DON'T CHEAT ON ME!

CHAPTER 10: The Guilt

Patricia's POV:

The clock ticked louder, each second hammering into my chest like a warning. I couldn't sit still. My feet paced across the worn carpet of the dimly lit living room, my fingers nervously playing with the hem of my shirt. Something wasn't right. Jordan had been acting strange lately, and today was no different.

When the door creaked open, I stopped mid-step. My heart raced as Jordan stepped inside, his face shadowed by something I couldn't quite place-was it anger, fear, or something worse? My breath hitched when I saw him drop a bag onto the floor.

The contents spilled slightly, and I froze, my eyes widening. It was blood. Oh my God, that's blood.

"B-babe," I stammered, my voice trembling, "what... what is that?"

He didn't look at me, barely sparing me a glance as he walked past.

"It's nothing, Babe."

Nothing? My pulse quickened.

"What do you mean nothing? That's blood, Jordan!"

"I told you.." he muttered, his voice flat, "it's nothing."

I couldn't let it go. I couldn't ignore the sickening churn in my stomach or the way my hands trembled.

"Tell me, What is that, Jordan!"

I demanded, my voice rising despite my fear.

He froze, his back to me. When he turned around, his expression flickered-anger, yes, but also something darker. Something I didn't recognize.

"I said, You don't need to know."

He said, his voice low, almost a growl.

I stepped back instinctively, the weight of his words pressing down on me. You don't need to know? What does that even mean?

"The hell I don't!" I snapped, trying to sound braver than I felt.

"You walk in here with a bag full of blood, and you expect me not to ask questions?"

"Stop asking, Patricia."

His tone was sharper now, cutting through the tense air.

But I couldn't stop. Not because of the blood-not entirely, anyway. There was something else gnawing at me, something I couldn't push away. Guilt.

I swallowed hard, my voice faltering as I spoke.

"Jordan... I need to know what's going on? are you hiding something?"

His eyes locked onto mine, cold and distant.

And just like that, the room felt smaller, suffocating. I wanted to keep pressing, to demand the truth, but I hesitated. Maybe I was scared of his answers-or maybe I was scared of my own.

Because deep down, I knew I wasn't innocent in all this.

The guilt that I'd been trying so hard to bury clawed its way back up, threatening to choke me. I bit my lip, my hands trembling at my sides. I had cheated on Jordan. It wasn't just a fleeting kiss or a mistake I could brush off. No, I'd slept with Dave.

It wasn't planned. It wasn't even something I'd thought I was capable of. But that night...

"Patricia.." Jordan's voice snapped me back to the present, his gaze piercing.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

I blinked, my throat dry.

"H-huh, like what?"