2: 2
2.
"Take it off. If it wasn't you, how did Nora's clothes get wet?"
Edwin looked like a different person, the veins standing out on his forehead.
He clamped down on my wrist so hard it went red in an instant.
"Edwin, I've only got a camisole underneath. I can't take it off."
I said it in a low voice, my face burning.
"You're flat as a cutting board. Nobody's going to look. Hurry up and take it off."
I looked at the fury in his eyes, and at Nora behind him, one hand out, coaxing him not to be angry.
And all at once none of it seemed to matter at all.
I was down to the last button when someone caught the shirt from behind me.
"Edwin, come on, it's nothing. I've got a jacket, brother. Let his girlfriend's friend put it on."
I knew this man. He was Edwin's college roommate, Aaron Grant.
The moment I heard him say "his girlfriend's friend—"
The smile fell off Nora's lips.
"Put it on. Don't catch cold."
Edwin dressed Nora with such care, then smoothed her hair back into place.
And I stood there in a mess, like the punch line to a joke.
"Don't hold it against Edwin," Aaron said. "He's had a few drinks, it went to his head."
Seeing how awkward I was, Aaron pulled me down into a seat.
He put himself between me and Nora and handed me a cup of hot water.
I held the cup and wiped the tears off my face.
"Edwin, you were pretty rough on her just now, weren't you? Scared her into crying," Lee said.
His words turned everyone's eyes to me.
"Sonia, let me apologize for Edwin. He acted on impulse just now. He didn't mean it," Nora said.
I looked at that pitiful little face of hers.
And I let out a laugh with nothing behind it.
She was apologizing to me on behalf of my boyfriend. In what capacity, exactly?
"Here's what we'll do. You go sit next to Edwin. You came late, you haven't eaten anything, so let Edwin feed you."
As if she were making some enormous concession, she pushed me over to Edwin's side.
With everyone egging him on, Edwin picked up the chopsticks, irritated.
There was almost nothing left on the table. He poked around at the grilled sausage that had long since gone cold.
"I was wrong just now. I apologize."
He held that grilled sausage, coated in grease and cold as ice, up to my mouth.
I raised my eyes to him. There was a layer of frost in them.
I couldn't find a trace of warmth.
"Edwin, you sure you're giving her the sausage from on top of the table?"
"Edwin, can you really bear to?"
Nora chimed in, all sugar. "It's fine, I don't even like eating it anyway."
Lee slapped his own head, all on his own. "I forgot. The one on top of the table is hers. The one under the table's the one for Nora."
Nora's face went red, and Edwin's hand jerked.
The grilled sausage I hadn't caught rolled off and dropped to the floor.
Landed in the trash.
Just like this relationship of mine, a thing in name only.
I set down the chopsticks and looked at Edwin and Nora, both laughing their hearts out.
And all at once I felt that everything should end right here.
