Honeymoon For Three

The day after we signed our marriage license at City Hall, I was waiting at the airport terminal for my newlywed wife, Chloe, holding two first-class boarding passes. She arrived, but right behind her was her childhood best friend, Julian. "Babe, Julian just went through a terrible breakup. I’m bringing him along so he can clear his head," Chloe explained, her tone overly cautious. Julian was wearing the exact same designer T-shirt as me, flashing a sheepish, apologetic grin. "Hey Ethan, hope I’m not intruding. I just wanted to soak up some of your wedding bliss." I looked down at the third ticket Chloe was clutching. She had booked Julian’s seat right between ours. Standing there, pure rage surged from the soles of my feet straight to my skull. I grabbed Chloe’s arm, pulled her aside, and dropped my voice. "Send him home, or I’m walking." Chloe looked utterly conflicted and let out an exasperated sigh. "Babe, could you not act so immature?" "Julian told me he’s terrified of being alone in his apartment right now. He just wants to be around people." "Besides, we’ve known each other since diapers. What’s the big deal if he tags along...?" I cut her off cold. "If he doesn’t leave right now, we’re heading straight back to City Hall for an annulment." Chloe reached out to grab my hand, but I sidestepped her. "Don't throw a tantrum over something so petty, okay?" Her tone softened into her usual coaxing routine. I didn't utter a word. I just glared at her, my eyes dead. Unable to hold my gaze, she exhaled loudly. "Fine! I'll tell him. I'll make him leave." She raised both hands in mock surrender. "Hubby comes first. Happy now?" With that, she spun around, walked over to Julian, and whispered something in a low voice. Instantly, Julian’s shoulders slumped. He looked up, tears welling in his doe-like eyes. "Chloe, does Ethan hate me?" "Did I do something wrong? I'm just hurting from my breakup... I only wanted to celebrate you guys." He gave me a pitiful, wounded glance before turning back to Chloe, grabbing her forearm. "Chloe, I know Ethan has the wrong idea about us." "Even after you explained everything, he still doesn't trust you?" That exact face. Those exact manipulative, guilt-tripping words. My brain buzzed with rage. Two months ago, when Julian showed up at our newly purchased apartment dragging two massive suitcases, he had put on that exact same pathetic face. Back then, Chloe had wrapped her arms around me, looking at him with utter sympathy. "Babe, Julian just broke up with his girlfriend, and his landlord kicked him out. He’s all alone in this city, it’s heartbreaking." "Let him crash in our guest room for a few weeks. As soon as he lands a job and finds a lease, he’ll move out immediately." And what happened? The second his bags hit the floor, he never mentioned moving out again. Then, two weeks before our wedding, at our engagement bash. In front of all our friends, he stared at Chloe with rimmed-red eyes. "I’m so jealous of Ethan. He gets to marry someone as incredible as Chloe." "My ex didn't treat me with even half the care Chloe gives me." The crowd started cheering, daring them to lock arms and do a wedding shot together. Chloe hesitated for a fraction of a second. Julian, however, tugged her arm eagerly. "Come on, Chloe! Think of it as an early wedding toast!" She gave in with a bashful smile and drank with him. Later, when we took group photos, Julian literally elbowed me aside, pressing his cheek right against Chloe’s. That night, we had the nastiest screaming match of our relationship. "Chloe, do you have any concept of boundaries?!" "Babe, you’re overthinking! We were just goofing off! We’ve acted like that our whole lives!" I had trembled with fury. We gave each other the cold shoulder for an entire week. I had already packed my bags, ready to call the whole wedding off. It was only the night before our courthouse appointment that she clung to me, sobbing and apologizing. "Babe, I was wrong. I promise I’ll keep my distance from him." "I swear, this was the absolute last time." Looking at her bloodshot eyes, I had actually believed her. Yet here we were at the airport terminal, and her promise was nothing but a sickening joke. The way she looked at Julian was overflowing with heartache. A tenderness that was never reserved for me. She walked back to me, wearing an exhausted, exasperated expression. "Babe, look at how devastated he is. Maybe we could just—" I didn't wait for her to finish. I turned on my heel and walked toward the exit. "Then I’m leaving. Enjoy your honeymoon together."Panic finally struck Chloe. She sprinted after me, grabbed my jacket, and canceled Julian’s ticket right in front of me on her phone. She thrust her phone into my face, desperate to prove her remorse. A short distance away, Julian stood watching us with red, tearful eyes. I stared into Chloe’s eyes and warned her coldly that this was her final strike. Shaking off her grip, I marched straight through security. Once aboard the plane, I pulled down my eye mask, ready to sleep through the flight. Before long, the soft clicking of phone keys sounded beside me. I lifted my mask and glanced sideways. She was typing furiously in a SnapChat thread labeled "Pumpkin." Don't be sad. It's all my fault. A chill ran down my spine. Sensing my eyes on her, she scrambled to hide her screen. "Who are you texting?" I asked coldly. "No one. Just a client," she replied, avoiding my eyes. I let out a dry laugh. "A client named 'Pumpkin'?" Her face drained of all color. "Babe, don't get the wrong idea. I’m just terrified he might do something reckless to himself." "If he wants to do something reckless, are you going to jump off a bridge with him?" My voice carried, and several passengers in the front row turned around to stare. "Keep your voice down," she hissed, her embarrassment instantly morphing into irritation. "We finally get away on our honeymoon, can you stop bringing him up every five seconds?" "Am I the one bringing him up, or are you the one who can't let him go?" I fired back. She scowled. "He is just a friend! A friend I grew up with! Why can’t you ever just trust me?" "Can't you be a little more mature for once?" There it was again. That exact phrase. I shut my eyes, unwilling to waste another breath on her. When our flight landed, the resort shuttle was waiting at the curb. She tried to take my hand, but I yanked it away. The van door slid open. Just as I was about to step inside, I froze. Julian was sitting in the back row, grinning smugly at me. Next to him sat Chloe’s two childhood bros, Troy and Liam. "Hey Ethan, what a coincidence!" I whipped my head around, glaring murderously at Chloe. Her expression turned visibly guilty. Julian hopped out of the van and casually wrapped an arm around her waist. "Ethan, Chloe actually told me to come on the side! She said the more the merrier, and that you'd love it." "You’re way too petty, man. Chloe still cares about me the most." "Julian, shut up!" Chloe stammered in complete panic. From inside the van, Troy hollered out, "Come on, Chloe, why play dumb? You literally Venmoed us the cash for our flights!" Staring at Chloe’s pale, caught-in-the-act face, a cold laugh escaped my lips. What a brilliant performance back at the airport. Once at the resort, she followed me into our suite, spewing frantic excuses. "They insisted on crashing! Troy asked to borrow money from me, I swear I had no clue Julian was tagging along!" I stood there quietly, watching her pathetic act. "Finished?" She froze. "If you're done, get the hell out," I said, pointing toward the door. Using every ounce of strength I had, I shoved her out into the hallway. I slammed the door and locked it tight. Outside, Julian and the others murmured fake comfort while Chloe banged continuously against the wood. I blocked out the noise completely. Two hours later. I changed into fresh clothes, planning to step out for some fresh air. The moment I swung the door open, I stopped. Chloe was standing right there. And Julian, shirtless and wearing tiny, tight swim trunks, was practically rubbing his bare chest against her. "Chloe, let's go for a night swim! Just like back in college!" He threw a mocking, provocative smirk in my direction. Chloe looked torn, averting her eyes. "Ethan is..." "Oh, come on! Ethan is a big boy, he’s totally cool with it. Right, Ethan?" He beamed. I stepped forward until I was standing inches from Chloe, looking dead into her eyes. "Are you going?" "Babe, I just want to help him blow off some steam..." she babbled defensively. "If you take one step away from this room with him, we are completely, irreversibly done." Chloe immediately shoved Julian back and blurted, "I'm not going." Julian stumbled backward from the push, staring at her in disbelief. He shot me a tearful, wounded glare before running off down the hall.Chloe exhaled a sigh of relief. "See, babe? I sent him away. Can you stop being mad now?" There wasn't a shred of genuine remorse in her voice. I didn't bother arguing. I pulled my hand from hers and walked back inside. I collapsed onto the bed and pulled the duvet over my head. She assumed I was asleep. I don't know how much time passed before a buzzing vibration woke me up. It was Chloe’s phone, sitting right on the nightstand. The screen lit up with that glaring contact name: "Pumpkin." Did your husband give you a hard time again? I picked up her phone. No passcode. She really felt safe around me, didn't she? I tapped open the thread and scrolled up. The entire screen was filled with messages between her and Julian while I was asleep. Julian: I'm so sorry, Chloe. I caused another fight between you and Ethan. Chloe: Don't overthink it. That's just how he is—petty and narrow-minded. Just ignore him. So that was who I was to her: a petty joke. Julian: It's all my fault. I shouldn't have insisted on coming. Chloe: It's not your fault. I wanted you here. Chloe: You're still the sweetest. Not like someone who only knows how to ruin the mood. My chest tightened, feeling as though an invisible fist was squeezing the air out of my lungs. They had even started reminiscing about their college road trips together. Those were the best days. Just the two of us. Turns out, I was the third wheel all along. Keeping a stone-cold expression, I unlocked my own phone. I photographed every single message on her screen. Then, I set her phone back exactly where it was. A few minutes later, Chloe walked in. She wore a fake, sweet smile. "Babe, you’re awake?" I pulled away from her reaching hand. The same hand that had probably just caressed Julian’s face. "Where are you off to?" I asked. "Troy and the guys invited me down to the lounge. Said they wanted to apologize to me." Her guilty eyes darted everywhere except mine. I locked eyes with her. "Chloe, this is our honeymoon." She glared back at me, dropping all pretense. "Honeymoon, honeymoon! Can't you just give me a break?!" "Fun is fun no matter who’s around! Do we literally have to be glued at the hip twenty-four seven?!" Dropping that tantrum, she slammed the door and stormed off. I waited two minutes before quietly following behind. In the open-air lounge, I spotted them immediately. They were playing Truth or Dare. The spinning bottle pointed directly at Julian, and Troy cheered, egging him on to take a dare. "I dare you to unhook Chloe’s bra!" Julian blushed theatrically. "You guys are awful!" Yet his arms were already wrapping around Chloe’s waist. Chloe didn't push him away. Amidst the hooting and catcalls, Julian reached under Chloe’s top, slipped his hands underneath, unclasped her bra, and then clasped it back on. The entire time, Chloe looked down at him with an indulgent, fond smile. I waited until he finished before walking straight up to their booth and sliding onto a chair. The smile froze on Chloe’s face. She instinctively pulled away from Julian, widening the space between them. She clearly never expected me to show up. The air stiffened into awkward silence for a few beats until Troy laughed it off. "Hey, Ethan’s here! Join in, man!" I said nothing, merely picking up a cocktail glass from the table. Someone awkwardly continued the game, asking Julian, "Who at this table do you love the most?" Julian gave Chloe a lingering look. "Me? Obviously, I love Chloe the most." With that, he leaned his head gently against Chloe’s shoulder. Chloe’s face softened affectionately as she reached up to caress his cheek. The table erupted into drunken cheers. Then someone asked, "And who do you hate the most?" Julian put on an innocent, wounded expression, his eyes deliberately locking onto me. "I don't hate anyone. I’m just really intimidated by people who aren't happy themselves and refuse to let anyone else have fun." The entire booth burst into knowing chuckles. Just then, the bottle spun and stopped right in front of Chloe. "Chloe! Dare! Kiss Julian on the lips!" Julian playfully protested, "Guys, Ethan is watching!" Yet his body leaned even closer into Chloe, head tilted, eyes gleaming with anticipation. Every eye was glued to her. Chloe raised her glass and took a gulp. She didn't move. Her buddy Troy stepped in to smooth things over. "Fine, swap it! Truth!" He stared at Chloe, dragging out his words with a smirk. "Chloe... if you weren't married, would you marry Julian?"Chloe chugged another massive swallow of liquor. "Troy, are you hammered? What kind of stupid question is that?" She tried to laugh it off. But the cheers around the table only grew louder and rowdier. Chloe’s face darkened by the second. Not once did she look at me. Not a single glance. "Alright, that’s enough," she mumbled. Julian refused to let it drop. He wrapped his arm tightly around Chloe’s waist. "Don't be mad, Chloe. Troy is just curious." He turned his smug eyes on me. "Ethan, don't hold it against them. Chloe and I grew up together; we joke around like this all the time." "Unlike you. You probably never even set foot in a bar before meeting her, right?" The table exploded with snickers. Chloe said nothing. She simply picked up her glass and downed another drink. Liam wobbled to his feet, holding a pint glass brimming with draft beer. "Ethan, let me toast you, man. Don't take it to heart!" As he spoke, his foot suspiciously slipped. An entire pint of ice-cold beer dumped straight over my head. It soaked through my white T-shirt, clinging wet and freezing against my skin. "Oops! My bad, Ethan! Totally an accident!" He offered a hollow apology, but his eyes were dancing with cruel amusement. Chloe frowned slightly. "Liam, what are you doing?" Her tone was airy, devoid of any real reprimand. A wave of nausea hit my stomach. I couldn't stomach another second of this circus. "Have fun. I'm going back." I turned to leave. As I passed Julian’s seat, a foot kicked out from under the table. I tripped violently, crashing forward as my knees slammed onto the hard wooden deck with a sickening thud. A flash of white-hot pain blinded me for a second. "Oh no! Ethan!" Julian shrieked in exaggerated shock. Chloe knitted her brows. "Why can’t you watch your step?" She bent down, reaching out to help me up. "Don't touch me." I shoved her hands off and pushed myself up from the floor. Troy, the ever-loyal minion, jumped back in to stir the pot. "Since Ethan took a tumble, let's play a game so he can make up for killing the vibe!" He spun the empty beer bottle. It whirled around before pointing dead at my chest. Julian clapped his hands, giggling like a schoolgirl. "Ethan, how about you crawl around the table like a puppy and bark twice? Then we'll call it even. Deal?" The entire circle stared at me, smirking, waiting for the show. I looked at Chloe. Her eyes darted away, her face written with dread—afraid that I’d cause a scene and embarrass her. "Babe," she coaxed in a hushed whisper. "It’s just a game. Don't take it so seriously." "Just play along, and it'll be over." Play along? Crawl on the floor like a dog to entertain her little crew? I reached for the glass on the table, tilted my head back, and drained it. "I don't crawl." Julian’s face fell. He tugged on Chloe’s sleeve, whining, "Chloe, look at him. Such a buzzkill." His eyes darted around, settling on the small stage in the center of the lounge. "How about Ethan goes up there and dances for us? That counts too!" "He has such a great body, he’d probably look so hot shaking it up there." On the stage, a couple of male dancers in tight shorts were gyrating under the strobe lights. I heard Julian intentionally drop his voice just enough so I could catch it: "Look at that stone-faced prick, acting all high and mighty." "Tonight, I’m going to make sure he learns who actually belongs at Chloe’s side." Troy snickered back, "You're a genius, Julian. Let's see him act smug after this." So that was the game. I slowly turned my head toward Chloe. She was leaning in close to Julian, whispering something fond, a doting smile playing on her lips. She didn't even notice my gaze. In her eyes, I was nothing more than an inconvenient pest. I reached down, picked up a full glass of red wine, and stood up, stepping toward the stage. Julian assumed I had surrendered. A triumphant smirk stretched across his face. "Ethan came around! Go on, Ethan! We're all waiting!"