Daphne & Casey
“You’re being careful, right?”
His voice is low, but there’s a crack in it. Daphne inhales slowly from the vape, watching him button his shirt at the edge of the bed.
“No, Casey,” she says, exhaling a cloud of smoke. “I’m handing out flyers on Sunset and La Cienega.”
“Lili hasn’t said anything? No weird messages or looks or… anything?”
She stretches across the sheets, unbothered. “If she found out, I’d know.”
“Would you tell me?”
“You think I want this blowing up in my face any more than you do?”
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A pause. Then he says it: “I think you like attention.”
There it is. The truth of how Casey feels, or some version of it.
“And I think you like holding something over her,” he says, like he’s reminding her who’s really in charge. “I need to know you’re not getting sloppy.”
“Right. Because this is all on me.”
“You’re the reckless one, Daph. You’re the bigger risk.”
“You dick. And you’re what? The victim?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Daphne flicks the vape aside. Digs in her bag for a cigarette. “Poor, innocent Casey, with your perfect life and your clueless wife waiting at home, while you cheat on her with me.”
“You knew what this was,” he mutters, pulling on his jacket.
She lights the cigarette and inhales, but it doesn’t hit the way she wants it to. Nothing does anymore.
“Remember when you told me how much better I am at sucking your cock? You sure were singing a different tune then.”
He opens the door. Hesitates just long enough to make her hate him a little more. “You’re not a problem, Daph. You’re just… not supposed to matter this much.”
Then he’s gone. The door clicks shut. She takes another drag and lets the smoke curl from her lips, lowering the cigarette with a shaky hand.
“You bastard,” she mutters to the empty room, scowling as she crushes it out.