My Boyfriend's Girlfriend

six

I couldn't believe I was doing this, it had to be insane for at least thirty different reasons. I'd let Stacy talk me into agreeing with Tessa's plan to meet up again, which is why I was sitting in my car, trying to control my breathing as I plugged in Tessa's pinned location.

Stacy wouldn't let me talk her into coming along with me, she claimed it was something the two of us needed to talk about ourselves. I held my breath as my phone searched for the address, and let it out slowly when I saw she was only sixteen minutes away from the Barton parking lot. Did she really live that close? I wondered where she and Danny met up, and felt a wave of nausea crawl over my body.

I shook my head and arms, and tried to clear my thoughts as I buckled my seatbelt. I turned on my Bluetooth, letting my phone sync up before moving my car. I was grateful for the extra minute of peace, but it was gone too soon, and I put my car in reverse. Stacy was calling me as soon as I pulled out of the parking lot, and I hit the 'OK' button on my steering wheel.

"Yeah, hey. I'm just leaving school."

"I just wanted to give you a pep talk, as your best friend." Stacy's voice was muffled, she must have been driving home still. She lived further out from school than I did, out near Danny's neighborhood. Her family owned a few acres, and it was quiet. I loved going there to get away from the busy town traffic, which I lived closer to.

"Don't be anxious. I know you're biting your lip." She called me out, and I dropped my hand from my lip. My anxious tic was biting the inside of my bottom lip, and it was so bad that my dentist had even warned me against it at my last visit. "Anyway, I'm serious. Go have some girl talk, and bring that lousy cheater down."

"Man, you sure are great at pep talks." I retorted. "I don't want to lose him, Stace." I admitted. It was the first time I'd said it aloud, but it was the truth. Even after finding out about Tessa, my biggest worry was keeping him in my life.

"You may have already lost him. Abs, I don't mean to be a Debby Downer, but he slept with someone else."

"I know." I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear that had fallen in my face, and quickly glanced at my phone. I had about ten minutes before I pulled up to Tessa's address. "I'm just scared."

"You've got me. You've always got me." Stacy said warmly. "And it sounds like you might have a friend in Tessa, too."

"I don't know about that." I laughed. "But, maybe. We'll see."

"See? All you needed was a little girl talk." Stacy said, and I heard the muffled sound of her unbuckling her seatbelt. "Alright, I just pulled in the drive, text me if you need anything at all, okay?"

"Okay. Love you, Stace."

"Love you more!"

I felt my anxiety rising in my chest again as I got closer to Tessa. I started thinking about Danny, and how much I was willing to put up with just because I loved him. Truthfully, I'd considered forgetting Tessa even existed just to keep things normal, but it was hopeless. Every time I thought about him, I saw them. Her mouth on his, his hands on her skin. I wondered if she knew he liked to be kissed on his collarbone, or that playing with his hair was his weakness.

"Stop driving yourself insane, Abby." I scorned aloud, and cursed myself mentally when I realized just how crazy I was beginning to sound.

I looked around and noticed things looked  familiar, as if I'd been there. I looked at the ETA, I was less than two minutes away. Why did this neighborhood look so familiar?

My heart sunk when I pulled up to a big, white house. I'd been here before, with Danny. He had brought something by, claiming it was for fundraising for Barton, and had me wait in the truck. Was this Tessa's house? I couldn't believe he'd brought me here.