Finally, after hours of texting, Natasha fell asleep with her phone still in her hand. Pat woke up, ready to start her day, when she noticed the strange way Natasha was lying down. Curiosity got the best of her. She carefully picked up Natasha's phone to turn on the screen, only to see several notifications from Daniel—messages sent at 3 a.m.
Strange, she thought. What could they be talking about at that hour? They barely text, even though they live in the same house. What is going on with her?
The room even smelled like Natasha had been intimate with someone earlier. Pat frowned. Something is definitely off.
She tried unlocking the phone again, only to realize Natasha had changed her password. "Seriously?" she whispered, frustrated. She placed the phone down and decided to tidy up the room instead.
As she gathered the clothes from the floor, she froze—there, among the pile, was a man's underwear.
"Oh my goodness… I knew it," Pat gasped. "She is sleeping with someone, and she's denying it. But why?"
She picked it up for a closer look. Her eyes widened.
Wait… this smells like Daniel's.
She knew that scent too well—because she and Daniel had history. A shameful one she never talked about.
Her mind drifted back to high school—the secret meetups, sneaking into the washroom with him, the intense moments that left her heart confused and shattered. He was the one who took her virginity, only to discard her like she meant nothing. She had never told Natasha because she knew Natasha would've been furious, and at the time, she ignored all her warnings.
With sadness clouding her eyes, Pat continued cleaning in silence.
An hour later, she woke Natasha up so they could go for breakfast. Grumpy and exhausted, Natasha reluctantly followed her. They ate quietly, each lost in thought—especially Pat, who couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious man Natasha was hiding.
Who could it be? Did she get back with her ex after the club? But that wouldn't make sense… Daniel would never allow that, Pat thought.
"Are you dating?" Pat blurted out suddenly.
Natasha choked on her food, coughing as she tried to respond. "Wh-why do you think that? You know I'm single."
"Well…" Pat leaned in. "I found a man's underwear in your room while cleaning."
Natasha's face instantly turned pale.
"And what's even stranger," Pat continued, "is that it smelled like Daniel's. But obviously that's impossible. You two are cousins, so nothing like that could ever happen. So… are you hooking up with your ex again?"
Natasha, now furious, snapped, "How do you know what Daniel smells like… especially his underwear?"
"Erm… nothing," Pat muttered, looking away.
"Pat, what aren't you telling me? You better not hide this," Natasha shouted.
With a shaky voice, Pat finally confessed. "Fine. Back in high school, Daniel and I had a thing. We never dated, I never understood why. He took my virginity and dumped me. I hated him for it. He wasn't capable of loving one girl. He really hurt me."
"And now you have hurt me," Natasha said coldly as she stood up and walked away.
Pat hurried after her, apologizing. "I'm so sorry, baby girl. I know I lied. I didn't know how to tell you. I was ashamed."
"Ashamed? You slept with my cousin and didn't tell me. What is there to be ashamed of now? I think you should leave," Natasha said.
"Okay…" Pat whispered and walked toward the gate. Halfway there, she remembered she hadn't packed her things. Quietly, she slipped back into the house and went to Natasha's room.
She gathered her belongings quickly. But as she opened the door to leave, she saw Natasha walk out of Daniel's room.
Natasha froze—her face drained of color.
"What were you doing in Daniel's room?" Pat asked, narrowing her eyes.
With a nervous laugh, Natasha replied, "I went to wake that idiot up to insult him for what he did to you. But he's still asleep."
"Thank you… for trying," Pat whispered, her voice soft and sad. "I know I've been a bad friend. But please forgive me."
"I need time," Natasha said gently. "I'll reach out when I've processed everything."
Pat nodded and finally left the house.
Natasha let out a deep sigh of relief. "Finally, some peace," she muttered. "I was nearly caught today."
Her heart pounded so hard she felt lightheaded. This relationship will be the death of me. Pat is too nosy… too smart.
Yes, Natasha was hurt that Pat never told her about her past with Daniel, but it didn't matter now. That was the old Daniel—the one everyone knew.
He had changed, even if the world couldn't see it.
"I need him to keep that playboy reputation," she whispered to herself. "No one must know he's in love. It would destroy us."
He needed to reunite with Jessy or find another pretend girlfriend—and she would have to do the same. During the day, they would remain the bickering cousins everyone expected. Only when they were alone could they be themselves.
"I can't have him looking soft or acting sweet when Pat is around. She'll figure everything out instantly," Natasha thought. "She's my best friend… too smart for her own good. If she finds out, I'm finished."
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Natasha headed to the washroom, trying to calm her racing heart.