Time seemed to stop. My eyes locked onto her skillful hands, her fingers brushing against Bobby’s chest with a tenderness that should have been reserved for me. Morning was far too early for a "friend" to drop by, especially for something so intimate.
“Oh, Irish, you’re awake!” Grace exclaimed with a sugary sweetness that made my stomach churn. Her smile was wide, as if nothing was amiss. “I just wanted to thank you for letting Bobby help me last night. If he hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep well.”
I frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”
Bobby, without hesitation, explained, “I brought Grace here last night. You were already asleep, so I didn’t get the chance to tell you.”
My heart dropped. There wasn’t a trace of guilt in his voice, just a flat explanation, as if I was supposed to accept his unilateral decision.
“I’m only here until the AC in my apartment is fixed,” Grace added. “Don’t worry, I won’t be a bother.”
“Consider this your home too,” Bobby replied with a smile that should have been mine. He even tucked a strand of Grace’s hair behind her ear with a tenderness that made me want to scream.
I couldn’t bear to listen any longer. I felt the anger bubbling inside me, but I swallowed it down. I walked into the kitchen, trying to escape the scene that was tearing my heart apart. My hands busied themselves with breakfast ingredients, but my mind spiraled. Their laughter echoed from the dining room, as if I didn’t exist.
I slammed a pan harder than I intended, the loud clang drawing Bobby’s attention. He came over, wrapping his arms around me from behind, attempting to soothe me. His touch, which used to bring me comfort, now felt cold and filled with pretense.
“Let me cook. You sit down, sweetheart,” he said gently, trying to take the spatula from my hand.
I let it go without a word and walked out of the kitchen, leaving him to finish what I had started. My absence only gave Grace more room to get closer to Bobby. I heard her voice offering to help, but Bobby firmly refused, telling her to sit with me instead.
Grace sat across from me, a small smile on her face. “Irish, if you don’t like me being here, I can leave now.”
I didn’t even have a chance to respond before Bobby interjected, “Grace, don’t misunderstand. Irish isn’t mad at you; she’s just upset because... her dreams haven’t come true yet.”
I glared at him, shocked by his words.