clock on Jared's wall. "I have to get to the airport and beat traffic," I said, looking at him with a small smile.

"Okay," he replied, giving me a nod. "Call me if anything."

"I will. Thanks for letting me drink from your secret stash," I grinned, appreciating his kindness despite his initial frustration.

He chuckled softly. "No problem."

It didn't take long for me to hit the afternoon traffic on the way to the airport. Stuck in a sea of cars, I sat surrounded by rows of taillights, a seemingly endless line of glowing red dots stretching into the distance. The lights reflected off the slick asphalt and danced across my windshield, casting an eerie red hue inside the car. The entire scene felt like it was suspended in time, each brake light a reminder of the weight of my thoughts.