“Jacob, we’re home! We finally found the perfect suitcase set. Are you around?”

I called out as Ina and I stepped into the tiled foyer, but there was no response.

“It’s almost six. He must’ve gone out to grab something for dinner,” Ina said, checking the time on her cell phone. “Anyway, I need to use the bathroom. I’ll be out in the guesthouse if you need me for anything.”

“Sure. Thanks for your help today,” I said.

After she’d gone, I went to feed Oscar. When he was happily chowing down on his dinner, I grabbed my cell phone and sent a text to Jacob’s spare phone. Hey, where are you? I just got home.

As soon as I sent it, I heard a faint vibrating sound. I frowned and looked around the kitchen and main living room. Spotting something small and black on the couch a moment later, I sighed, realizing that Jacob had left the phone behind. I picked it up. While it was still in my hand, it vibrated again, and the screen lit up with a text message from an unsaved number.

You said you’d dump Nora by the end of the day. Did you do it yet? I really don’t like being kept waiting, Jakey…

My blood ran cold, and my chest suddenly felt so constricted that I could barely breathe for a moment. Legs trembling, I sat on the couch, wondering what on earth that message was about. It looked like Jacob had promised someone that he’d dump me tonight… but why? Who would he make such a promise to?

As much as I didn’t want to admit it to myself, a niggling little voice in the back of my head told me there was only one option. It had to be another woman. Another woman Jacob had promised to be with once he’d gotten me out of the picture. Maybe he was using the fact that I was leaving as a way of softening the blow. Maybe he was planning on coming home tonight and softly saying, ‘sorry, I’ve thought about it again, and I don’t think I can do the long-distance thing after all’. Then he’d have free rein to go running off to this other woman—whoever she was. He must’ve been keeping her on the sidelines in the event that I needed to be ‘replaced’.

I felt sick to my stomach as I considered it. Was he really cheating on me? Was he only using me for god knows what reasons and faking our entire relationship? If so, why? Was he seriously that messed up?

I so desperately wanted to believe in him and know for sure that he would never do such a thing, but I saw that text message with my own eyes. He was planning on dumping me. He obviously told someone that he was going to do it. And try as I might, I couldn’t think of a reason why, unless he’d been playing me this entire time.

I got up and walked robotically outside to the guesthouse. Maybe Ina could help. Maybe she’d be able to figure out some reason why Jacob would be telling someone that he was about to dump me. Something totally innocent. She knew him better than anyone, after all.

I knocked on the glass guesthouse door. The wooden slatted blinds were open, so I could see Ina sitting on her sofa, playing around on her cell phone. She looked up when she saw me, and she smiled and beckoned to me. “Come in!”

Her smile vanished when she saw my expression as I stepped inside. “Nora, what’s wrong?” she asked with a frown, hurriedly putting the phone away.

I couldn’t speak for a full three minutes. I was too choked up with tears. Ina sat next to me and patted me on the back until I was finally able to get the story out—what I’d seen on Jacob’s spare phone, what it might mean, how I felt.

Her frown deepened as she listened.

“Can you think of any reason why this might be happening?” I finally said. “Something that isn’t as bad as him playing me all this time?”

She sighed and looked at the floor. “Oh, Nora. I’m so sorry. I honestly thought…”

“Thought what?” I said when she trailed off.

“I thought he’d stopped this,” she replied, her voice turning bitter. “You know what he used to be like, right? Total playboy. Different woman every week. I love him, I really do, because of everything he’s done for me. So I never judged him. Not once. But this… this is different.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I genuinely thought he changed when he met you, Nora. He’s never been like this with anyone else. He’s never let another woman come to his house, let alone move in. But that text, my god. I can’t think why he’d receive a message saying that unless….”

She trailed off again, and my shoulders slumped. “Unless he actually told someone he was going to end it with me,” I said flatly. “Another woman.”

The tears were gone now. I was too numb to feel a single thing. It’d all been a lie—the late-night heart-to-hearts with Jacob, the feeling of safety in his home, the warm comfort of his arms. The love.

All bullshit.

How could I be so stupid? How could I fall for yet another liar? Of course I had, though. I was a hopeless romantic. I thought I could fix James once upon a time, and when that failed, I guess I moved right on to another fantasy—nabbing a movie star. No wonder it blew up in my face. What were the odds of someone in Jacob’s league truly wanting an average person like myself? It just felt so good to believe he did. And so I’d stupidly fallen for every line, every gesture. I’d even given up my lease and moved in with him, like a goddamned fool.

“I’m so sorry, Nora,” Ina said softly.

“I should go,” I replied, abruptly standing up.

“No, stay. I can’t let you be alone right now. We’ll have a girly night, and I’ll get some ice cream. I’ll get Angie over here too, of course.”

I shook my head. “Thank you, Ina, but I can’t be here. I can’t be on his property. I just need to get the hell out.”

She sighed. “I get it. Will you go to Angie’s place?”

I thought about it for a second. What was that old saying? Out of sight, out of mind. The farther I could get from Jacob right now, the better.

“No,” I finally said. “I think I’ll fly out east a few days early. The apartment is already there waiting for me, and I’ve already packed most of the things I’ll be taking. I’m sure there’s a flight leaving tonight.”

Ina frowned. “Nora, I understand why you want to leave, but don’t you think you’re being too hasty? Why don’t you stay and wait for Jacob to get home so you can at least hear him out? Maybe there’s an explanation for all of this after all.”

I shook my head again, rage boiling up inside of me. “No. You said it yourself. What other reason could there be for him to get that sort of message?”

She let out another heavy sigh. “All right. What about Oscar?”

“I’ll see if they’ll allow him on the flight I book. If not, he can stay with Angie until she brings him over to meet me in New York next week, like we originally planned. He was going to be staying with her for a few days anyway.”

Ina stood up, her forehead lined with worry. “Are you really sure about this? I know you’re upset. You’re furious. Of course you are. I’m angry too. But I think it’s best that we wait for Jacob to explain himself. At least then you’ll have some closure, even if it—”

I cut her off. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going. Why should he care enough to explain anything? He was going to dump me out of the blue tonight anyway.”

Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Yeah, that’s true. I understand. Let me help you grab your things, at least,” she said softly.

She followed me into the main house, where I gathered my clothes and other possessions in stony silence. It wasn’t hard—a lot of things were still in bags and boxes from when I’d moved in a few days ago, and I’d also packed a lot of other things for New York already. It only took an hour for my car to be stacked full of boxes and cases.

“Are you really, really sure about this?” Ina said, twisting her hands nervously as I hugged her goodbye in the driveway.

“Yes. I’m sure. I already have the storage place booked to drop off some of these boxes, and I’ll go to Angie’s now to wait while I sort out the flight.”

Ina looked forlorn as I spoke. I swallowed a lump in my throat. “I’m sorry,” I added as I got into my car. Oscar was already in the backseat, looking as happy as ever.

“Don’t apologize,” Ina replied. “This isn’t your fault. I’m just sad because I really thought he wouldn’t screw this up, and I really like you.”

I forced a smile. “Well, we can still be friends. The ex-wife and the ex-girlfriend. What a team.”

She laughed, but I could tell her heart wasn’t in it. “Please call me as soon as you know what you’re doing,” she said. “I want to know that you’re okay.”

“I will.”

I turned my key in the ignition and started down the driveway while Ina waved goodbye. I could see her in my rearview mirror, and her expression turned from forlorn to cold and stony as I went. I knew it was because she was still pissed as hell at Jacob.

She disappeared from view as I turned onto the main road and sped up.

And just like that, I was out of Jacob Archer’s reach.