She’d been at the club

“Really?”

“I’m being serious.”

“You can’t expect me to believe that.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. I can’t make you believe anything you don’t want to.”

“No, you can’t.” David let the words hang in the air. He dropped his eyes away from her, towards the ground, and opened his mouth. He closed it again.

He turned and left.

This was not the first time David had left her. The first time had been a misunderstanding too. She’d been spending time with Josh in secret since David didn’t approve of her being around other guys. “Guys and girls can’t be friends,” he loved to say. It had been how he’d confessed to her two years ago, that time they were on the couch watching a movie. He’d said that and kissed her.

This time it wasn’t because she spent time with Josh. Soon after David left the first time, Sharon called and told him that Josh was gay. It was easier that way. Easier than explaining Josh was like a brother, had always been, and always would be.

The most recent time was because she’d come to their apartment at an ungodly hour with her hair a mess, lipstick smudged, and smelling like cologne, assuming him to be asleep. But he had been waiting for her.

Yes, she’d been at the club, she said, but she hadn’t done anything, kissed anyone, gone any further. And he left.

She went into the bathroom. David’s toothbrush still intertwined with hers on the counter. She tied her hair back, threw cold water on her face. Their matching towels watched her. She tried not to be annoyed. He always left. He always came back. That’s how it worked.

The second time he left, one of his friends had matched with her on Tinder. She had flirted. Hey, dude, isn’t this your girlfriend? David had screenshots. But Sharon explained that her friends went on Tinder for fun—the girl who matched with David’s friend wasn’t even her but her friend pretending to be her.

And so David came back. And so Sharon was happy. She moved in with David a year ago, after her parents kicked her out. She had nowhere to go. David said she could live with him. It wasn’t a big apartment—the dining room, kitchen, and living room were combined—but at least the bedroom was on its own. It was just big enough for a queen and some drawers.

She grabbed her phone off the table and texted Josh. David had left again. He’d probably be back in a few days, but in the meantime, did Josh want to come over?

He said yes. She brushed her hair out, removed the smudged lipstick and eye-makeup, reapplied. She left her heels by the door but kept her red dress on. Josh buzzed the apartment to come in, and she let him. Before he could say a word, she was kissing him. He pulled back. Her lipstick was smudged again.

“Hey,” he said. “Are you sure it’s okay for us to be doing this here? What if David comes back?”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Sharon said. “He won’t catch us.”

She took a step back and observed Josh, running a hand down his chest. His was wearing a cotton t-shirt and jeans, and he looked delicious.

“Even if he did,” she said, “I can just lie.”