Rejected by One, Wanted by Another

The Jacket

Lucy’s heart hammered against her ribs, but she forced her hands to remain still at her sides. She couldn't let Zoe see them shaking.

"One of the security guards," Lucy said, her voice coming out surprisingly steady. "The air conditioning in the car was on, and Adrian didn't notice I was freezing. When he dropped me off, the guard at the gate saw me shivering and offered me his jacket. I told him I’d return it in the morning."

Zoe didn't move. She kept her fingers on the sleeve. "A security guard? . I didn't realize the campus staff wore vintage leather. It smells like cedar. Not exactly the scent of a man working a night shift for minimum wage."

"Maybe he has good taste," Lucy shrugged, stepping past Zoe to hang the jacket in the back of her closet, burying it behind a row of heavy winter coats. "I’m exhausted, Zoe. It was a long dinner. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

Zoe watched her for a long moment and nodded "Of course. You look like you’ve seen a ghost anyway. Get some sleep, bestie."

Lucy didn't wait. She changed into her pajamas, washed the light makeup off her face, and collapsed into bed. She was exhausted and soon she fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.

Zoe sat on the edge of her own bed, her eyes fixed on the closet. She waited for nearly an hour, making sure Lucy was truly asleep before she moved. She stood up quietly, she didn't turn on the light. She turned to Lucy’s phone, which was charging on the nightstand. She swiped it open, her eyes darting toward the bed to make sure Lucy was still sleeping. She checked the messages, the call logs, even the photo gallery. It was clean. She even checked the deleted folder and the hidden photo albums. It was as if the "scholarship boy" didn't exist in Lucy’s phone.

"Where is he, Lucy ?" Zoe whispered to herself, her jaw tightening in frustration.

She turned her attention to Lucy’s purse on the vanity. She dug through it, but in the dark, she missed the small, crumpled scrap of paper tucked deep into the lining. Grunting under her breath, Zoe realized she couldn't frame Lucy through a text if she didn't have the boy's number.

"You’re smarter than you look, Lucy," Zoe whispered to the empty room.

But Zoe wasn't someone who gave up. If she couldn't find a digital trail, she would create a physical one. She walked to the closet and pulled back the heavy winter coats until she found it. The leather was thick and smelled of something masculine and expensive. It definitely belonged to a man, not some security guard .

Zoe laid the jacket out on the floor. She took her own phone and snapped a clear photo of it. She made sure the worn patches on the elbows and the silver buckle on the waist were visible.

She sat back and smiled slowly. She didn't use her own number. She opened an encrypted messaging app she kept for "emergencies" and typed in Adrian’s private cell number. She attached the photo and added a single line of text:

Your fiancée brought a man’s jacket home tonight. It’s in her closet. Ask her why she’s hiding it from you.

She hit send and watched the status change to Delivered. Then, she deleted the app, wiped her history, and tucked the jacket back into the closet where she had found it. She crawled back into her own bed satisfied.

The next morning, the sun was barely out when an aggressive knock at the door woke Lucy up.

"Lucy! Open the door!"

It was Adrian. His voice was so loud. Lucy scrambled out of bed, her head spinning. She looked at Zoe, who was already sitting up,looking confused as well.

"Adrian?" Zoe asked, "What is he doing here so early?"

"I don't know," Lucy whispered, her hands shaking as she pulled on a robe. She opened the door, and Adrian pushed his way inside. He looked like he hadn't slept. His eyes were red, and he was holding his phone out like a weapon.

"What is this Lucy ?" he demanded, shoving the screen into her face.

Lucy looked at the photo. It was the jacket. The light in the photo was dim, but the detail was unmistakable.

"I... I told you last night," Eliana stuttered as she looked at Zoe, her mind was racing. "The security guard at the gate. He gave it to me because I was cold."

"A security guard?" Adrian laughed out mockingly. He turned to the closet and began throwing clothes onto the floor until he found it. He held the leather jacket up by the collar. "You expect me to believe a campus guard wears a vintage biker jacket? This isn't a uniform, Lucy. This belongs to a man."

"I’m telling the truth, Adrian," Lucy pleaded, tears springing to her eyes. "I don't even know whose it is. He just gave it to me."

"Then let’s go find him," Adrian said, grabbing her arm. "Let’s go to the gate and ask for this guard. Because if he doesn't exist, I’m going to find out whose name is written on your skin."

"Adrian, please, you’re hurting her!" Zoe cried, rushing forward and placing a hand on his chest. She looked devastated, her eyes filled with fake tears. "Lucy, just tell him! If someone is bothering you, if someone forced this on you, Adrian will protect you. Don't lie to him!"

"I'm not lying!" Lucy sobbed.

"Get your shoes on," Adrian commanded, ignoring Zoe. "We’re going to the security office. Now."