Chapter Two

Watching Her Choose Someone Else

The morning after the argument the apartment felt too small.

I woke to the sound of Riley moving around the kitchen cupboards opening, the coffee machine sputtering to life, the soft thud of her bare feet on the floor. For a few seconds I lay still and let myself pretend the night before hadn’t happened. Then the memory of my own voice returned, sharp and accusing, and the tight feeling in my chest settled back into place like it had never left.

I took longer than usual in the shower. By the time I came out, dressed and composed, Riley was already at...