Her Only Exception

　　Andrea's hands trembled as she unlocked the door. The lights were on, and music drifted faintly from upstairs. "Caleb?" she called out, her voice trembling. No answer. But then she heard a soft moan that made her blood run cold.

　　Andrea froze, her purse slipping from her shoulder and hitting the floor. Her body moved before her mind could stop it, carrying her up the stairs toward the bedroom. She told herself it was nothing, probably from the TV but as she drew near his bedroom, she heard a woman's voice, breathy and teasing: "Is your girlfriend this good?"

　　"No. She's just... boring. Nothing fun about her." Caleb replied, his voice rough and distracted. The words hit her like a knife slashed through her chest. The woman laughed, "Then come to me, baby." "Don't worry," Caleb said, and Andrea could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm planning on breaking up with her very soon. Then I'll be all yours."

　　Andrea's vision blurred, her breath coming in short, painful gasps. She pushed open the bedroom door and the scene burned itself into her brain in an instant.

　　Ten hours earlier

　　Andrea Collins had been restless since morning, checking her phone more times than she could count. Caleb always texted first on important days. Always. But today the phone screen stayed quiet until 3:47 PM. While she was standing in front of her closet surrounded by discarded dresses, her phone finally buzzed.

　　She nearly knocked it off the counter in her rush to grab it. Caleb: Hey babe. Sorry for the late text, crazy day. Happy birthday! Meet me at Giovanni's at 7. Reservation's under my name. Can't wait to celebrate with you.

　　Andrea exhaled, relief flooding through her so fast it left her lightheaded. "See? He hadn't forgotten." Apparently Caleb made reservations at Giovanni's that gorgeous Italian place Andrea had been talking about for months. She settled on an elegant black short dress, Caleb had said he liked and did her makeup carefully.

　　She wanted to look perfect. By the time she left the apartment, the morning's unease had been replaced with anticipation.

　　By 7:30 PM, Andrea was sitting alone at the corner table in Giovanni's, staring at the flickering candle in the center of the white tablecloth. The restaurant was beautiful. There was warm lighting, soft music and the smell of tasty food and smoothies. But Caleb wasn't here.

　　The hostess had seated her at 7:05, smiling sympathetically when Andrea explained her boyfriend was running late. Now it was 7:30 and Andrea had tried calling three times but they all went straight to voicemail. She texted: Caleb, where are you? I'm at the restaurant. Delivered. Not read.

　　She texted again: Are you okay? I'm getting worried. Still nothing.

　　Andrea's hands curled around her water glass, a tight feeling settled in her chest. The hostess drifted past again, her smile politely strained. "Can I get you anything while you wait?" "Um…no." Andrea stood abruptly. "I…I think I need to go." Something was wrong. She could feel it in her bones.

　　Caleb's apartment was above a pizza shop in an old building with creaky stairs. Andrea's hands trembled as she unlocked the door. The lights were on, and music drifted faintly from upstairs. "Caleb?" she called out, her voice trembling. No answer. But then she heard a soft moan that made her blood run cold.

　　Andrea froze, her purse slipping from her shoulder and hitting the floor. Her body moved before her mind could stop it, carrying her up the stairs toward the bedroom. She told herself it was nothing, probably from the TV but as she drew near his bedroom, she heard a woman's voice, breathy and teasing: "Is your girlfriend this good?"

　　"No. She's just... boring. Nothing fun about her." Caleb replied, his voice rough and distracted. The words hit her like a knife slashed through her chest. The woman laughed, "Then come to me, baby." "Don't worry," Caleb said, and Andrea could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm planning on breaking up with her very soon. Then I'll be all yours."

　　Andrea's vision blurred, her breath coming in short, painful gasps. She pushed open the bedroom door and the scene burned itself into her brain in an instant.

　　Caleb was half-naked on the bed with another woman. She was tall, had blonde hair and was wearing nothing but Caleb's favorite T-shirt, the one Andrea had bought him for his birthday last year. They were making out, his hands tangled in her hair, mouth deep in her throat and her legs wrapped around his waist.

　　Andrea couldn't breathe properly, "...what the fuck is going on here". Caleb's body went still before he turned, "Andrea…wait I can explain…" He scrambled off the bed, reaching for his jeans, his face going pale. "Explain what?" Andrea's voice came out strangely quiet. "Explain why you're in bed with someone else? On my birthday?"

　　"I'm sorry..." He actually sounded sorry and that almost made it worse. "I..um…forgot about dinner." "You forgot." "Andrea, please…" "You forgot dinner with your girlfriend on her birthday," she said slowly, "because you were too busy fucking another woman."

　　The blonde woman sat up, looking more annoyed than ashamed. "Seriously? You haven't broken up with her yet?" "Shut up, Jessie," Caleb snapped.

　　"How long has this been going on?" Andrea's voice barely trembled. "I…I'm sorry, Andrea"

　　"How long, Caleb?"

　　He looked away. "Three months." "Three months!" She repeated while shaking her head completely perplexed

　　"I was going to tell you," Caleb said quickly. "I swear. I didn't mean you to find out like this…"

　　"You stood me up at the restaurant for this!"

　　"No…I just lost track of time…"

　　"You made me sit in that restaurant alone for thirty minutes while you were here exploring your sexual fantasies! You made me come looking for you like some pathetic…"

　　I'm sorry," Caleb said, stepping toward her. "I didn't mean for it to happen this way. It's just things with us that have been off lately, and Jess, she just gets me in a way you don't."

　　"Don't." Andrea's voice broke. "...don't you dare blame this on me."

　　"I'm not!" Caleb's expression shifted, guilt flickering to frustration. "I just…god, Andrea, you're so uptight all the time. I mean everything has to be perfect with you, you never want to just loosen up and have fun."

　　Andrea stared at him, her chest so tight with anger. "So this is my fault?" she whispered.

　　"I didn't say that"

　　"You just did." Andrea's hands clenched into fists. "We're done!"

　　She pulled the apartment key off her keychain and threw it at him. It hit his chest and clattered to the floor. Then Andrea turned and walked out.

　　She made it to the sidewalk before her legs gave out. She collapsed onto a bench outside the pizza shop, her entire body shaking, sobs tearing out of her chest so violently. "He was my first real boyfriend, first love, first everything. And he just threw it all away for someone more fun and exciting." Andrea cried painfully

　　She pulled out her phone with trembling hands and called Mindy. She answered on the second ring. "Hey, how's dinner…"

　　"Can…can you…come get me" her voice broke on the words. "What's going on? where are you?"

　　"Outside Caleb's apartment."

　　"I'm on my way, don't move."

　　Mindy arrived fifteen minutes later, breathless, her coat thrown on over her pajamas like she'd run out the door the second she hung up. She took one look at Andrea and pulled her into a tight hug.

　　Andrea sobbed into her shoulder. "You were right, Mindy. You were right about him and I didn't listen…"

　　"Stop." Mindy pulled back, gripping Andrea's face in both hands. "I don't care about being right, what I care about is you. Are you okay?"

　　"No." tears were flowing freely from her eyes now

　　"That's okay." Mindy's thumb wiped the tears from Andrea's cheek. "You don't have to be okay tonight."

　　"He said I was boring," Andrea whispered. "That I wasn't fun and that she gets him in a way I never did."

　　Mindy's expression darkened dangerously. "He really said that to you."

　　She nodded

　　Mindy looked murderous now "I'm going to kill that motherfucker myself…he's a complete piece of shit," she said loudly "...and a liar. And everything he said to you tonight was a coward's way of making his own weakness your fault. Do you hear me?

　　Andrea stared at the ground.

　　"Andrea. Do you hear me?"

　　"I hear you," she whispered.

　　But hearing it and believing it were two very different things.

　　That night, Andrea lay in the dark staring at the ceiling quietly and made herself a promise. "She was done believing love was real, done trusting people who didn't deserve it. She wasn't going to let anyone make her feel this small again"

　　From now on, she'd be the one in control. The one who didn't feel and couldn't be hurt.