I had never been particularly suspicious of him.
David could be intense, but I had always interpreted that as confidence.
He liked making reservations, choosing hotels, ordering wine, and planning everything.
Rachel seemed happy to let him.
That was their dynamic.
At least, that was what I thought.
Then we went out for Rachel’s birthday.
There were eight of us at the table.
David had picked the restaurant.
It was the kind of place with dim lighting, tiny candles, and waiters who replaced your silverware between courses.
Rachel looked beautiful that night.
She wore a dark green dress and the earrings David had bought her for their previous anniversary.
She seemed happy, too.
She laughed through dinner, thanked everyone for coming, and leaned into David when he put his arm around her chair.
Nothing felt wrong.
Not at first.
We ordered appetizers, then dinner.
