Stevie and Faye were leaning dangerously close. Perhaps it was just the distance playing tricks on my eyes, but for a moment, it almost felt like they were holding each other.
I shook my head and dismissed the ridiculous thought. Faye and Stevie couldn't possibly have an affair together.
The two interrupted encounters and seeing Stevie and Faye's suspicious closeness soured my earlier excitement toward the trip. By evening, my expression was completely dark.

"What's wrong, Vera? Did you get sick from being in the sun today?" Faye asked in concern.
Stevie immediately stood up and pressed his hand to my forehead. Seeing their worried expression made me feel guilty for ever doubting them earlier that afternoon.
I glanced at Gaston, who calmly ate as if nothing had ever happened. The sight irritated me more.
"I'm fine. It's just something from work," I replied.
"Are you feeling down? If you are, we should drink tonight!"
Faye was a firm believer in drowning her sorrows with drinking. As a regular at bars, she immediately suggested buying drinks at the mention of a bad mood.

We ended up buying two large bags of wine and decided to stay in.
Faye seemed unusually excited tonight. She downed one glass over another and was soon visibly tipsy.
"There, there. Too much drinking is bad for you," Stevie said. He finally decided that was enough and reached out to grab the wine glass from her.
"Oh, doctor, I don't feel well. Please check on me…"

Seemingly drunk, Faye clung to Stevie's arms and cooed, even leaning into his chest.
I felt a sharp twinge of discomfort. Maybe it was the wine at work, but Faye didn't seem quite like herself.
"I'll take her back to her room," Stevie announced. He seemed oblivious to my odd demeanor and scooped her up with extreme care as if he were holding a piece of precious treasure.
After carrying her into the room, he shut the door and completely disappeared from my sight.
The scene nearly brought tears to my eyes. Stevie was usually uninterested in meddling in other people's business, so right now, he was acting so differently that it hurt.
I bitterly started drinking glass after glass myself until my body grew warm, and my head swam. I didn't even notice when Gaston approached and sat beside me.
"You're drunk, Vera. Let me take you to your room."
Before I could respond, he scooped me up into his arms. My body, which was burning from the wine, instantly reacted to his touch, and I felt a familiar ache pooling between my thighs.
When he laid me down on my bed, I instinctively clamped my legs shut. My skin felt like it was crawling with a thousand tiny ants.
"Let me help you out of these clothes," Gaston whispered. The sight of my flushed cheeks, parted lips, and dazed eyes seemed to excite him so much that his voice had gone hoarse.
He unbuttoned my blouse, and his eyes burned red as they fixed on the swell of my chest.
"No… Wait… I have to go to Stevie…" I gasped and stopped Gaston in time. I had to know what Faye and Stevie were really up to!
Gaston sighed and wrapped an arm around my waist before leading me toward Faye's room.
It had been over 20 minutes since Stevie had entered. As we approached, the muffled sounds of a woman's gasps drifted from the inside.
When Gaston cracked the door by just a fraction, I witnessed that Stevie, who had always been uninterested in bed, now looked tense and intent. His eyes were bloodshot as he pinned Faye tight under him.
My tears spilled before I could even help myself.
When Gaston noticed, he gently placed a hand on my shoulder and swallowed hard. "I know you're hurting, Vera. Let me take your pain away."
My mind was clear, so I could understand what I was seeing, but my body felt distant and weak.
The thought of Stevie's betrayal seemed to shatter the restraint on the desire I had been holding back all this time.
Even with my unique body, I had never sought out another man. But it never occurred to me that Stevie, the man I loved the most, would hurt me this way!