) Her arms slipped out, letting her nakedness ?ll the room. She stood there, feeling her skin turn hot and red as she fumbled for her robe. ) The pounding started again, loud and urgent, each thump ?lled with anger. It jolted Kate, making her ?inch. Keith rushed around the room, grabbing his personal a?ects, phone, wallet, belt. ) “Keith, maybe we should just tell her,” Kate said. ) Keith paused for a moment, eyes wide and boring a hole through Kate. ) “You’re kidding, right?” ) “No. You always said you’re going to leave her. Do it.” ) “Not know, Kate.” Keith shrugged and pushed past her. ) Kate followed him into the dark living room, front door vibrating. Kate peered out the peephole. Amanda’s hair was wild, shooting o? her head in auburn springs, green eyes ?ashing in the porch light. Her face was streaked with tears, dragging lines of black mascara down onto the edges of her lips. Kate felt her heart grow heavy and sink into the pit of her stomach, swirling and burning. She backed away from the thumping door, step by step, never taking her eyes o? of it. She felt his hand reach
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around her waist before whispering in her ear. Kate sti?ened. ) “I’m going to slip out the back. You let her in and tell her you don’t know what she’s talking about,” Keith instructed her. ) “What? Why?” Kate stuttered. ) His hand felt like ?re on her skin. She brushed him away, twirling around to face him. Amanda’s pounding had slowed, and sobbing was trickling in around the doorframe. Kate stood tall as her eyes met Keith’s. ) “Tell her. Tell her that you love me.” Kate said, her voice clear and ringing around the room. ) Keith shifted his weight and twisted his face into a scowl, “Not now, Kate. It’s complicated.” ) Every pore, every vessel in Kate started to scream. Three years she had been waiting, three years of lies, secrets, missed dates, and broken promises. She pushed away from Keith and made her way to the door. ) “Tell her now,” she said as her ?ngers wrapped around the knob. ) “Kate, please! Not now.” ) “When, Keith? When? You need to tell her, or don’t come near me again.”