Chase Me

24

I woke up next to Angelica, the morning sunlight filtering through the curtains and casting a gentle glow in the room. Gently nudging her awake, she mumbled in her sleep, showing signs of reluctance to wake up. Retrieving my phone from the nightstand, I found an overwhelming number of messages from Zane—twenty in total.

"It's not what it looks like," I read aloud, my voice filled with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. Angelica stirred next to me, her drowsiness dissipating as she became aware of the situation. "Is that Zane?" she asked, her voice groggy but alert. I nodded, confirming her suspicion.

Curiosity piqued, Angelica pressed me further, her eagerness evident. "What else did he say?" she inquired, now fully awake. I continued reading the messages aloud, the words from Zane providing snippets of an explanation. "He didn't know she was in town, but they ran into each other in Pandora..." I trailed off, momentarily puzzled by the mention of Pandora.

"What was he doing in Pandora?" Angelica interjected, mirroring my own bewilderment. I shook my head, unable to offer an answer. "I don't know," I replied honestly, my focus returning to Zane's messages. Reading further, I conveyed Zane's account of the events. "She asked me to go out for dinner for old times' sake and to catch up, and I agreed. I know you saw the pictures—Savannah saw Angelica in her views—and I'm pretty sure Angelica told you about it. But I promise you, sugarplum, I wasn't cheating on you."

The words hung in the air, their weight palpable as silence settled between us. The mixture of relief and confusion tugged at my heart, unsure of how to process this newfound information. Zane's explanation painted a different picture—a narrative that challenged the initial assumptions and suspicions.

"See," Angelica said, exhaling audibly, "he wasn't cheating on you with that married woman. I'm sorry I stressed you out for nothing last night." While her reassurance provided some comfort, a lingering sense of uncertainty still clouded my thoughts. Despite Zane's seemingly sincere messages, I couldn't fully dismiss the doubts that had plagued me.

"It's fine," I replied, my voice tinged with a hint of hesitation. "But do you think he would tell me that he went out with her?" I asked, genuinely unsure of Zane's capacity for honesty in such a situation. Angelica shrugged, her expression conveying a mix of belief and uncertainty. "I want to believe so," she offered, her faith in Zane's integrity apparent.

With a sigh, I pushed myself to get out of bed and begin the morning routine. The anticipation of the day's events loomed over me as I made my way to the bathroom to freshen up and prepare breakfast. However, before I turned the doorknob, I paused and faced Angelica, who raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"And next time, Angel, don't get caught stalking."
-

As I stood in the kitchen, sizzling bacon in the pan and humming a catchy tune, Angelica joined me, preparing fresh orange juice. The cheerful atmosphere was momentarily interrupted when she expressed her concern about her boyfriend's silence. "Alex hasn't texted me the whole morning, that's so unlike him," she sighed, glancing at her phone once more in the hopes of a message that never arrived.

Handing her a plate filled with bacon, eggs, and a buttery croissant, I offered a reassuring perspective. "Maybe he's just busy," I suggested, trying to ease her worry. Angelica shook her head, her expression tinged with disappointment. "Even if he's busy, he always makes sure to let me know," she lamented.

We settled on the kitchen counter, enjoying our breakfast together, when a notification interrupted the calm. I excused myself and made my way to the front door, wondering who could be there. As I swung the door open, I was greeted by Alex's beaming face, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "Where's my worried girl?" he playfully asked, glancing past me. Angelica squealed in excitement, rushing towards him for a tight embrace.