Moonlight

Chapter 1

I stare out the car window. The night is lit with city lights. This view never ceases to amaze me. I watch the lights dance on the back of my hand. Fair skin and blond hair are a curse in the sun, but in the dead of winter I look like an ice queen.

When I met Jared, I had been taken by the handsome, older, successful detective. He had money to spare and wasn't afraid to impress me with it. Being 22 and impressionable I fell for it. Hard. We were married a year after we met.

We attended social events arm in arm. Madly in love, wildly attractive couple. He was the tall, dark, mysterious type while I was average height, blond, and transparent. We balanced each other well. We were living the dream by anyone's standard. The picture-perfect couple.

In the three years of our marriage the magic had quickly faded. Success came with many late nights and an emotionally distant husband. We made efforts for the first year to maintain the spark we had, but soon after we both gave up trying. The once brightly burning passion had faded to nothing more than ashes.

We still attended social events together and had no issues fooling everyone around us. We kept up the façade of being madly in love. Muscle memory made that easy. It was like a very practiced dance. As soon as the laughter faded and we were alone things would get tense again. Jared would usually have too much to drink and start blaming me for any issue he could find. I have gotten good at hiding when the scotch comes out.

My lips pull into a slight smile as I think about the early days. I glance over at Jared and start to reach for his hand, but one look at his face has me stopping in my tracks. His head is down and he is rubbing his eyes. He drops his hand, fixes his tie at his neck and clears his throat. A nervous tick that only I would notice. He is biting his lip and his eyes are darting around. He is hard to read, but it's apparent to me that he is uneasy. Jared is typically stoic and expressionless. This display of emotion is very out of character for him.

I hesitate to address him, but his very apparent unease can't be ignored.

"You okay?"

Jared looks almost shocked that I am in the car with him. He lets out a nervous laugh and half smiles.

"Fine. Just a tough case. Nothing I can't handle."

The car stops in front of our event. Jared gets out and opens my door. I hesitated when he offers me his hand. We should go home. He was clearly uneasy and these social events are never my favorite. Something feels very off about tonight. I look into his eyes for a long moment. Trying to read his thoughts. The stoic mask is back in place. With a tight smile, I take his hand. I promise myself I'll watch how much he drinks. No more than three. At four he gets mean.

This evening's annual event is to honor this great city's police force. Jared and his brothers gather and bask in the praise. It is the one evening a year everyone in the room is on their side. There is no way he only drinks three. Police aren't known to go light on the alcohol. My stomach sinks at the realization of what the night will hold. I can already see Jared across the room with a drink in hand. Playing up the charismatic leader with his comrades. I chat with the other police wives about their children and surface level matters. I can feel myself dying inside from all the small talk. I sneak to the corner of the room to take a moment. I sip my glass of wine. I hate it, but it's what all the wives drink and it helps to numb the pain of small talk.

"Riveting conversation amongst the wives?" a deep voice murmurs beside me.

I jump a little and glance over.

"Silas" his name comes out in a breath of relief and my shoulders relax a little. He is another detective on the Duluth force. He and Jared have worked side by side on many cases. I give him a quick side hug. I think I feel him tense as I do. Probably shouldn't have done that. Maybe I've had too much wine. When I let go he takes one step back. My cheeks color so I duck my head and put my drink on the nearest table. Time to quit with that.

"This is my hiding corner. I had a long day at work and if I have to have one more macho man pissing contest I might explode. What brings you over?"

"I can only take so many antidotes about children and curtain colors. My cheeks ache from smiling and I'm running out of responses."

He chuckles and I look over at him. He is a full head taller than me. Something of an accomplishment as I am 5'9'' and wearing modest heals. His jaw line is sharp in an almost unnatural way and his eyes are nearly black. When he looks down at me I nearly swoon. What the hell Elise. You are a happily married woman. Well, married. Happiness left the chat a couple years ago.

"There is always hiding in the restroom." He says with a humorous twinkle in his eye and the wave of attraction rushes over me again. He ruined my corner I have to escape.

"You are right. There is a stall calling my name." I push off of the wall and walk past him. Desperate to escape the inappropriate feelings washing over me.

As I head to the restroom it occurs to me that I haven't seen Jared in a while. I resolve to find him and sus out his level of inebriation after I gather myself. I push open the bathroom door and I'm met with the unmistakable sounds of sex. Who on earth would be doing that in a public restroom? I am backing out of the room when I catch his reflection in the mirror.

We make eye contact for what feels like an eternity. I see the worry register on his face. Rage starts in my stomach and shoots up my spine. Hiding my face, I quickly run out of the bathroom. I break through the front doors. The night air washes over me. I fumble through my purse looking for my phone. It drops to the ground and its contents scatter.

A set of large hands reach out and start helping me gather my things. Silas. Of course. I grab my phone and call and uber without acknowledging him. Tears are streaking down my face. He steps in front of me. He looks apologetic.

"Elise, I..." he is cut off by Jared bursting through the front doors.

He comes sprinting to my side looking manic and straitening his tie.

"Elise." he says breathlessly as he fidgets with his tie.

He doesn't continue speaking. I'm sorry would have been a very natural thing for anyone to say when caught in infidelity, but this pompous ass always does everything to avoid apologizing for his transgressions. The look in his eyes is not of sorrow but of pure worry. He isn't sorry, only worried about how it would tarnish his reputation.

I look over at Silas and a look of pure furry has taken his features. His clenches his fists and brusquely walks past Jared.

I hear him murmur, "It was only a matter of time" as he passes.

I whirl on Jared. Furry burning in my chest.

"How long?" My voice comes out venomous. "She's been your partner for about a year. How long have you been screwing her?"

"Elise, no. It's not..."
"I don't give a fuck about your excuses, Jared. How long?" Just then, my Uber arrives. I climb in and slam the door.