When she saw Alec at the hospital, all Frazer felt was a swarming hive of guilt in her stomach. Who was she to do something like this to him? At lunch, she rounded a corner and saw him half sitting on Tia’s desk, talking animatedly to her. With a shake of her head, Tia shot back some kind of reply. When he laughed again, Tia’s look found Frazer standing at the end of the hall and her look had hardened.

Frazer was used to Tia lighting up at the sight of her.

It was only a second before her eyes were on Alec again, but the moment had managed to stir up that hive even more.

Frazer had simply turned on her heel and walked back the other way. The hallways felt narrow. Her breath echoed in her ears.

Poor Alec.

In a staff room, Frazer tried to steady her hand as she poured lukewarm coffee into a cup. She checked her phone again. Nothing from Cora.

She always got up and walked out the second they were finished.

But the other night, they’d lingered.

And then she’d run.

Throughout all of this, their friendship and the sex had been separate. Especially for Cora. She never freaked out—in fact, Cora had always seemed so together during it all. The rules she wanted to follow had been laid out, some unspoken, and since they’d followed them, everything had gone smoothly.

The other night, Cora had definitely freaked out.

After a sip of her coffee, Frazer barely registered the fact that it was far too bitter, even with three sugars.

“You can’t even look at him.”

Frazer span around. Tia stood in the empty room, her arms crossed. It was all Frazer could do to hold her eye. “I know.”

Tia cocked her head. “Then you know you should be ashamed.”

Her cheeks warmed. “I am.”

“Only because you got caught.”

Frazer’s mouth dropped open to deny it, then snapped shut. It was true. A simple point, but a telling one. Her cheeks blazed now.

“Frazer.” Tia was staring at her. “I never pegged you for the type.”

The bench bit into her back. Frazer looked to the ground. “Neither did I.”

“Do you know how it feels? To find out the person you trusted most in the world is doing something like that?”

Wordless, Frazer shook her head.

“It feels like shit, Frazer. When my husband did it, the other woman hadn’t known he was married, at least.” Tia’s jaw was clenched, and Frazer still had nothing to say. She’d had no idea. “You can’t say the same. You are knowingly causing someone a lot of pain.”

“I’m going to end it.” Frazer said. It sounded weak even to her ears.

“Good.” Tia straightened. “But I don’t believe you.”

She walked out and left Frazer to her shitty coffee and even shittier feeling.

* * *