The Two-Timing Tornado

Morgan's POV

My friend Penny dropped me off at my apartment, giving me a tiredsmile. “Get somebeauty sleep, Morgan. You have the appearance ofhaving been pulled through a hedge by the wrong end.” I snorted,saluting her with a mock salute as she teared off in an obscenely large SUV that likely drank gas like a frat boy during happy hour. I watched until her monstrosity of a car disappeared around the corner, then trudged toward my building, snowflakes settling into my hair as if they’d paidrent.

I was excitedand bubbling to surprise my boyfriend, Ethan. I’d been on a business trip that was longer than the line at the DMV, and I couldn’t wait tosee his stupid, handsome face. I’d been fantasizing about him nonstop,all while crushing my sales goals and pretty much saving my company’s entire Asian arm. I was 50 percent proud, 50 percent elated and 500 percent prepared to face plant into mybed for like three days.

When I arrived atmy building I wondered how Ethan might take my unplanned return. I’d attempted to call him from the cab at the airport,but the calls dropped faster than my New Year’s resolutions. A flutterof discomfort pinched my stomach as I ascended the stairs to our second-floor apartment. I insertedthe key in the lock but when I turned it, the door opened freely. My heart does a bit ofgymnastics routine. This wasn't right. We always locked the door — Ethan was almost paranoidabout it.

I creaked the door open with the stealth of a cat burglar, senseson high alert. The apartment was dim, the curtains drawn againstthe winter afternoon. The TV flickered with some action movie, soft music fromthe Bluetooth speaker and the smell of takeout filled the air. But no Ethan in sight.

"Ethan. Honey,I am home, I called dramatically, back from the war. Silence was all Igot in response. My heart raced with nervousness as I crept deeper and deeper inside, my eyes adjusting to the darkness around me, almost asif I was roaming a cave.

Ipicked up a baseball bat we had stored on the wall by the front door (Ethan’s idea — he’d watched too many home invasion movies) and tried again. “Ethan, your queen hasreturned from conquest.” Still nothing. It was full of space butnot space, as if someone had quantum-physics-ed the apartment.

I slowly walked toward our bedroom my knuckleswhite on the bat. But as I got nearer, I heard noisesthat didn’t require a detective’s badge to interpret — rhythmic creaking and moans that definitely weren’t from someone putting together IKEA furniture.

My heart now going full on pole-dancing routine in my chest, I tiptoed to the door and threw it openwith the dramatic flourish of a telenovela star. What I sawcaused my internal organs to do a synchronized dive into my shoes. Ethan was in bed with someone else,their bodies, her breasts, jiggling in MY Egyptian cotton sheets I’d forked over MY bonus money to decorate MY bed.

“Oh Ethan,right there… Don’t you dare stop!”

"I'm... So close... There... Can’t just... Hit...Pause... Now...” Igrunted back as he continued his rhythmic movements as though I was the invisible woman.

The passionate score dropped to background noise as I held my chest, feeling like someone had reached inside and was using my heart asa stress ball.

“Ethan,you two-timing tornado!”

"Holy shit!"

Ethan squealed and also sort of Levitated off the other man and turned to me firing eyes widerthan dinner plates. “Babe, that’s not what your eyesare seeing right now. I—"

But I couldn’tstand to look at his lying face. My eyes went to thewoman in my bed, and I felt my knees buckle. It was my sister, Kylie.

"Kylie!"

She pulled the sheet up to her chin, her face turning redderthan a baboon’s ass.

“One, how could you two stab me inthe back with such Olympic precision?” I screamed, as thoughI had been struck by an emotional freight train.

I picked up the first thing I could reach — an ugly lamp Ethan’s mother had given us— and threw it in his direction. He ducked with impressive reflexes for someonewho had criticized basic yoga. The lamp fucking exploded against the wall, just like mytrust.

“Cupcake, can you just take a deep breath,” Ethan tried to come tome, hands raised as if surrendering to the police.

I stepped back, myeyes almost shooting laser beams. "Deep breaths? Should I meditate while you give me the story of howyou found yourself naked with my sister? Was it an accident? “Oh, did you trip andfall on my bed naked?

“You werefucking around with this backstabbing snake! I spat,venom dripping from the words.

Ethan was about to say something when Kylie jumped up, swaddling herself inMY sheet as if it were couture.

“Morgan,you don’t even think about calling me a snake!” it snapped suddenly findingits voice.

I looked at her with enough heat to meltsteel. “Oh, sorry, should I say ‘slimy,duplicitous reptile’? You're my sister! “You’re supposed tobe giving me skin care tips, not sleeping with my boyfriend!”

Kylie movedcloser, her face twisting ugly. “You don’t knoweverything, Morgan. It's complicated."

I barked out a laugh, whichcame out like a seal having a breakdown. "Complicated? What's complicated? The only thing complex right here is how to fit both your corpses inone suitcase!

Kylie slitted her eyes, but before she could open her mouth towhatever ludicrous excuse she had come up with, Ethan interjected. “Sugar, I—

I cut through his words like a hot knifethrough oil. "Why, Ethan? What kindof cosmic excuse might you have for this betrayal?”

Ethan’s gaze fell to theground, suddenly interested in the pattern on my carpet. "I... I don't know, Morgan. It just happened."

Ilaughed again, tears carving mascara rivers down my cheeks. "Just happened? What, like the weather? ‘Slight chanceof thunderstorms, and sleeping with your girlfriend’s sister today, folks!’ "

“You were always offgallivanting to save the corporate world, honey… I really tried to behave, sweet pea… But I have needs. “He was so blubbering,his eyes were fluttering around as if he were a guilty child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“It’s been so cold recently …I wanted warmth with this cold weather..."

I folded my arms, and my eyebrows nearly hit myhairline. "Oh, sure, Ethan. “What did youneed warmth for in this weather?” I teased, mytone with more attitude than an incel subreddit. “And it wasbroken, the thermostat? And then all the blankets justburst into flames? What about the sweaters I got youfor Christmas, you total walnut?”

Ethan’s face turned fire hydrant red as he stammered forwords. “Babe, you know I’m not talking about that kind ofheat. … I’m talking about human connection..."

I interrupted him with a roarthat must have startled the neighbors. "GET OUT!!! "

Ethan’s mouth unhinged like he was trying out for a fishdocumentary, his eyes big with fear. He appeared to shrink physically, his shoulders hunching as if he were tryingto disappear. He looked at Kylie, then backat me, then rushed to pick up his clothes that had been strewn all over the floor. The way he moved, it struck melike a skittish squirrel trying to recall where it hid its nuts.

I held my ground, arms still folded, rage emanating fromme like a nuclear reactor. It made me want to throw something other than lampsto see them together.

"Just get out! And don’tyou dare take anything that I paid for. The clothes had been charged tomy credit card. So get out of this apartment withyour partner in crime this minute!”

Ethan’s mouthpractically dropped open in disbelief. Yes, Iwas throwing him out in his underwear.” I stood my ground despite hispathetic begging. Damn winter — let him freeze like my heart justdid.

Just then, a sharp rap on my door shattered the tension, and I thought, Who else was going to jointhis circus of horrors…