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“I think you’d make a great mom someday.”

“Well, you’d be the only one. Now stop stalling and tell me what she did.”

“Cheated on me with one of my best friends.”

I feel him tense slightly beneath me, so I resume playing with his hair in hopes of keeping him relaxed and talking.

“How long were you together?”

“Almost two years. We started dating the summer between junior and senior year. After graduation, I stayed local for school. I lived on campus, but I was still around all the time.”

“How did you find out?”

“Walked in on them.” He blows out a breath. “Though I think Jared set me up to catch them.”

“How do you mean?”

“He texted me, asked me if I wanted to hang out. Told me to just come on over, so I did. Walked into his place and he had her draped over the back of the couch, fucking her from behind, in perfect view of the front door.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Simple. Because he wanted her and she was hesitant to break things off with me, so he took matters into his own hands.”

“And they’re still together?” I caught that much too.

“Apparently so. Good for them. They deserve each other.”

He falls silent for a long moment.

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” I finally say, my voice barely breaking the surface.

“I’m sorry about the dick who brokeyourheart.” He turns his head upward, burying his face into the side of my neck.

“He didn’t break my heart. He opened my eyes. I’m not sorry about it and you shouldn’t be either. But whatshedid.” I can’t even bring myself to say the bitch’s name. What I’d like to do is go back in time and claw her fucking eyeballs out. “It’s inexcusable. And I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago.”

“Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.”

“She did me a favor, honestly. I always knew something was off with us, but I was in so deep that I ignored all the red flags and warning signs. Better that it happened when it did rather than after we married or, worse, had kids.”

“Did you want those things with her?” I ask, almost afraid to hear his answer.

“Once upon a time, I thought I did.”

“You loved her so much you wanted to marry her?” I almost choke on the words.

“I did.”

“I’ve never loved anyone enough to even date them, let alone marry them.”

“Give it time. You’re still very young.”

The way he says it makes my chest constrict in the most uncomfortable way.

“So are you,” I needlessly point out. “And you were younger than I am right now when you were ready to marry someone.”

“I didn’t say I was ready to marry her. I said I wanted to... someday.”