Guilt

Weeks Later

Vanessa paced back and forth in her small apartment, the unease gnawing at her. She glanced at her phone on the coffee table, the screen dark and silent, before picking it up and dialing Christy’s number. Her fingers trembled slightly as she waited for the call to connect. The phone rang several times before Christy answered.

“Hey, what’s up?” Christy’s voice was casual, too casual, as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

“We need to talk,” Vanessa said, trying to keep her voice steady. “Can you come over?”

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. “Fine, I’ll be there in a bit.”

Vanessa hung up and continued her restless pacing. Her mind raced with thoughts of the deception they were perpetuating, the lies they had spun so intricately. It had all seemed so simple at first, but now the weight of what they were doing was bearing down on her. She glanced at the clock, counting the minutes until Christy would arrive.

When the doorbell finally rang, Vanessa’s heart skipped