Chapter Five — Monday Morning
Beep. Beep.
Ugh.
Alexis groans, slapping her hand across the nightstand until her fingers close around her phone.
Already.
She drags herself out of bed and heads to the kitchen, the house still wrapped in soft morning shadows. At the coffee bar cabinet, she grabs her protein coffee mix and starts the machine. The warm hum fills the silence, grounding her.
Her phone buzzes.
Bobby: Ready for me to come to the kitchen?
She smiles faintly and texts back:
“Yeah, come on in. Want a protein coffee?”
“Yes please.”
By 7:52 a.m., they’re out the door, the morning sun just beginning to burn off the coolness in the air. The drive to the YMCA is quiet but comfortable, Bobby humming along to the radio while Alexis sips her coffee and tries not to think about the unknown number.
They pull into the YMCA parking lot.
Nico is already outside, leaning against the railing, arms crossed, watching for them. The moment he sees the car, he straightens.
“Let me get Bobby out for you,” he says, already moving toward the passenger side.
There’s something steady about him — something grounding — and Alexis feels a small wave of relief she didn’t expect.
Later That Morning — 10:00 a.m.
Nico sits in his small YMCA office, the faint smell of chlorine drifting in from the pool. He’s typing up session notes when his phone buzzes.
A text.
From a number he doesn’t recognize.
He frowns and opens it.
“I don’t want to help Brandon anymore. Sending you pictures, timestamps, and locations.” — Jack
Nico’s pulse jumps.
Before he can respond, another message comes through — this one from the unknown number.
“Well thank you. I’ll pass these along to her.”
Then another.
“There is proof your boyfriend has been having an affair for two years. He meets her at work every Wednesday at the nightclub. It’s called Knocking Boots.”
Nico stares at the screen, jaw tightening.
Two years.
Not weeks.
Not months.
Years.
His stomach twists.
A new message pops up — this time from Alexis.
“Whoever this is, you’re a lifesaver.”
Nico exhales slowly, rubbing a hand over his face. He hates that she’s thanking the wrong person. He hates that he’s part of this tangled mess. But he also knows she deserves the truth — even if it breaks her.
Lunch Break
Alexis decides on McDonald’s — burgers and fries, something easy. But her appetite is gone. She picks at her food, staring out the windshield, trying to figure out how she’ll tell Bobby. How she’ll tell herself.
Working out felt good.
Normal.
Safe.
But safety never lasts.
She heads to Dunkin next, craving her usual: French vanilla, 2 cream, 3 Splenda. The familiar smell of coffee and baked goods wraps around her as she steps inside.
Her phone dings.
She freezes.
Another message.
“I want to talk to you in person. Are you able to meet at Dunkin?” — Unknown #
Her heart thuds.
She types back:
“Yes. Can you come now? I’m sitting in Dunkin doing homework for college.”
“Yes. Give me about five minutes.”
Alexis’s pulse quickens. She glances around the café, scanning faces. A mom with a toddler. A man in a suit. Two teenagers sharing a donut. No one is suspicious.
But that means nothing.
Meanwhile — Brandon
In math class, Brandon’s phone vibrates.
He knows before he even looks.
He knows it’s them.
He opens the message.
“Time is up. Time to tell Alexis your secret myself.”
His chest tightens.
His vision blurs.
He grips the edge of his desk, panic flooding him.
He types back frantically.
“Please don’t. I’ll tell her. Just give me—”
Another message cuts him off.
“Alexis, what table are you at?”
Brandon’s blood runs cold.
They’re with her.
Right now.
At Dunkin.
He tries to call her — but the call fails.
Back at Dunkin
Alexis reads the message.
“By the bathrooms.”
She sets her phone down, hands trembling slightly.
The door chimes.
She looks up.
Nico walks in.
Her breath catches. “Hey. Fancy seeing you here.”
But Nico’s expression is serious — too serious.
He sits across from her, lowering his voice.
“I need to confess something to you,” he says, eyes locked on hers. “I’m the unknown number. I have proof of Brandon’s cheating.”
The world seems to tilt for a moment.
Alexis grips the edge of the table.
“Show me,” she says, voice shaking with anger and relief all at once. “I’m so done with his bullshit.”
Nico unlocks his phone.
And the truth — the whole truth — is finally about to come out.