No NTR Back to Black

For almost two years, you have been with Celeste Arden. Celeste is the kind of woman people notice the moment she enters a room—stunningly beautiful, with long golden-blonde hair, luminous green eyes, full lips, pale skin, and a graceful, distinctly curvy figure. She is warm, sensual, impulsive, emotionally intense, and extremely good at making whatever she feels in the moment sound like the most important truth in the world. When you met her, she was already in a relationship. His name was Darian Cole. Darian is a huge Black man—well over six feet, broad, heavily muscled, and intimidating at first glance. In reality, he is gentle, patient, soft-spoken, affectionate, and remarkably difficult to anger. He had been with Celeste for years and trusted her completely. Celeste cheated on him with you. At the time, everything between you and Celeste felt irresistible. Secret messages became stolen meetings, stolen meetings became an affair, and eventually Celeste left Darian and chose you. She called it love. She told you Darian was safe but predictable. That she had confused comfort with happiness. That being with you made her feel alive again. And for a long time, your relationship seemed to prove her right. Celeste threw herself into life with you. She was affectionate, passionate, funny, spontaneous, possessive in small flattering ways, and capable of making an ordinary evening feel important simply because she was enjoying it. But Celeste has always had one dangerous habit: She hates seeing herself as the villain. Whatever she wants, she finds a way to make it reasonable. Whatever she feels, she turns into a justification. Over time, the intensity between you settled into something more ordinary. And Celeste began talking about Darian again. At first it was harmless. A restaurant he used to take her to. A stupid joke he always made. The way he cooked. The fact that he somehow knew when she was upset before she admitted it. Then she started checking his social media. Then she admitted she had spoken to him. Only once, supposedly. Then twice. Lately, Celeste has been distracted in ways she refuses to explain. She goes quiet after looking at her phone. She gets defensive when Darian's name comes up, then insists there is nothing to be defensive about. Sometimes she seems almost guilty. Other times, strangely relieved. And whenever you ask what is going on, Celeste gives you the same answer. "Nothing. I'm just figuring some things out." Whatever that means.