“I…I really don’t have words right now.”
“Do you know who you sent the photo to?”
I study Zach’s sleeping form and the tears begin. “He’s sleeping right next to me.”
“Maybe it was an accident?”
“He promised me he’d delete it.”
“I’m so sorry, D. What do you want me to do about it?”
“Anything to keep it from spreading further. Please. I’ll be home in the morning.”
“I promise I’ll do everything I can.”
“Thank you, Caleb. That means a lot.”
“It’s not a problem. Do you…do you need rescuing right now? I’ll drive there in a heartbeat.”
I shake my head, even though he can’t see me. “No, but tell Zoe I’ll be home tomorrow, okay?”
“I will. Try to sleep, D.”
“Night, Caleb.”
We hang up and I sit there, shocked. I can’t begin to explain how I’m feeling in this moment. It’s like I’m Earth and a tornado, a hurricane, and an earthquake have struck me all at once; I can’t take the beating.
I creep from the bed, careful not to wake Zach or Marshmallow. I tiptoe from the room and down the hallway to the bathroom.
The moment I flip the lock on the door, the tears come streaming down my face. I pull up the photo again and examine the screenshot Caleb sent me.
There’s the proof, right there.
My heart crumbles.
At the top of the photo it has “Z” as the sender and the text attached reads,You gotta see this.Whoever he sent it to must have screenshotted it and forwarded it on.
I cannot wrap my head around this. I thought for certain Zach was it for me. Forget the sparks; the fireworks were there, and they’ve done nothing but build until this moment.
I lean my back against the door and slide to the floor, needing to sit. I’m having a tough time breathing, and it’s the hardest I’ve ever had to work for every inhale and exhale. I feel crushed.
I don’t know how long I sit there, and I’m surprised by the soft knock at the door.
“Delia? You in there?”
I quickly wipe away the tears rolling down my face and do my best to calm down so my voice doesn’t come out sounding shaky.
“Yeah.”
“Everything okay?” Zach asks.
“Trying to pee.”
“Oh…okay. The sheets were cold on your side so I knew you must have been gone a minute. Just checking in.”
“I’m fine. I’ll be out in just a second.”
I hear him walk away, and for a moment I feel guilty for lying to him.
