The next day was the December 23^rd. She didn’t reply. The day after that we didn’t have work and I was at my parents’ house opening Christmas gifts with my family. I felt my phone vibrate and I just knew it was from her. I walked to the bathroom and read it. Well… tried to read it. I read the first couple lines, started seeing red and just had to look away.

After we were done opening gifts, I went into my room, closed the door and read it nice and slowly.

She admitted that yes, she had been spending time with John lately. She explained that they were on and off for a year and a half, but the last time they ended it was because he wanted out and it really rocked her. This was about a month before we started hanging out.

Just before our holiday party, John asked Leah if she was bringing a date. She finally told him that she was dating me. She expected him to explode and make working in the same department together really uncomfortable.

But instead of being angry, he said he was sad to hear she was dating someone else. That he was jealous and that he made a mistake in walking away from the relationship.

So she was a wreck at the holiday party because of all this, tried to make up for it by convincing herself (and/or me) that she loved me.