Read Cheating on Myself for Free Online

a while. That promise had gotten me an upgrade to a room with one king bed and a scabby-looking jacuzzi tub, plus free HBO, all for less than a great meal and a few drinks out. The room itself reminded me of the one my high school friends and I had rented after our senior prom. I only wished I had as much beer as we’d had that night. Instead, I’d opened up the mini-bar, dumped a mini bottle of Bailey’s into my milkshake, and found a cleaned up version of 9 ½ Weeks showing on Lifetime. Tuesday night I’d ordered a pizza and watched old episodes of Family Guy . Wednesday, I’d gone home to the hotel, cut slices off a block of cheese that I alternated with bites of a baguette I’d bought in the office cafeteria, and zoned out in front of Pretty Woman . All in all, a gluttonous and ugly week, but it had made me feel better. And someone made my bed every morning, which was a welcome perk.
    Anders suddenly shouted, “You’ll move in with me!”
    I had considered that option. Anders actually lived in the tiny, two-bedroom tudor I’d bought before Erik and I had decided to live together. I loved my house, and had wisely decided not to sell it because the housing market had crashed just as I moved into Erik’s place. Anders had been looking for an apartment at the time, so for the last four years he’d been renting my house from me. “I’ll give you the master bedroom back.”
    “I can’t take your bedroom,” I insisted. “But it would be nice to move home. Would you be okay with a roommate?”
    “I—well, you—have two bedrooms and I get so bored. It will be fun!”
    I wasn’t so sure about fun, but I did really want to be somewhere familiar. I couldn’t exactly kick him out of my house and I couldn’t imagine renting a tiny apartment after spreading out into Erik’s house. And I wasn’t so sure the lifestyle precedent I’d set that week while living alone at the Holiday Inn was healthy, so maybe it would work out for me to live with Anders.
    “Okay, as long as you’re willing. I’ll cut your rent, obviously.”
    Cat was shaking her head, and I wondered if she was still thinking about my residence at the Holiday Inn, or if she was back to dwelling on the breakup itself. “This is all very sweet, buddy-bonding roommate business, but I’m having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that you and Erik are separated.”
    “We’re not separated, we broke up,” I clarified and took a bite of bruschetta. Through a full mouth, I said, “Separation can only happen when you’re married, which we’re not.” Cat looked at me pityingly, and I knew she understood. We’d talked about this several times in the past, and she’d been pushing Erik to commit for longer than I had. Cat was big on tradition and formality, and I know she got it. I don’t think she’d ever expected it would actually drive me away from him. That bothered me.
    Lily, who’d now finished her bowl of wine, reached out and put her hand on my arm. “Are you sure it’s not about the skanky intern? Please, give me a reason to believe… you guys were just so right together. Weren’t you happy?”
    I clenched my teeth together and said, “Listen, this wasn’t an easy or simple decision. I kinda need your support.” Cat nodded slightly, and Lily just looked surprised. Finally, she nodded her head once. “I’ve been with him since I was practically a child, and I’ve never really stepped back and considered my own wants and needs. I can’t do that when I’m living in Erik’s life, wondering if he’s ever going to get bored and just take off. For a skanky intern or worse.”
    “So you’re trying to teach him a lesson?” Lily narrowed her eyes at me. She always wanted a clear explanation, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to offer that.
    Anders surprised me when he covered Lily’s mouth with her hand. “Bottom line: Stella has made a very important decision about her life, and we’re going to help her get through