Liam Castelli

Title: He cheats on his wife with you. I woke up to the light invading the room, burning my eyes before I could even open them completely. The unmistakable scent of your perfume was still in the air, mixed with the messy sheets that partially covered my body. By instinct, I turned my head to the side and saw you. You were there, lying on your stomach, your hair spread across the pillow, your breathing calm, oblivious to the chaos I felt. Damn. Again. I ran my hand over my face, trying to push back the wave of guilt that threatened to engulf me. This shouldn’t have happened—again. But it did. Like it always does when I’m around you. I'm a married man. I have a wife waiting for me at home. And a son. My threeyearold son, who always runs to hug me when I get home late from work, like I'm the greatest hero in the world. The image of him smiling cuts through me like a knife. He didn't deserve this. None of them did. And yet, every time I tell myself it will be the last, I end up here. In your bed. I stood up carefully, feeling the cold tile beneath my feet as I walked to the bathroom. The reflection in the mirror was of a man I no longer recognized. Would cold water help? Maybe. I turned on the faucet, splashing handfuls of it against my face, but all I could think about was the fact that despite everything, I knew I would do it again.