“Mark?” she asks, shocked. I never fully told her what happened. I just said we parted ways and then I just stuck to I don’t want to ever fall in love.

I shake my head. “I didn’t know when we met. Scott was so smooth. I fell in love with him after one week, and when I found out that he was married, I was so distraught, but he assured me he was leaving her and that I was the only one for him.” I close my eyes and shake my head. “I believed every single word he said until I came face-to-face with them,” I say, putting my hand to my stomach. “It was my birthday. We had just left the restaurant, and from across the street, I saw them.”

“Vivi,” she says softly, and I laugh bitterly.

“Oh, wait, it gets so much better,” I say. “She was walking ahead of him. They had just got out of his car, and then she turned to him with a huge smile on her face, and I saw.” I take a huge inhale. “She was pregnant.”

“Oh my God,” she whispers, putting her hand to her mouth.

“Yup.” I nod. “Imagine that. He was supposed to be leaving her, and she’s now pregnant. Two years after he told me he was leaving. Two fucking years I wasted in love with him.”

“You believed him.” She tries to make it sound better.

“I was so stupid,” I tell her, the tears coming now, but they aren’t for Scott. They are for Mark. “I swore I would never be that vulnerable again. I saw you fall in love, and I knew it would never happen for me.”

“But …” she says, and I shake my head.

“But nothing, Karrie. I won’t ever let myself hurt like that again,” I say. “Ever. It went on too long, and I know this. I should have stopped it.”

“You l—”

I put out my hand. “I liked him, and now it’s over,” I tell her, and then I look at her. “Will you help me change my sheets?” I look down.

“I’ll change the sheets. You just sit there.” She gets up and leaves the room by herself.

“I shouldn’t have gone back for round two,” I tell myself, rubbing my hands over my face, but it smells like him. His smell is still all over me, and when I look down, I see I’m wearing his shirt. “I shouldn’t have gone back.” I lean over and lie down on the couch, then close my eyes, and all I can do is see him. Smiling at me, leaning in and kissing me, hugging me, over me. The memories replaying over and over again.