Page 151 of Cheater

Loving a house and being likeminded on not having the master bathroom and walk-in closet neon green isn’t enough of a reason to believe anything here is viable. What sane person buys a house for me after all he’s done?

Though, he has gotten what he wants so far by pushing, hasn’t he? The swoony psycho wanted to bed me. He did. He wanted to break me and Adam up. He did. He wanted me to move in with him. I have. He’s gotten sex every time he wants it from me. He’s even taken me to the point where I’m resigned for sex and then rips the rug out from under me and leaves me on the edge and almost disappointed. Okay, more than almost. He’s clearly accustomed to getting what he wants.

He wants me to marry him at City Hall a half hour from here at 11:30 tomorrow.

Will he get his way again?

What could he do to me and my loved ones if I dig my heels in and refuse? Actually call his bluff for the first time? What if I escape when his back is turned and hide?

My mind races as I consider possibilities and then I’m turning my back to him so I can go back into the bathroom. I shut the door and lock it. My eyes land on the phone in my hand, and my thumb slides across the screen to the next page of apps. My eyes do a sweep of the screen. Another swipe. A visual sweep. This last page has a folder that has my name on it. Inside are two icons. One is a car. The other is a house.

He’ll expect me out in a minute, but I can’t stop myself from bopping the house icon while I have a minute alone with his phone. My heart skips a beat when I realize I’m looking at a live feed of the kitchen. Of Adam and Craig.

Adam sits in his wheelchair at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. Craig stands behind him, hand on his shoulder. Adam’s brother Paul steps into the kitchen and his lips are moving.

I touch the volume button on the screen and immediately hear them talking.

“…loves Gran. She’d wanna know.”

I straighten up.

“Already told you we’re finished, and I broke her heart. She doesn’t wanna hear from me after all this. ”

My chest flares with emotion.

Paul looks frustrated. “Maybe I’ll call her.”

“No.”

“She’d wanna pay her respects before it’s over, bro.”

My heart sinks. Adam’s grandmother is wonderful. Sweet. Of course I would want to pay my respects if she’s critically ill. I like Paul. I get along fine with Adam’s older sister Ruthie. I’ve only met his other sister Vera once; she lives in France. Adam’s dad is nice to me; it’s his mom who’s tepid with me, but everyone else has been great.

All this with me and us and now he will lose his gran? Adam looks utterly broken. A crushing weight feels like it’s sitting on my chest.

“Chloe?” Derek calls from the other side of the door.

I immediately back out of the app, then twist the lock and rip it open.

“What? I can’t even have privacy to use the bathroom?” I’m about to move past him but he blocks me by leaning a shoulder against the doorframe.

“You were snooping.”

I scoff, holding out his phone. “You’re accusing me of snooping? Talk about rich.”

“I heard a male voice. Who was it?” He takes the phone and eyeballs it.

“I was peeking in on my ex on your camera feed, as if you couldn’t guess. You have some fucking audacity, don’t you? I was peeking in on my ex in my house on your stalker app. Take those cameras out, Derek.”

“I’ll take them out eventually,” he says with a shrug. “And that boring little box is no longer your house. This is.” He gestures.

“My name is on that mortgage.”

“We’ll get it off. Your name is on this deed. No mortgage.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll show you.” He takes my hand and I can’t wrench it free, so I have no choice but to follow him downstairs to the kitchen. He opens the roll up bread bin on the counter and there’s a folder. He opens it and shows me.

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