He wanted them to move in together. Emma wanted to wait until she graduated.
And then Daniel started accusing her of choosing dance over him.
I interrupted. “But you always supported her dancing.”
He gave me a look I didn’t like at all.
“In front of you.”
That one hurt.
I thought back over every dinner, every holiday, every recital we’d sat through together. Daniel clapping the loudest in the third row. Daniel bragging to his uncles about how talented his girlfriend was. I had believed every second of it.
Apparently, I had only ever seen the performance.
Because, behind closed doors, things had been very different. Daniel complained about her rehearsals. About her performances. About her male dance partners.
If Emma didn’t answer a text fast enough, he’d send another. Then another.
Where are you?
Who are you with?
Why aren’t you answering?
So Emma started turning her phone off during class. And that only made him angrier.
