Amelia encourages her

For a moment, there was silence between them, the words hanging heavily in the air. May’s heart was in her throat. She was terrified of Amelia’s reaction. But when she finally looked up, she saw only understanding in her friend’s eyes. Amelia held her hand tight. “Tell me everything,” she said.

May hesitated again, but the need to unburden herself was stronger than her fear. The words tumbled out in a rush. “I met this guy. It wasn’t planned, it just… happened. At the old gallery. We were in his studio, and he… I don’t know what came over me. I couldn’t stop myself. We—” Her voice faltered, and she swallowed. “We slept together,” she whispered.

Amelia’s mouth hung open. She looked around. Her expression was inscrutable. “And how did it feel?” she asked, sounding almost intrigued.

May felt like she was going to implode. “What do you mean, how did it feel? Does it matter? I’m so, so totally screwed.”

Her best friend didn’t look like she was as concerned with that as she was. Amelia pursed her lips, thinking hard about what she’d just heard. “Let’s put that aside for a second. Are you doing okay? Like, he didn’t **** you, or anything, did he?”

May shook her head. She tried to listen to Amelia’s instruction and push past the feeling of dread that was running through her veins to remember the moment itself. It came rushing back, like a cool rain on a hot day, relieving her of everything else that had been building up in her. “It was… amazing. I felt wanted, more than I have in years. But I’m so ashamed.”

Amelia leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping on the side of her glass. She was more than familiar with May’s frustrations with her husband. There wasn’t a person alive who had given May more shoulders to cry on. “You’re not alone, you know. A lot of people cheat. I mean, you’ve been so unhappy for so long.” Her voice dropped to a more conspiratorial tone. There was a playful glint in her eyes. “Honestly, I’m a little jealous.”

May sat back. “Jealous? Why?”

Amelia laughed, shaking her head. “Come on, babes. I’m single, I have fun, but how often do you get that? Raw, forbidden passion? Danger is fun.”

May was stunned into silence. The weight in her chest let up slightly at Amelia’s good humor. “I never thought I’d be the kind of person to do this,” she said. “It must mean I’m a horrible person.”

Amelia met her gaze and smiled a little. “Yeah, it does, May. But you know what? Sometimes, we need to be horrible people. We need to do things that are selfish. Life is too short to always play it safe. You have been, lately!”

May considered her friend’s words, a strange sense of relief washing over her. “I can’t ever see him again. Elliott, that’s his name,” she said, a little more rational than a second ago.

Amelia shrugged. “That’s up to you, babes. But whatever you decide, just make sure it’s what you really want. Don’t live your life by anyone else’s rules—not even Roger’s. You deserve to be happy, even if it means being a little bit terrible sometimes.”