A Rose in Shadow

Chapter 28

Nathan Moore called in sick to work.

He knew that he wouldn't be able to concentrate.

After waiting last night for Steph to finish work and watching the dumb cop show up to take her home he could barely think, he was so mad.

They wouldn't miss him at work anyway. It was a mindless job, which he took because he needed to do something different, get away from his sister's constant care and concern and get away from the stifling feeling of living in the town where his life fell apart.

He had been having flashbacks to happier times with Stephanie. She loved flowers and he made it a point of bringing her home a cheery bouquet a couple of times a month, until that last time he did.

He had walked into the house that night, clutching a bouquet of daisies and his empty lunch box and entered the kitchen just in time to see Steph put something in her pants pocket. She turned her smile to him and he noticed a vase of red roses on the counter behind her. Curious he shot her a grin. "Secret admirer?" he joked and convinced himself that he imagined the quick flash of guilt that crossed her face before she chuckled and walked toward him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a loving kiss. "Just you, babe" she whispered in his ear. She turned back to the roses. "I happened to see them on sale and decided to pick them up".

Nathan forgot all about it again until laundry day.

When he and Steph decided to move in together they made certain agreements about household chores. Since they both had full-time jobs they decided that they would split the chores, alternating them week by week, so if Steph cooked one week, he did the laundry and then they would switch the following week.

Dragging a basket to the laundry room Nathan began the tedious process of sorting clothes and checking pockets when he found a florist card in the pocket of Steph's pants. To S, With Love J xx. Nathan thought back to their conversation about the roses and remembered the uneasy feeling that he had had at that moment.

He watched Steph pretty closely over the next few days. He didn't want to suspect her of cheating on him. Didn't want to believe that they could have been together for so many years and that it had meant next to nothing to her. She talked about their upcoming wedding and seemed to be excited about it so maybe she had been telling the truth and she bought the roses for herself but his gut was telling him that something was wrong.

His silent questions were answered barely a week later when he arrived home early, a shutdown for repairs at work sending everyone home, to find his best friend, Jake's, car in the driveway and his best friend, Jake, and his fiancée having sex in his bed.