He Lied to Keep Both

I didn’t know who she was. He did. He told me she was just a friend.

Someone he’d known for years. I believed him because he never hid her. They texted openly.

Hung out occasionally. When I finally met her, she smiled too easily. Like she already

knew me. She asked how long we’d been together. Her voice was calm. Too calm.

Halfway through the conversation, she mentioned a trip they took together. One he told me he

went on alone. She stopped mid-sentence when she realized what she’d said. The silence was

louder than the truth. I looked at him. He looked away. Later,

I asked him why he lied. He said he didn’t think it mattered anymore.