The Bad Boy Next Door

If Mary hadn't been her best friend, Jo wouldn't have been there. But she was, and it was Mary's birthday. Jo had tried to be festive, but it was hard to do after what had happened with Frank the day before. Instead, she sat alone at the dining room table, listening to the sounds of happiness coming from the other room. She'd barely slept that night, her body restless without Frank's nearby. But Jo kept reminding herself that he loved her, and she couldn't love him back.

"Jo, are you okay?"

Jo looked up sharply, pulled away from her thoughts. "Of course, Madison. I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, the party's in there, and you're in here. I thought something might be wrong."

Jo gave Madison a small smile. "I guess I'm just not in much of a party mood. I'm sorry."

Madison sat down across from Jo. "Is it that guy from the restaurant-Frank?"

Jo paled. "I, um, what do you mean?"

Madison looked down. "Maybe I'm wrong, but I just thought that you two seemed like, um, a couple."

Jo didn't want to deny it. She was tired of the lies, the secrets. "Did you say anything to Mary?"

"No. I didn't know for sure. Besides, it's not really any of my business. But Jo, if you need anyone to talk to…"

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Madison," Jo said suddenly. "It seems like the only time I feel anything is when… Don't tell anyone, please."

"I won't. I wouldn't do that."

Jo talked softly, not wanting anyone else to hear her. She wanted to talk to Madison, wanted to finally let out the secret she'd been carrying with her. "I don't know how it got to this. Pete's gone so much, and I found this woman's phone number in his pocket, and I thought he was cheating. I slept with Frankie then, but when I found out Pete really wasn't cheating, I didn't stop."

"Frankie?"

"That's Frank's nickname."

"Oh."

Jo sighed. "I thought it could be just a little something, to make me not so lonely. I wanted someone to touch me the way Pete wasn't, to make me feel something, like I used to before my mom died. But now…" Jo let out a small, choked sob. "He told me yesterday that he loves me. I want to stop it now, but I can't. Why can't I stop? Why do I keep going to him?"

"Do you love him?"

Jo's lip trembled, and she started crying, unable to answer Madison's question.

"It's okay if you do," Madison said. "Pete isn't around very much, and these things happen sometimes. People meet someone else." When Jo didn't say anything, Madison added, "And it's okay if you don't. Things have been rough for you, and you're…"

"What? Using him? What's okay about that?"

"It's not that simple."

"It is! It's wrong! I'm wrong. Pete's my husband, and I've betrayed him. Frankie, he, he was innocent in all this. I pulled him in, I let him fall in love with me, and now I've hurt him, too. I never wanted to hurt him, Madison. He was hurting so much already, and now I've gone and made it worse by being so selfish. Tell me I'm wrong, please…"

"It's going to be okay," Madison said. "You're strong, Jo. You can work through all this, and it can be okay."

"Please don't forgive me…" Jo put her head down on the table. "Don't forgive me…"

Madison got up, wrapping her arms around Jo. Jo slumped against her, crying as Madison stroked her hair, comforting her.