A Second Chance at Submission: Chapter 4

Chad showed up with the Chinese food we’d agreed on for dinner, and we all went out back. He’d had an exciting day at work, and was eager to share with Rachel. I sat back and absorbed their energy, while still fearing she’d mention catching me snooping around upstairs. As food and flow eased into the evening, I began to relax about it, convincing myself that I was overreacting. I quickly learned otherwise.

“Chad,” Rachel said, “I found Riley coming down from upstairs when I got home.”

Found. Such a diplomatic word to use when speaking to a partner about what your ex was allegedly up to. Caught or saw would have been more accurate.

Chad looked my way, then back at her.

“You can’t blame him, can you?” he responded to her. “Those floors have so many stories to tell.” Then he leaned in to kiss her. She peered at me from the corner of her eye as he did. I didn’t look away.

Rachel leaned back. “I hope our antics haven’t bothered you much,” she said to me. “We’ve tried to be on our best behavior.” That last line was delivered with the hint of a smirk, an acknowledgement that they were well aware of how much I was hearing.

“If you’d like, there’s the other ground floor room you could move into,” Chad offered. He was referring to a similar room at the other end of the house, filled with odds and ends belonging to the owner....