Chapter 3: The Message He Forgot to Delete
Marcus stood in the middle of Tasha's living room with the roses hanging loosely from one hand.
The jewelry box remained in his other.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
Tasha watched him read the screenshot again. His jaw tightened when he reached Nia's response, and his thumb moved against the edge of the phone as if he could somehow erase what he was seeing.
Finally, he looked up.
“Why are you going through her messages?””
Tasha stared at him.
“My messages? Marcus, this is a screenshot Nia sent me.””
“Okay, but why is she sending you screenshots of private conversations?””
“Because you texted my best friend!””
“I complimented her. That's all.””
“You told her you wanted to talk to her when I wasn't around.””
“I said she looked good.””
“You said you've noticed her for a while!””
Marcus placed the roses on the coffee table.
“Can you lower your voice?””
Tasha laughed bitterly.
“Oh, now you care about how something looks?””
“I'm trying to have a conversation with you.””
“No. You're trying to find a way to explain something you shouldn't have done.””
Marcus rubbed his face.
“Baby, listen to me. I didn't cheat on you.””
Tasha looked at him for a long moment.
“That is your defense?””
“Because it's the truth.””
“Did you send her that message?””
“Yes.””
“Did she ask you to?””
“No.””
“Did she flirt with you?””
“Not that I remember.””
Tasha's eyes narrowed.
“Not that you remember?””
“I'm saying she didn't do anything wrong.””
The admission surprised her.
She had expected him to accuse Nia. She had expected him to say that Nia had encouraged him, that she had misunderstood his intentions, or that the screenshot had been taken out of context.
Instead, he was defending Nia.
And somehow, that hurt almost as much as the message itself.
“Why did you send it?”” Tasha asked.
Marcus looked toward the window.
“I thought she was attractive.””
The room seemed to shrink around her.
Tasha had imagined hearing those words a hundred different ways. In every version, she had prepared a clever response, something sharp enough to put him in his place.
Now that he had said it, she couldn't find a single word.
Marcus stepped closer.
“But that doesn't mean I don't love you.””
Tasha looked down at the roses.
“Did you think about me when you sent it?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you do it?””
He hesitated.
“Because I made a mistake.””
“That's not an answer.””
“What do you want from me, Tasha? I'm standing right here telling you the truth.””
“No. You're telling me the part you think you can get away with.””
Marcus's face hardened.
“That's not fair.””
“Neither is finding out that my boyfriend is privately telling my best friend how attractive she is.””
“I said she looked good. I didn't ask her to meet me somewhere. I didn't touch her. I didn't do anything physical.””
Tasha felt something cold settle in her chest.
She had heard that argument before, from friends who stayed in relationships because nothing had technically happened.
As if betrayal only counted when someone could point to a hotel receipt.
“So if she had responded differently, what would you have done?”” she asked.
Marcus blinked.
“What?””
“If Nia had said she liked you too, what would you have done?””
He stared at her.
“That didn't happen.””
“I'm asking you a question.””
“And I'm telling you it's irrelevant.””
Tasha shook her head.
“No, Marcus. It's the most relevant question in this room.””
He walked away from her and stood near the television, staring at the birthday banner.
“You're turning this into something bigger than it is.””
Tasha looked at him in disbelief.
“Bigger than it is?””
“Yes. I sent a message. She rejected me. End of story.””
The words hung in the room.
Tasha felt her throat tighten.
“She rejected you?””
Marcus turned.
“That's not what I meant.””
“You just said she rejected you.””
“I meant she told me not to message her like that.””
“Because you were flirting with her!””
“Can we stop arguing over words?””
Tasha took a step backward.
For the first time, she noticed that Marcus had not apologized for embarrassing her. He had not asked how she felt. He had not offered to explain what he meant by noticing Nia for a while.
He was irritated that he had been caught.
That distinction mattered.
She picked up the roses and placed them back in his hands.
“Take these.””
Marcus frowned.
“What?””
“Take them.””
“Baby, come on.””
“I'm serious.””
He set the flowers down again.
“I'm not leaving because of one message.””
Tasha folded her arms, then immediately unfolded them. She remembered how she had stood in the same room yesterday, accusing Nia of being responsible for the way Marcus looked at her.
The memory made her cheeks burn.
“Did you tell Nia you were happy with me?”” she asked.
Marcus looked confused.
“What kind of question is that?””
“Did you tell her you loved me? Did you tell her you were serious about our relationship? Did you make it clear that you weren't interested in anybody else?””
“I didn't think I had to explain my relationship to her.””
“You thought you had to explain that you noticed her?””
Marcus fell silent.
Tasha walked to the coffee table and sat down. Her hands trembled, so she pressed them flat against her knees.
“I need you to leave.””
Marcus stared at her.
“You're kicking me out?””
“I need time to think.””
“Over a text message?””
“Over what the text message says about you.””
He shook his head and grabbed the jewelry box.
“Fine. Think about it. But don't call me tomorrow acting like you made a mistake.””
Tasha looked up.
“Don't worry. I won't.””
He stopped at the door.
For one second, she thought he might turn around and apologize.
Instead, he said, “You know what your problem is? You listen to Nia too much.””
Then he left.
The door shut behind him.
Tasha remained seated until the elevator doors closed somewhere down the hallway.
Only then did she begin to cry.
She cried because Marcus had made her feel foolish. She cried because she had accused Nia of something she hadn't done. And she cried because a small, humiliating part of her still wanted Marcus to come back, put his arms around her, and tell her she was the only woman he wanted.
That part frightened her most.
At three in the afternoon, Tasha called her older cousin, Camille.
Camille answered from what sounded like a busy salon.
“What's going on, birthday girl?””
“Can I ask you something?””
“Of course. You okay?””
Tasha hesitated.
“I found out Marcus sent Nia a message saying she looked good.””
Camille went quiet.
Then she asked, “What did Nia say?””
“She told him not to message her like that again.””
“Good for her.””
Tasha closed her eyes.
“Camille.””
“What? You asked me.””
“I accused Nia of trying to get his attention.””
“Why would you do that?””
“Because I thought he liked her.””
Camille exhaled.
“Baby, he can like somebody's appearance and still be responsible for his own behavior. That's not Nia's fault.””
“I know that now.””
“Do you?””
The question stung.
Tasha looked around her living room. The decorations were almost finished, but now every gold balloon looked ridiculous.
“I said some things I shouldn't have said.””
“Then apologize.””
“I did.””
“Then give her time.””
Tasha swallowed.
“What if she doesn't forgive me?””
Camille's voice softened.
“Then you have to live with the fact that you hurt somebody you love. You can't demand forgiveness just because you're finally ready to receive it.””
Tasha wiped her face.
“I hate this.””
“I know.””
“Everybody always makes me feel like I'm competing with Nia.””
“Who is everybody?””
Tasha opened her mouth, then stopped.
She thought about the women Marcus followed on social media. The couples they knew who posted smiling pictures while arguing behind closed doors. The times he had compared her cooking to his mother's, joked that Nia was always dressed nicely, or mentioned that Nia had a better job than someone else they knew.
None of those moments had seemed serious on their own.
Together, they had made her feel as though she were constantly being measured against another woman.
“I don't know,” she admitted.
Camille sighed.
“Then maybe you need to figure out who made you feel that way before you start blaming people who didn't.””
After the call, Tasha sat quietly for nearly an hour.
At six, she began preparing for the party again.
She straightened the banner. She arranged the snacks. She put the birthday cake on the kitchen counter and lit a scented candle near the television.
She almost canceled the entire thing.
But she had already invited twenty people, and she refused to let Marcus's behavior ruin the one evening she had planned for herself.
Besides, she wanted to see Nia.
Not to force an apology. Not to demand that everything return to normal.
She wanted to look her friend in the eyes and admit that she had been wrong.
At 7:12 p.m., the first guests arrived.
Music filled the apartment. Someone opened a bottle of sparkling cider. Camille showed up with a gift bag and immediately took over the kitchen, telling everyone that Tasha's party would fall apart if she didn't organize the food.
People laughed.
For a while, Tasha almost felt normal.
Then the doorbell rang.
She hurried toward the entrance, expecting another guest.
Nia stood in the hallway.
She wore a simple black dress that fell just above her knees, with a small gold necklace and black heels. Her long, straight hair rested over one shoulder. She held a gift bag in one hand.
Tasha's gaze dropped to the dress before she could stop herself.
Nia noticed.
A tired smile crossed her face.
“Don't worry,” she said.
“It's not tight.””
Tasha flinched.
“Nia, please.””
“I know. That was petty.””
“No. I deserved it.””
Nia studied her for a moment, apparently trying to decide whether to come inside.
Tasha stepped aside.
“Thank you for coming.””
“I came because I love you,” Nia replied.
“But I'm not going to pretend yesterday didn't happen.””
“I don't expect you to.””
They stood facing each other while party music played behind them.
Tasha's eyes filled with tears.
“I was wrong to blame you.””
Nia's expression softened, though she remained guarded.
“Yes, you were.””
“I saw the messages. I saw how you responded to him. You didn't do anything wrong.””
“Thank you for saying that.””
“I should've trusted you.””
Nia looked down at the gift bag.
“You should have.””
Tasha nodded, accepting the answer without trying to defend herself.
Then Nia handed her the gift.
Inside was a framed photograph of the two of them at seventeen, standing outside their high school in oversized hoodies and matching sneakers. They were laughing so hard that neither of them was looking at the camera.
Tasha pressed a hand over her mouth.
“You still have this picture?””
“Of course I do.””
“I thought I lost it.””
“You lose everything.””
For the first time that evening, they both laughed.
It was small and fragile, but it was real.
Tasha hugged her.
Nia hugged her back, though neither held on as long as they once would have.
When they separated, Tasha whispered, “I really am sorry.””
“I know,” Nia said.
“Just don't make me fight you to prove I'm your friend again.””
Tasha nodded.
“I won't.””
They walked into the living room together.
Several guests greeted Nia, and Camille pulled her into a conversation near the kitchen. The music grew louder. Somebody began taking pictures beside the birthday banner.
For twenty minutes, the evening went smoothly.
Then Tasha noticed that Nia had gone quiet.
She was standing near the window, staring at her phone.
Her expression had changed.
Tasha approached carefully.
“What's wrong?””
Nia locked the screen.
“Nothing.””
“Tasha, please don't lie to me tonight.””
Nia glanced toward the other guests.
“Can we talk somewhere private?””
Tasha led her into the kitchen, where the music was muffled by the closed door.
Nia placed her phone on the counter.
“Marcus just messaged me.””
Tasha's stomach dropped.
“What did he say?””
Nia hesitated.
“He asked me not to tell you something.””
Tasha stared at her.
“Not to tell me what?””
Nia unlocked her phone and opened the conversation.
“There was another message he sent me last night,” she said.
“One he deleted before I could respond.””
She turned the screen toward Tasha.
Tasha read the words once.
Then she read them again.
Her face drained of color.
Because Marcus hadn't merely admitted that he found Nia attractive.
He had written something that changed the entire story.
*Marcus: Tasha thinks I'm serious about her, but I never told her that. I need you to keep this between us until after her birthday.*
Tasha gripped the edge of the counter.
The party continued in the next room. Guests laughed, music played, and someone called out that it was time to cut the cake.
But Tasha couldn't move.
She looked at Nia.
“Why would he say that?””
Nia's eyes glistened.
“That's what I was trying to figure out.””
Tasha swallowed hard.
“How long has he been lying to me?””
Nia reached for her phone again.
“There is something else.””
Tasha shook her head, almost pleading.
“Nia, please tell me that's everything.””
Nia looked down at the screen.
Then she raised her eyes.
“I wish it was.””
She opened another conversation.
This one wasn't with Marcus.
It was with a woman whose name Tasha recognized immediately.
*Danielle.*
The woman Marcus had introduced as his cousin.
And the first message on the screen began with a sentence that made Tasha's knees weaken.
*Danielle: Girl, I don't know how to tell you this, but Marcus has been telling people he's single.*
Tasha stared at the message as the birthday music swelled beyond the kitchen door.
Then, from the living room, someone shouted her name.
“Birthday girl! We're waiting for you!””
Tasha looked at the cake.
At the balloons.
At the framed photograph of her and Nia resting on the counter.
And finally, at the phone in her best friend's hand.
For the first time all day, she understood that the dress had never been the real problem.
May you like
The real problem was that she had spent months worrying about the wrong woman.
And now, with twenty guests waiting to sing her happy birthday, Tasha was about to discover exactly how many people knew the truth about her boyfriend before she did.