Before It's Too Late

Chapter 4

🎵And I would look back at all of this

And wonder why I stayed in here🎶

Just to watch you disappear🎵

"DAVID, WHAT? ARE YOU fucking kidding me right now, Ave?" Her best friend's eyes blazed with anger.

"I wish I were, Shells." Avery looked away as she tried to fight back her tears.

"Oh, Ave! I'm so sorry to hear about this. Why didn't you call me right away?" Shelly, her best friend, moved toward her side of the table. She wrapped Avery in her arms and gave her the most genuine embrace she had never thought she needed since that painful night of David's text shenanigans.

"It's been killing me. I don't know why and how did it happen. I can't even ask him. Since then, I've been walking crazy."

The tears and sobs she'd been trying so hard for the past days to keep inside erupted. She knew she could show all her emotions in front of Shelly. Shelly was the only person who could understand her right now.

"Stop crying! That bastard doesn't deserve your tears!"

"What should I do? My mind has been all over the place ever since."

"Oh, I'm sure. Trust me, I know. But we're smarter now. Guys like David wouldn't admit it unless we caught them in the act. You can't confront him without receipts!" Shelly's eyebrows raised. 

Avery's eyes bored into Shelly's. "What do you mean? I wanted so much to confront him. But I'm unsure if I'm ready to hear his answer."

Shelly's jaw clenched. "He thinks he can play you with his cheating game. Let him think you don't have any idea. Play dumb as you make the smart moves to catch him." 

Avery didn't have any idea what Shelly was trying to say. But there was no one else she could trust and depend on. She didn't even know what she wanted to do. Ever since that night, she'd been floating, going with the flow of things around her. She was still in disbelief at what was happening between her and David.

Sadness clouded her face. "Shells, I just want to know why."

"Trust me. What's important right now is to confirm that David is cheating on you. Before we can get him to answer all your whys and hows."

After hearing what Shelly said, Avery decided confirming the truth should be her priority. But how she'd do it was another million-dollar question. Having experienced the same with her now fiance, her best friend sounded like an expert in giving advice.

"I'm telling you, there are different ways. But you have to make sure that you are ready for it." Shelly sighed.

Avery looked Shelly in the eye. "I just want to know the truth."

"Well, knowing and confirming the truth will only be the start. Be careful what you wish for! In situations like this, we might open Pandora's box with a can of worms." Shelly tapped her fisted hand on top of the table. "What do you plan to do if you confirm David's cheating? Knowing is just half the battle."

Avery's face paled. She couldn't think of any. Avery Jackson, the most organized person in the world, didn't have a plan. Thinking about it just gave her piles of questions. Would she confront him? Would she forgive him? Would she stay or leave? But, though she didn't have answers to all her questions, she was sure of one thing; she won't be in David's game without a fight.

 "Ave! Avery!" Shelly snapped her fingers in front of her.

Avery tapped both of her cheeks with her hands. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

Shelly shook her head. "There's one important question you should be ready to answer once you confirm David is cheating. Are you still going to marry him?"

Avery's eyes glistened. "I love him. Our families are so into each other. The whole of Boston knows we're engaged." Tears ran down her cheeks. "It's not like I can switch my heart off so it can stop from feeling anything for him in an instant. How can I not marry him?"

"Oh, Ave! I'm sorry that you're going through this right now. I am." Avery felt a squeeze in her hand.

Shelly was saddened to see how devastated Avery was right at the moment. But she didn't lie when she said she understood her feelings. Shelly had been there and done that. Learning from her experience, she can never leave Avery alone in her battle. Together, they will uncover the truth about David. Though she can give her all the advice in the world, Avery would still be the one to make the ultimate decision: it was her love life. But Shelly was sure of one thing: it would not be an easy road.

***

Weeks had passed since Avery asked for Shelly's help. She hadn't gotten the chance to put to the test the "mission" Shelly had given her. Her best friend had sworn it was a tried and tested strategy.

"Remember, you need to do this so we can have the chance to know David's whereabouts," Shelly had told her.

Shelly's words kept playing in her mind. When she saw David's phone while he was inside the shower, it gave Avery the idea it was her best chance to do what Shelly had taught her. She added his phone number to the locator app she installed on hers. Her heart stopped beating as she waited for the confirmation message to appear on his phone. It needed to be accepted on David's phone while he was still in the shower. The mission was to activate the tracker on his phone without him knowing.

She begged the phone to work quickly. She needed the confirmation message before he got out of the shower.

It seemed forever as she waited for the confirmation message to pop up on David's phone. As soon as it showed, she clicked agree. Immediately, she hid the tracker app icon in a hidden folder. Shelly had reminded her multiple times David could never know about it. Finally, she'd promised that she wouldn't admit anything to David. whatever happened

"What are you doing with my phone, babe?"

David's voice startled her.

Avery scratched her head. "I was trying to check if my call can get through on your phone. Trying to call Shelly has been taking me forever, but it doesn't go through. So I texted her and said she didn't get a call from me."

David lifted a brow and gave her a once-over as he took his phone from her. He checked his messages and call log. Avery took a deep breath when he noticed nothing.

"Try it now. Call my number, babe." When his phone rang, he smiled at Avery.

Avery clapped. "Yey! It's working on yours. So it must be Shelly's line that has an issue." 

David kissed her forehead. "I think so too. I'll be in the office. There are documents I brought home with me."

Avery nodded as she watched David walk toward his small office in their apartment. She pressed her chest to calm her fast-beating heart when he entered the room. In a second, she sent Shelly a message.

Ave: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Shelly: TRY IT NOW.

***