Jessie emerged from the bedroom wearing one of his flannel shirts. It was the green and beige, one of his favorites. It hung big on her, the bottom of the shirt just reaching halfway down her thighs. Chris couldn't tell if she was wearing anything under it, but he knew it had been thrown on hastily. He usually loved it when she wore one of his shirts. Today, it only served to spit in his face, and deepen the resentment that burned in his veins.

"Sweetie, you're home early." Jessie pulled the door closed behind her, ensuring that it was never open for very long. "Don't you have class today?"

"My first afternoon class was cancelled." Chris tried to avoid looking at her directly. He knew he was a terrible liar. "I'm really tired, so I just thought I'd come home early today."

Jessie started to move towards him, but fell back against the door. "That's strange sweetie, you always go to class."

Today had been carefully chosen. Chris had one early and two late afternoon classes. He was usually gone from mid-morning to late at night. It was a huge chunk of time, one in which Jessie could do anything she wanted without Chris ever knowing. Too many times he had come home on Thursday and asked Jessie what she had done. Too many times her responses made no sense.

"Things change." Chris reached behind him and shut the front door. He strolled over to the couch, making a motion towards it but never finishing. He tossed his eyes over to his girlfriend, with her back against the door and her hands hidden behind her. Her hair was frazzled atop her head and in front of her face. Her skin was moist, with tiny little kisses of water forming on her brow. To any other man, she would have appeared absolutely beautiful in her chaos. On any previous day, Chris would have felt the same way.

"So, how has your day been?" Chris asked.

Jessie's eyes widened before she answered. "Oh, boring. I watched some TV, then fell asleep. I was just now getting up when you came in. I was surprised, I didn't think you'd be home for another couple of hours."

"I was tired." Chris rolled his eyes around the apartment, looking for something that did not belong.

Jessie bit her lip, staring at the space in front of Chris. "Hey sweetie, can you do me a favor? I've been looking for my favorite mix CD all day, I can't seem to find it. I think I left it in your car. Would you go check for me?"

Chris smiled to himself. She was trying to get rid of him. It was all but confirmed now. The suspicions, the fears, were true. Jessie was cheating on him. All he had to do was find the bastard, deliver his lines, and leave.

"I was just going through the CD's, I didn't see it." Chris inched his way further inside the apartment. "It's not there."

"Oh, but won't you check? I looked all morning, and that's what tired me out."

"Aw Jess, I'm exhausted, and I don't feel like going all the way downstairs, crossing the parking lot, then coming all the way back up here. Do you really need it now? I can check later."

"I suppose I don't need it now...but I'd just like to know. Peace of mind, y'know? After I looked all morning."

"I'll check a little later." Chris sighed. "I'm just so tired. You know, I could use a nap myself. I think that's a good idea."

Jessie's face widened. "A nap? Now? No, don't. You're usually gone so late on Thursdays. Since you're home early, why don't we make good use of the time? Why don't we go out to eat tonight? We never go out anymore."

"But Jess, I'm tired."

"I know sweetie. But you're never home so early. C'mon, you're already still dressed. Give me five minutes to get changed, and we'll go out. Once you get back outside, you'll feel better, I swear. C'mon, just you and me."

Chris smiled. He tried not to, but he couldn't help it. "It sounds nice. But I really am tired Jess. I'm not up to it. Just let me stay here."

Seeing how carefully Jessie was sticking to the door, he decided to halt his advance momentarily. After all, there was only one way to leave the apartment. Why rush? Chris turned his back to her and dropped himself on the couch. He spread his arms wide and kicked his feet out.

Jessie stared at the couch. She could hear her own chest heaving in and out with her heavy breaths. Her heart thumped and pounded so hard, she was sure Chris could hear it in the silence.

"I should go get changed." She whispered to the air.

"Why?" Chris's voice slid back from behind the couch. "You know I love it when you wear my shirts. You always look so sexy. Come sit with me."

Jessie's heart leaped. She glanced back towards the door, then, unable to find an excuse why not, she trudged over to the couch and sat next to Chris. She sat upright next to him, but immediately his arm slithered behind her, sliding her next to him, against his hard shoulder. She almost fought him, but thought better of herself and decided to let her body go where it was pulled.

"Who needs to go out?" Chris kept his arm around her fully. "This is nice. Just you and me."

Jessie moaned a response. She wished her heart would slow down, stop betraying her. The air felt heavy, crushing her from the inside. Her stomach knotted, and she wondered if she would become physically ill.

"It must be boring, being here all day, nothing to do." Chris's voice was soft yet crushing, like drowning in a lake.

"I like not going to class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Gives me a break, y'know?" Jessie chose her words carefully.

"Yeah, but all that dead time. Would drive me crazy. I don't know how you deal with all that time."

"I manage. I always manage. You know, I always asked you to make the same schedule, so we could spend Tuesdays and Thursdays together." As soon as she said it, she wished she could suck the words back in, as if she never spoke them. It was too much.

"I know Jess, but I like having class five days a week. You keep them spread out without being overwhelmed."

"You sure you don't want to go out? We haven't in so long."

"Sorry Jess. I need to be here right now."

In a way, this was almost perverse fun. Chris loved competition. Challenging others, racing towards a goal exhilarated him. He didn't even mind losing, as long as the actual competition excited him. He played intramural sports at school, and even dumped quarters into the video arcade at the student union on campus.

This was a game. Jessie knew it too, but she didn't know what kind of game it was. She didn't know that he knew. He knew that some bastard was naked and hiding in his bedroom, and he suspected it was one of his close friends. It was always a close friend, as if the pain of having your lover cheat on you wasn't enough. She had been playing a game all along, trying to carry on with this affair behind his back. Chris had suspected for a long time, but could never prove anything. Jessie was good.

Chris could have just gotten up and walked into the bedroom and ended everything. Yet he did not. He had carefully planned this day. All of his responses, his movements, were calculated. She was hurting him, and it was time to return the favor. For the first time since she had started the game, he was in control. He was going to win. But it was not the kind of victory the player actually enjoys. It was like winning a war.

Chris decided it was time to end the game. It was a little earlier than he originally planned, but there was no use dragging it out. This game hurt far more than Chris knew it would.

"I should get out of these clothes." Chris said to the air. He nudged Jessie away from him, and stood up. Jessie sat on the couch, looking distant for a moment, before standing up suddenly. Chris marched to the bedroom door. Jessie followed him, trying to speak, but no sound left her mouth. Chris paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts and emotions, before opening the door.

The bedroom did not look any different. The bed was a few feet in front of him. Its charcoal gray sheets were rumpled, as they usually were. Jessie's clothes were strewn about, but this was no different either. There was a dresser a few feet away from the end of the bed, against the wall, littered with various different pictures of Chris and Jessie together. There were two closets - one to the left, and one next to the bed. Both closet doors were closed.

Chris proceeded to penetrate the room. He took off his jacket and made his way to the closet on the left. He opened it - aside from the assortment of clothes, and a various display of shoes on the floor, there was nothing extraordinary. Chris put his jacket on a hangar and moved on. The closet next to the bed was usually for storage. Chris moved straight for it, and opened the doors swiftly. There were a few boxes stacked on the shelf, a hamper below, and long-forgotten items casually tossed inside. Yet the closet contained no surprises.

Chris directed himself to the bathroom now. He went inside, checking his face in the mirror while surveying the room. He could see Jessie's reflection. Her eyes darted around, never staying in one location for long. She played with her hands, as if she could think of nothing better to do with them. Chris smiled at her, and then glanced towards the shower. The dark gray curtain was slightly ajar - Chris merely looked in without disturbing it. His eyes met with no unfamiliar sights.

Chris ventured back into the bedroom. He strolled over to the bed, casually throwing his right foot under it. Nothing. His eyes skimmed up at Jessie. She smiled casually.

Jarred, Chris returned to the living room. It didn't make any sense. Since the apartment was on the third floor, it would have been impossible to jump from a window. There were no fire escapes, so the only way out was through the front door. No one could have left without Chris noticing it. He was sure that the bastard was in the bedroom. He had to be. Where else would he have been? Jessie came out of the bedroom, so it had to be the bedroom. Where could you hide a whole person? Chris already checked the usual spots. Anything else would have been very inventive, and would have required an extensive search. Chris didn't want to arouse suspicion. Jessie didn't know Chris was on to her, and this gave him the upper hand for once. He did not want to lose that.

Chris glided into the kitchen, taking a water bottle from the refrigerator and draining it down his throat. He turned to the counter, resting his hands upon it. Jessie emerged from the bedroom. She looked at Chris now, something she was avoiding before.

"Sweetie, are you okay? You look disturbed." Jessie asked.

Chris glared at her. It was another one of those questions that burned fire in his veins. It made him question how he could ever hold this creature close in any regard.

"I'm just very tired, that's all." Chris replied.

"Well then, why don't you take a nap? If you wake up early enough, we can still go out."

A nap. Sure, a nap. If you can't get someone out of the house, getting him unconscious will do.

"I'm kind of restless right now." Chris downed another gulp from his water bottle. "You know I don't usually take naps."

"Well then, why don't you go for a walk or something? You look like a caged animal."

"I don't want to go outside either. I don't know where I want to go. Nowhere feels right."

Jessie curled her lip. Chris looked away from her, absorbing the apartment. There were two closets, one near the kitchen, and another against the back wall leading to the bedroom. They could have very easily concealed the bastard. But then, why would Jessie have been in the bedroom? Chris made sure his entry into the apartment was pronounced, but he didn't think that if someone were in the living room, they would have had time to hide by the time Chris opened the door. If someone else was here, they had to be in the bedroom. But where?

Chris's eyes were pulled back to Jessie. She stood like a child, with her legs crossed, her hands behind her back, and her lip stuck out. Her eyes still rested upon Chris. He rummaged through her appearance for something, anything that would give her away. He found nothing.

A horrifying thought entered his mind. What if he was wrong? Chris never had any solid proof that Jessie was being unfaithful, just rumors and suspicions. It was entirely possible that Chris had exaggerated the situation within his mind. Her behavior today seemed odd, but was that the product of a paranoid mind? Or perhaps he had picked the wrong day. Perhaps Jessie had already met and slept with the bastard, and took a nap while he left. Maybe Chris had passed the bastard on the freeway on his way home from campus. Maybe the bastard couldn't make it today.

Maybe Chris was just wrong about the whole situation.

Chris finished off his water bottle, and then tossed it into a recycling bin near the corner of the kitchen. Jessie continued to gaze at him, with eyes as large as marbles. Suddenly, she began to move towards him, sliding across the floor like a serpent. Chris ignored her approach. She moved behind him, and Chris felt her arms wrap around his stomach. She pressed her body against his back, her head resting against the back of his neck. Chris felt his emotions surge at first, then subside into familiarity.

"You seem so tense." Jessie said, her hot breath upon Chris's skin, tumbling across like water. "Just relax a little. Enjoy your afternoon off."

"I wasn't expecting this." Chris's voice whispered.

"Sometimes, the things we don't expect are the nicest." Jessie loosened her grip on Chris, turning him around in her arms to face her. He studied her face, her eyes, her lips. She smiled, raising a hand to play with his hair.

"Sweetie, I love you." Jessie moved in, kissing Chris. He stood still, accepting the kiss but not returning it. "You know we've had some problems over the last few months, but it's nothing we can't work out. I love you so much."

Chris felt her warmth penetrating his body, soothing the fire that had fueled him thus far. Her embrace was familiar - he had felt it every day for the past two years. Lately, he had been taking it for granted. Right now, it felt much like it used to, when they first started dating. The pain he was feeling began to dull. Chris raised his arms, putting his hands on her waist.

"I love you sweetie." Jessie said. She moved in to kiss him again.

Chris moved away, suddenly. He felt the anger, the bitterness, the resentment, come flooding back, all at once like a terrible storm. He remembered the agony of the past few weeks. He remembered the game they were playing. Jessie was winning now. If Chris backed away now, she'd take her control back and he might never get another opportunity. Looking at her now, he saw her differently than he ever had before. The warm feelings she once invoked now turned to ice, frozen solid. The gentle feeling in his heart turned into sickness in his stomach. Chris broke away from Jessie, but did not take his eyes off her.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Jessie's face dropped, her eyes remaining big.

Chris stood in front of her, looking puzzled and disgusted. He looked at her harshly, before sharply turning around and darting for the bedroom.

"Sweetie? Sweetie?" Jessie's cries were ignored, as she followed Chris across the living room. Chris burst into the bedroom and took another look around, his eyes ripping the room to shreds. Then, his eyes widened as his frown deepened, realization hitting him like a brick. He marched into the bathroom, grabbed a handful of the shower curtain, and tossed it aside.

Game over.

There he was. The bastard. He had put on his jeans at least, but was holding his polo shirt. He had been standing near the back of the tub, out of Chris's eyesight the first time he checked. It was exactly who Chris had suspected. One of his close friends, whom he had met shortly after he started dating Jessie.

The bastard smiled weakly. "Hey Chris." He spoke as if they were meeting in passing on campus.

Chris felt anger swelling inside of him. His bones trembled, and he felt his upper lip quivering. The warmth he had felt moments before turned dark, clouding his thoughts and churning his stomach.

He was only vaguely aware of Jessie behind him. "Sweetie, look, I can explain. I know it looks bad, but I swear..."

Chris spun around on his heel to face her, so sharply that she was snapped back in surprise. The look on her face - the tears welling in her eyes, and her bottom lip sticking out, only served to fuel the fire that consumed him.

"I'll be back in two hours." Chris spat. "When I return, I want you gone. You can come back for your things tomorrow."

Chris lunged forward, blowing past her, out of the bathroom and the bedroom, and back into the living room. He could hear Jessie crying, blithering something pathetic behind him. He didn't care anymore. She followed him, with the bastard in tow. Chris never broke stride, reaching the door, opening it, and slamming it behind him without ever looking back.