The Devil for a Mate

Five

*MOANA'S POV**

It was well past eight, and my phone sat heavy in my hand. Caleb's name flashed on the screen, but I couldn’t decide if I should make the call.

The best move would be to cut him off completely, leave town, and never look back. But I needed him to know we were done, so he wouldn’t dare come after me again.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself. I was going to do this.

"Just get it over with," I chided myself internally.

I unblocked him and dialed his number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Babe, I’ve been trying to reach you. Is something wrong? Did I do something?"

I scoffed. He was pretending as if he hadn’t done anything.

"My love, talk to me," he urged.

"I’m breaking up with you," I said flatly.

"What? No, babe, don’t. Whatever’s wrong, we can fix it. Communication is key. Just tell me what I did," he pleaded.

"Don’t ask me that. You lied to me for two years. You were married the whole time."

He was silent.

"Babe, it’s not like that. I can explain," he started.

"I don’t care for your explanation." I hung up the phone.

He was just going to spin more lies, try to convince me that it wasn’t what it seemed.

The phone rang again, his name flashing insistently. I ignored it, but the calls kept coming. Then a message buzzed in.

"Call me back, or I’ll come to your house."

"I’m not home," I quickly texted back.

"I know you’re there. Just pick up. If you don’t, I’ll come over."

He called again. This time, I answered.

"What?!"

"Please, love, I’m sorry. I should have told you. I was working on ending things with her."

"Stop lying, Caleb. I saw the texts from your gynecologist. I saw your wife. I saw the pictures. You weren’t going to end anything. You were just going to keep lying to both of us," I snapped.

"We need to talk in person," he pressed.

"No, Caleb. I’m not seeing you. Stay away from me."

"I’ll come to your house. I’ll make a scene if you don’t talk to me," he threatened.

"Don’t even think about it. I’ll call the police."

"Please, Moana—"

"Don’t come here. Lisa will be around, and she’ll handle you."

He hesitated. He knew better than to show up with Lisa in the picture.

"Then I’ll go to your mom’s. Maybe she’ll get through to you," he said coldly.

I laughed bitterly. "You’d stoop that low? Maybe you can tell her you're a married man while you’re at it."

"I’m not anymore. I’m single now. Please, just see me, let me explain," he begged.

"No. Stay away from me. I hope you live the worst life imaginable. I hope you die miserable." My voice dripped with fury as I hung up.

Another message came in. I knew it was from him before I even looked at my phone.

"Don’t underestimate my desire to talk to you, Moana. I’ll go to your mother if you force me. Meet me at the Red Club."

I deleted the message immediately. He was bluffing. He wouldn’t dare go to my mother.

But the thought gnawed at me. They were close, after all. And he was shameless enough to do it. I couldn’t let my mom find out this way—it would devastate her. Her health wasn’t the best, and I didn’t want her to go through this. She had such high hopes for us.

Eventually, I’d have to break the news to her, but not now. I needed time to think of a way to soften the blow.

Two new messages popped up. One from Lisa and one from Caleb.

"I’ll be over by 10:30. Make some food," Lisa’s message read.

"I’ll be waiting for you," Caleb wrote.

I was torn. Seeing him was the worst idea, but I didn’t want him near my mom. Maybe I could meet him just this once.

The Red Club wasn’t far. I could be back within twenty minutes and still cook for Lisa.

I didn’t leave a note. No way was I telling her I met up with Caleb—she’d lose it.

I dressed quickly in something comfortable, grabbed my work bag, and ordered an Uber. The club was busy, but it wasn’t peak time yet.

Inside, I headed to our usual spot, which was empty. I sat down and shot Caleb a quick message.

"You’ve got two minutes, or I’m leaving and getting a restraining order."

The club’s rock music thumped loudly, drowning out everything else. A random guy approached me, but I just smiled and waved him off. He got the hint and left.

A minute passed, and another message came in.

"I’ll be there soon."

I put my phone back in my bag, and my hand brushed against something. It was a parcel—the one the receptionist had handed me earlier.

I fished it out and examined it. It was light, and I heard no sound when I shook it. Curious, I began unwrapping it. Inside was a small jewelry box, and attached to the wrapping was a note. I started peeling it off when—

The club suddenly went dark. The music cut out, and murmurs filled the room. I reached into my bag for my phone, but before I could turn on the flashlight, there was a loud bang.

I flinched, fumbling with my phone. That’s when I felt the sharp prick in my neck.

My body went limp almost immediately, and darkness closed in. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but I couldn’t fight it.

I slipped off the couch, bracing for impact with the floor—but strong arms caught me instead.

"Easy," a voice whispered, just before I lost consciousness.