Page 112 of You + Me – Against the World

“I think she called you Emma on purpose, just to piss you off. But I did tell her I wasn’t doing anything tonight. You kind of just showed up. We weren’t supposed to see each other.”

“Are you joking?! Do I have to check what kind of sexy plans Cheyenne might have for you before I know whether I can come over to your place when I’m feeling down? Sorry to have deprived you of a first-class striptease. Next time, I’ll tell my family to pick a better time to fall apart!”

“No, that’s not what I meant, Alma. Please calm down.”

“Are you kidding? She knows your address and your schedule, and she dares to show up here half naked? She even said she’ll come back later, like it’s not a problem at all! And you want me to calm down?”

“That girl is completely unpredictable. I know you won’t like hearing this—but this kind of thing is totally in character for her.”

“Go ahead, Vadim, keep digging yourself deeper into your hole! You’re not even trying to hide the fact you think it was a brilliant idea.”

“I never said that. Can you try to put yourself in my shoes for a minute? If you did, you would see that I have nothing to feel guilty about.”

“I’m sure it’s not the first time, either!”

“What?”

“Yesterday, you were just locker room buddies, and today she shows up as a femme fatale? Do you really think I’m that stupid? For all I know, you’ve been together since the beginning! You and I stopped using condoms because we’re supposed to be exclusive!” I hiss, thinking out loud and feeling appalled.

“Alma, you’re just making stuff up now. Or you’re baiting me to see what I’ll say. I hate that.”

“And I hate you. It’s simple: either you explain yourself, or we’re done.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do, but—”

“You’re supposed to swear to me that you love me and that nothing has happened between you two! Get mad, Vadim! Don’t I deserve better than this?”

“Nothing has ever happened between Cheyenne and me.” Vadim fixes me with his icy gray eyes. “It’s the first time she’s been here,” he continues in a calm voice, without breaking eye contact. “It’s the first time I’ve seen her underwear. And it’s the first time she’s made a move like this on me. She provoked you because she saw it was working. And she always follows through on her ideas; that’s the way she is.”

“And you love that about her, right?” I mutter, my voice thick with tears.

“Yeah… I do like her personality,” he admits, looking away for a second.

“You’re worse than my father. You’re not even sorry,” I reply, crestfallen.

“I like her, but I love you! And I’d never do that to you,” he says, quickly backpedaling.

“How do you expect me to believe you? You didn’t try to stand up for me once when she was here.”

“Fine, I’ll call her! I’ll put it on speaker, but don’t say anything, so she thinks she’s talking to me one-on-one. That’s the only way she’ll tell the truth.”

“No, Vadim. I don’t want to play this game. I’m going home!”

“It won’t take long. Just give me two minutes.”

He taps on his phone, waits for the dial tone, then places his cell flat on the coffee table in front of us.

“Hi, Cheyenne?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Has your girlfriend left already?”

“Yes.”

“So, I can come back, then,” she says, breaking into a loud, thunderous laugh.

It feels like a second wound in my heart, after the one Vadim just left behind.

He puts his hand on mine and begs me with his eyes not to leave. Not yet.