Page 46 of Aperture

A person would have to be blind not to see the connection between these two. They look at each other with stars in their eyes. I am transfixed by the scene unfolding in front of me. I cannot hear anything from my truck parked on the curb, but I can see Millie is clearly irritated, her small arms flying all over the place as Wyatt just watches with his hands in his pockets, like a lost little puppy. He is so far gone for this girl.

I drop my head back onto the seat and take a deep breath. A calmness settles over me as I ponder how well this is going. Leaving that picture in her house was a fucking genius move if I do say so myself. I had to dig through many old boxes to find it, but it was worth it. Everyone is worked up like little bees in a hive. Buzz, buzz, little bees.

I can no longer hear raised voices, so I start to watch them again. Whatever Wyatt has said has calmed Millie down. Her small shoulders are no longer up around her ears and both of their expressions are more relaxed.

This is sickening to watch. They actually think anything they do makes a difference in this life. They think love exists. It is all a fucking illusion. One that I will be more than happy to shatter once the time is right.

I watch as they walk away from one another. I know any minute Wyatt will turn around and watch her walk away and he does. He watches her drive away before getting into his car. Knight in fucking shining armor, this guy. He thinks he feels guilty about what happened in college, but he will never recover from this one. I cannot wait. Buzz, buzz.

Chapter 26

I show up to the gym in my cutest workout clothes. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but the leggings, sports bra, and hoodie I’m wearing cost more than my car payment. I’m not really one to spend excessively, especially on clothes, but this outfit is perfect for when you want to look good, but not look like you are trying to look good. I curled my hair this morning and put it in a cute high ponytail. I applied a bit of tinted moisturizer, and a dab of lip gloss, patted my dog on the head, and left the house feeling confident in my decision to meet Wyatt. I don’t know why it’s important for me to look cute today, but it’s girl code.

If someone breaks your heart, you need to make them eat their heart out by looking fabulous. I don’t make the rules.

Now that I’ve arrived, I’m a little nervous. I grab my water and walk into the gym. Wyatt is leaning on the front desk talking to a pretty woman behind the counter and she’s laughing at something he said. I feel the heat of jealousy rise from the pit of my stomach until it’s spread throughout my body like poison. I’m not a jealous person, so the feeling is unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Not to mention unwarranted since he’s not mine. Nevertheless, they’re there.

My first instinct is to turn around and walk out, which is completely ridiculous. I have a boyfriend. Wyatt is nothing more than an annoying “friend.” But it’s still with shaky legs that I approach them, feeling stupid for my body's physical reaction to seeing Wyatt talk to another woman. I step up and they both turn my way. The woman behind the counter flashes me a friendly smile as Wyatt looks me up and down with a sly grin.

“Stacy, this is Millie,” he says to the gym goddess. “She is my guest today.”

“No problem, Wyatt. Have a good workout,” she says, handing us two towels.

I follow Wyatt further into the gym where he leads me into a big, open room that’s deserted. There are some mats, resistance bands, small hand weights, and stability balls in the corner, with mirrors completely covering one wall. We set our towels and water down by the equipment and walk to the center of the room, facing one another.

“Teach me your ways, Master Yoda,” I joke. It’s fairly obvious that I use humor as a defense mechanism in uncomfortable situations.

Wyatt quells my nerves with his beautiful smile and reassuring words. “I’m so glad we are doing this.”

“Me, too,” I reply. “Let me know if I need to take it easy on you.”

“Oh, I will,” he says with a laugh. “Let’s start by stretching. I haven’t been working out much lately so I’m a little tight.” He is definitely looking nice and tight from where I’m standing. I can’t help but let my eyes ransack his body and remember the way it felt against my own. I gaze at his lips and his hands and recall the way they made me feel. I need to snap out of this lust-filled haze.

“Do you usually work out here?” I ask, redirecting my thoughts.

“It can be difficult with my job, but I try to. If I can’t get to the gym then I run and at least do push-ups and sit-ups.”

I look him over as he dips into a runner's stretch. He’s wearing black, loose, cotton gym shorts and a tank top cut wide and low on the sides, showcasing his amazing obliques. I try to look away before he catches me but it’s so difficult to tear my gaze away.

“Uh, Millie?” he smiles, interrupting my ogling.

I drop down in my stretch and change the subject quickly to hide my embarrassment.

“Any news on the picture left in my house?” I ask.

“No, there were no prints. I didn’t expect there to be.”

“Who do you think this is, Wyatt? Please be honest with me.”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” he admits.

We both stand to finish stretching.

“I asked Theo, but he didn't remember. So I will ask you. Do you remember the night the picture was taken?”

“I think it was junior year. We used to go to this one bar a lot. I recognize it in the picture.”

“I wonder why Theo didn’t remember,” I question.