I helped him take off his jacket, then his shirt.
And thatâs when I saw it.
At first, I thought I was imagining things.
There, across his backâwritten in the same kind of bold, unmistakable strokesâwere words.
Not mine.
Not the joke I had written.
Something else.
My heart started to race as I leaned closer, trying to read it clearly in the dim light.
âKEEP THE CHANGE. HEâS NOT WORTH IT.â
I froze.
For a moment, everything went completely still. My hands stopped moving. My thoughts scattered in every direction at once, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.
I read it again.
And again.
The words didnât change.
âWhere did this come from?â I asked quietly.
He didnât answer.
I turned to look at him. His eyes were half-closed, his body already sinking into the mattress.
âDid you hear me?â I asked, louder this time. âWhat is this on your back?â
He barely reacted.
âI donât knowâŠâ he muttered. âProbably just⊠stupid party stuff.â
Stupid party stuff.
That explanation didnât sit right with me.
Not even close.
I stood there, staring at those words, feeling something unfamiliar creeping inâsomething cold and sharp.
Doubt.
I had trusted this man completely. Never questioned where he was, who he talked to, or what he did when I wasnât around. Our relationship had always been built on that foundation.
But those wordsâŠ
They didnât feel like a joke.
They felt intentional.
I helped him into bed anyway, pulling the blanket over him as he drifted off almost instantly. But I didnât sleep.
Not that night.
I lay there beside him, staring at the ceiling, replaying everything in my mind.
The late arrival.
The silence.
The way he avoided eye contact.
And those words.
By morning, the house felt different.
He woke up slowly, holding his head, clearly dealing with the aftermath of too many drinks.
âMorning,â he said, his voice rough.
âMorning,â I replied.
I watched him carefully.
âDo you remember anything from last night?â I asked.
He frowned slightly. âBits and pieces. Why?â
I hesitated for a second, then said, âYou had something written on your back.â
That got his attention.
âWhat?â he asked, sitting up.
I handed him his shirt.
âItâs still there.â
He rushed to the mirror.
I stood behind him as he read the message, his expression shifting from confusion⊠to something else.