The Girl Who Never Left

When I opened my door the next morning, the sight of Bennett stepping out of the master bedroom stopped me in my tracks. My eyes welled up before I could even think.

He caught one look at my face and knew he had messed up. "Holly, you've got it all wrong. There's nothing going on with Rosie and me."

I just stared at him. The anger I had been bottling up since the previous bubbled to the surface, and I let out a laugh that was more a clench of teeth than anything else.

"A misunderstanding? I saw you coming out of the master bedroom. How can you call that a misunderstanding?

"And I locked the door all night and didn't hear you knock once. Where did you crash last night?"

Bennett was so worked up that his words started to trip over each other.

"It's not what you think... Holly, just let me explain.

"Rosie got so upset with you. She slept and immediately started having nightmares. I had to stay with her to try to calm her down so she could get some sleep.

"Look at me. I didn't even take off my clothes. I've been up all night!"

His clothes were a crumpled mess, and his eyes were rimmed with weariness.

I ignored his rambling and headed straight for the master bedroom.

On the bed meant for a married couple, Rosie was out like a light.

She was down to just her underwear.

Bennett kept on with his excuses right behind me.

"Rosie's only been asleep for a short while. Let's not wake her."

I bit back my anger and pointed at Rosie. "This is how you stayed with her? Just like that?"

"What's the big deal? We've been doing this since we were kids."

His words hit me like a wave, stirring up a storm of emotions.

He had always used his childhood as an excuse.

I shook with fury as I grabbed Bennett by the collar, demanding answers.

"Do you two even understand the concept of boundaries?

"One's a married man, the other's a single woman, both adults. Is it so hard to show a little decency?"

Bennett looked like he felt guilty.

He knew deep down there was nothing right about that.

However, he did not take long to jump to Rosie's defense.

"Holly, look, I see Rosie as nothing more than a sister. You've got nothing to worry about. I'd never betray you. Rosie and I? We're just friends, plain and simple," he said.

"And let's be real—if anything were going on between us, it would've happened way before you came into the picture."

He seemed to grow bolder with each word as if he had convinced himself with his own skewed logic. The accusation in his eyes was aimed right at me.

"Your mind's in the gutter—that's your problem!" he snapped.

That was when I saw him for who he truly was.

He had the guts to say such things.

He had played the role of the upright, sunny guy before we got hitched.

Then, when we were married, the act was over, or so I figured.

"Bennett, what's all this noise so early in the morning?" Rosie chimed in, seemingly oblivious to her scanty attire as she clung to Bennett.

"Is Holly already giving me a hard time?"

I watched Bennett wrap his arms around Rosie, his hand boldly resting on her backside.

My face went white as a sheet.

He had no shame, not even in front of his wife.

I felt a wave of humiliation and anger surge through me, my tears threatening to spill.

"Bennett, is this your idea of friendship? It looks to me like you're nothing but a cheater!" I blurted out.

Rosie immediately turned on the waterworks, sobbing into Bennett's chest.

"Bennett, Holly doesn't like me. You promised you'd still treat me well even after you got married. Yet now she's attacking us!"

Bennett's heart ached terribly.

His grip was fierce in my hair, his expression harsh, eyes blazing with sudden anger.

"Holly, is this how the privileged people behave?

"Thinking you can just lash out at me and Rosie?

"Do you even see me as your husband?"