Chasing Happiness by Raine English Read Free Book Online

her.
    A smile spread across her face as she envisioned his joy at her showing up unexpectedly. She wouldn’t spend the night, but an hour or two wrapped in his arms would be heaven.
    It was a quick drive to Dan’s apartment, seeing as it was just three miles from the shop. Zoe ran her fingers over the brass key while she rode the elevator up to the tenth floor. Nervous energy pulsed through her, and she nearly leapt into the hall when the doors opened. She hurried toward his apartment, and when she reached it, she put the key in the lock, then quietly turned the knob and tiptoed inside.
    She expected to find him sprawled out in his boxers in front of the TV, but the apartment was quiet. For a moment, she wondered if he was even home, but then noticed the light shining from his bedroom. Quietly, she crept down the hall, careful not to make a sound. When she reached his room, she said, “Sur—” but the rest of surprise caught in her throat. As if turned to stone, she couldn’t move or speak. All she could do was stand there and blink stupidly as she tried to comprehend what she saw.
    Dan quickly pulled the sheet over the naked woman who lay on top of him. “Zoe? What are you doing here?”
    She reached for the doorframe as the room spun. In a voice that sounded unlike her own, she squeaked, “I should be asking you that. However, it’s abundantly clear.” The only thing she was able to move were her pupils as she panned the room, taking in the black lace bra draped over the back of a chair and the burgundy dress on the floor, to the brass key shining on the bedside table. “Apparently, I’m not the only one with a key.” She opened the hand that she’d clenched into a fist and let the key drop to the floor.
    The woman rolled off Dan, her dark hair falling around her shoulders as she pulled the sheet up under her chin. “I’m so sorry.”
    This couldn’t be happening. It was all just a terrible dream. But as Zoe stared into Maggie’s clear blue eyes, she knew that wasn’t the case at all. No, this was real. Horribly, sickeningly real.
    “I think the only thing you’re sorry about is that you were caught.” Zoe shifted her gaze back to Dan, who had slipped on a pair of pants and was zipping them up. “I don’t know which one of you is worse. “You,” she stared into Dan’s panic stricken face, “for cheating and lying all the times you said you loved me. Or you, Maggie, for pretending to be Ariana’s friend.”
    “I wasn’t pretending,” Maggie said softly.
    “Well, if that’s true, and I don’t know why I should believe you, that’s even worse, because a friend would never have done this. You had to know this would hurt Ariana almost as much as it has me.”
    “Zoe, I can explain.” Dan took a step toward her, but she put her hand out.
    “Don’t. It’s done. We’re done. There’s nothing you can say or do that will change anything.” Zoe spun on her heel and ran out of the apartment. She couldn’t tell if there were footsteps behind her or not, because all she could hear was the blood whooshing through her head.
    It wasn’t until she was inside her car and trying to stick the key in the ignition that she realized her entire body was shaking. She didn’t know where to go or what to do, so she just stared aimlessly out the window while the naked images of Dan and Maggie played over and over in her head like a movie on continuous loop.
    The sound of rapping on the window brought her back to the present.
    “Open your window,” Dan shouted.
    “What for?” she yelled back.
    “Because I need to talk to you. We can’t leave things like this.”
    A strangled laugh escaped her lips. “Leave things like how? My world has suddenly been ripped apart. Tell me, Dan, what magic can you work to put it back together?”
    He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
    “That’s what I thought.” She started her car. “Move away.”
    He shook his head and stood there with his palms pressed