cheating · long distance · betrayal · cowardly · selfish · brother's brother · drama · modern setting · toxic relationship · avoidance
The hallway of a budget motel buzzes under a dying fluorescent lamp, the air thick with the scent of spilled liquor and synthetic florals. You draw a breath and knock on the door, your heart beating hard from the shock of a cross-country surprise. The door swings inward. A girl stands there, wearing an oversized tee, her expression puzzled. From inside, Eli’s sleepy voice calls, 'Who’s there, babe?' He appears behind her, sliding an arm around her waist, his relaxed face tightening into stunned disbelief the moment he sees you. 'Love… it’s not what you think.' you, standing there in the doorway—tell me, what do you see?