Page 122 of Error Handling

My muscles feel like stone.

I check the dates.

Her text message conversation with Christopher parallels my involvement with Sarah. They’ve been kissing. Making jokes.

I toss the phone to the blanket, rest my elbows on my bent knees, and rub my face.

Sarah and I weren’t officially a thing until recently. Today in fact. I know I’ve been giving her mixed signals. I’ve been playing it cool. Too cool. But Sarah and I made out twice. Did she leave our make-out sessions and go traipsing to Christopher for dessert?

This changes everything.

When Sarah returns, I can’t look at her. I’m still covering my face.

“Is it too bright out here for you?” Sarah jokes.

I feel something cold on my arm. She’s pressing the can of cold seltzer water against my tricep. I don’t move to grab it.

“Hey,” she says.

I drop my hands, grab the can, and toss it to the sand.

“Whoah. Sorry.”

I don’t want to have this conversation. “How are things between you and Christopher?” I ask.

Sarah looks taken aback.

“Me and who?” she says carefully. Too carefully.

“You and Christopher.” I overenunciate.

“Oh. Yeah. Christopher. We’re friends. We talk sometimes. He took my headshots for my senior exhibit, and—That’s what I wanted to talk to you about earlier.”

“I know all about it. I also know he misses you and wants to feel your lips again.”

From the outside looking in, my anger is usually subtle. I’ve never been one to lose it. But inside it’s a raging fire. Every emotion I felt when I found out Allison was cheating on me comes roaring back.

Sarah gapes at me with a stricken expression. “Have you been reading my messages?”

“Yes.”

“How did you unlock my phone?”

“I know your PIN.”

“How?”

“It’s 1, 1, 2, 2. I watched you punch it in. You might want to change it to something more secure.”

So, this is about her phone, her privacy. Keeping secrets from me.

I jump to my feet and roll up my towel. “I’m leaving.”

“Chris, no! I was going to tell you. Let me explain. It’s not as bad as it seems.”

“It seems like you’re a cheater. I’ve already been burned once, and it’s not going to happen again.” I’m not in the mood to hear her excuses.

I slip my shoes on and head to the boardwalk.