Lie To Me

Roughly Ten Years Later (Chapter One)

Click. Click. Click.

My heels smacked against the linoleum of the company garage as I walked to my car. It was my birthday in three weeks, Christmas following three days after, and it was finally the night I was going to be celebrating with my boyfriend of ten years, Nate. My last chance to see him before he left for a month was after work. There was no doubt in my mind I was going to miss him, but it wasn't the first time we would be apart from each other.

When I arrived at Nate's apartment I was starting to grow excited. We had many celebrations together, but I was hoping that after being together for as long as we had been, he was going to finally propose to me. It was his idea for me to come over and all he told me was that he was giving me a surprise. The key he gave me when he moved into the apartment, easily slipped into the lock, allowing me entry to the same place that had years of memories.

Nate's laugh echoed through his apartment, the familiar sound coming from the direction of his bedroom. After slipping out of my heels at the front door, I sat my bag and jacket on the kitchen counter. Tiptoeing as I made my way to his bedroom, I slowly pushed the door open. Opening the door was a grave mistake.

"Shylah?" He yelled in horror as he jumped out of bed, leaving the girl he was with, behind. "What are you doing here?" He asked, still speaking after that stupid question. 

Nate was in bed with another girl. 

Not just another girl.

Kylie.

I couldn't say anything in response to whatever Nate was saying, I couldn't do anything. Instead of trying to figure out what was going on, what they were doing, or ultimately beating the shit out of the them, I walked out of his bedroom, grabbed my bag, quickly snatched up my heels, and rushed out of his apartment.

No, I don't remember driving home. I don't remember shutting my phone off when I slowly made my way from my car to my house. There was no memory of locking myself in my bedroom as I cried, my parents trying to unlock the door to see if I was okay.

Morning came with a headache in suit. The amount of time it took me to get dressed for work was longer than I'd like. It was difficult slipping out of the house before my parents could ask me any questions, but I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I sat down in the driver's seat of my car. Once I arrived at work I sat at my desk and tried my hardest to concentrate on work instead of how I was feeling. Only two hours had passed since I had arrived that I was met with another world-crushing situation.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, hoping my eyes no longer looked puffy.

He let out a sigh and motioned for me to sit down. After I took a seat he said, "I know this is sudden, but our branch in Washington is in dire need of someone to fill an open position in their International Relations Department."

"What are you saying?" I asked, confused as to where he was going with this.

"I'm saying that I'd like for you to take the position."

"Thank you for the offer," I said with a gentle smile. "But, I don't think I can take it." It was true. How could I move to another state when I had already lost two important people in my life? How could I move with a broken heart?

"Unfortunately, turning down the job really isn't an option. I was told the company here is going to let you go, along with those who have been hired within this past year. You work hard and you are good at what you do, so I asked around. If you don't take this job, you won't have a job."

"What?" Was he serious? First I was betrayed by my best friend and boyfriend, now I was being betrayed by my job?

"I'll give you some time to think about it, but I need your answer as soon as possible. If you decide not to take it, I can give a recommendation anywhere you want."