Chapter 43 SECRETS AND LIES
Alex
Alex knew Elias was lying.
The work email excuse was thin. Elias’s face had gone pale. His hands were shaking when he set down his phone.
But Alex didn’t push. Just said okay and tried to go back to sleep.
He couldn’t.
Next to him, Elias lay awake too. Alex could tell by his breathing. Too controlled. Too careful.
When morning came, they both pretended everything was fine.
Elias made coffee. Alex made toast. They moved around the kitchen like actors in a play. Smiling. Talking about nothing. Avoiding the thing neither of them wanted to say.
“I have to go to work,” Elias said.
“Okay.”
“You good here? Need anything?”
“I’m fine. I’ll unpack more boxes.”
Elias kissed him goodbye. It felt wrong. Off somehow.
After he left, Alex stood in the apartment. Their apartment. Everything unpacked and arranged. Everything is perfect on the surface.
But something was wrong.
He found Elias’s phone charger on the nightstand. Noticed Elias had left without it. Weird. Elias never forgot his charger.
Alex tried to ignore the nagging feeling in his gut. Spent the morning organizing his books. Alphabetically first. Then by genre. Then gave up and just shoved them on the shelf however they fit.
His phone buzzed. Des.
Des: How’s day one of domestic bliss?
Alex: Weird. Elias is acting strangely.
Des: Strange how?
Alex: Got a text last night at 3 AM. Said it was work. But he looked scared.
Des: Did you ask him about it?
Alex: No
Des: Why not?
Alex: Because I’m scared of the answer
Des called immediately.
“You can’t do this,” Des said.
“Do what?”
“Assume the worst without actually talking to him. That’s how relationships die.”
“What if it’s bad? What if it’s Carter?”
“Then you deal with it. Together. But you can’t just sit there spiraling.”
“I’m not spiraling.”
“You absolutely are. I can hear it in your voice.”
After they hung up, Alex tried to focus on unpacking. Failed. His mind kept going back to Elias’s face. The way his hands had shaken. The lie was so obvious it hurt.
At noon, Elias texted.
Elias: How’s unpacking going?
Alex: Good. Getting there.
Elias: Want me to grab dinner on the way home?
Alex: Sure
Elias: Love you
Alex: Love you too
But the words felt hollow. Like they were both saying them out of habit instead of meaning.
Alex spent the afternoon cleaning. The apartment was already clean but he needed something to do. Wiped down counters. Vacuumed floors. Organized the bathroom cabinet.
At 5 PM, his phone rang. Unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Is this Alex?” A voice he didn’t recognize. Male. Confident.
“Who is this?”
“Carter. Elias’s ex. We need to talk.”
Alex’s stomach dropped. “How did you get my number?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is that you’re living with someone who’s not over me.”
“You don’t know anything about us.”
“I know Elias. I know he’s probably told you I was the bad guy. That I broke his heart. But that’s not the whole story.”
“I don’t want to hear this.”
“He texted me last night. Did he tell you that?”
Alex’s chest went cold. “You’re lying.”
“Am I? Ask him. Ask him if he responded to my messages. Ask him if he’s been thinking about me.”
“Elias wouldn’t do that.”
“Wouldn’t he? We were together for two years. You’ve been together for what? Six months? You really think that’s enough to erase what we had?”
“We’re done talking.” Alex’s hand was shaking so hard he could barely hold the phone.
“Fine. But Alex? When this falls apart, and it will, remember I tried to warn you.”
The line went dead.
Alex sat on the couch. His whole body is numb. Carter had called him. Had his number somehow. Had said he texted him back.
Was it true?
He looked at the time. 5:30. Elias would be home in an hour.
Alex could ask. Could demand the truth. Could find out if the person he’d moved in with was keeping secrets.
Or he could pretend he never got the call. Could trust Elias. Could believe that whatever happened last night didn’t matter.
At 6:45, Elias came home with Chinese food and a tired smile.
“Hey,” Elias said. “How was your day?”
“Fine. Yours?”
“Long. Jordan’s working on this huge project and everyone’s stressed.” Elias set down the food. Kissed Alex’s forehead. “I’m glad to be home.”
“Me too.”
They ate dinner. Elias talked about work. About articles and deadlines and office drama. Normal things. Safe things.
Alex wanted to ask. The question sat on his tongue like acid.
Did you text Carter back?
But he couldn’t make himself say it.
“You’re quiet,” Elias said.
“Just tired. Moving is exhausting.”
“Want to watch something? Relax?”
“Sure.”
They settled on the couch. Some show neither of them paid attention to. Elias’s arm around Alex’s shoulders. Everything looks perfect from the outside.
But Alex’s mind was racing. Carter’s words on repeat.
He texted me last night. Ask him if he responded.
At 10 PM, Alex excused himself to the bathroom. Closed the door. Sat on the edge of the tub with his head in his hands.
This was supposed to be their first real day living together. It was supposed to be happy. Easy.
Instead, Alex was sitting in the bathroom wondering if his boyfriend was lying to him.
His phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.
He opened it.
Screenshot. A conversation. Between Elias and Carter.
Carter: I miss you. Can we talk?
Elias: I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Carter: Please. I made a mistake. I want to fix this.
Elias: There’s nothing to fix. I’ve moved on.
Carter: Have you? Or are you just settling because you’re scared of being alone?
The conversation ended there. Time stamp: 3:17 AM. Last night.
Alex stared at the screen. Elias had responded. Had lied about it being a work email.
Had kept this from him on their first day living together.
Another text came through.
Unknown: See? I told you. He’s not over me. He’s just using you until he figures out what he really wants.
Alex deleted the messages. Blocked the number. Sat there shaking.
When he came out of the bathroom, Elias looked up from his phone.
“You okay?” Elias asked.
“Yeah. Fine.”
But he wasn’t fine.
And he didn’t know if they were either.