The Test

 

The Test

Josh sat at the bar, nursing the remnants of his beer, while the evening crowd bustled around him. The dim, amber lights cast warm shadows over the worn wooden surfaces, softening the harsh reality of the world outside. His mind wandered as he replayed the last few months, memories of his relationship with Megan playing in loops. Her laughter, the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled, the way she made him feel alive.

They had been together for a year now, and to everyone around them, it looked perfect. But cracks had started forming, invisible at first, then suddenly widening like fissures. He could feel it now, an unsettling tension between them. It had started with her friends. Specifically, it had started with Jessica.

Jessica was Megan’s best friend, someone who could fill a room with laughter one moment and drain it of warmth the next. She had always been around, a little too close, but Josh had never said anything. He wanted to trust Megan, to believe that her friends wouldn’t meddle in their relationship.

It was a night out at their usual bar when things started to unravel. Jessica had invited Megan who had invited Josh, to meet up with a few of their friends for drinks. The place alive with the hum of conversation and music. The bar was packed, laughter mingling with the clink of glasses, but beneath the lively atmosphere, something felt off. Jessica’s gaze lingered on Josh a little too long, her laughter directed at him more than anyone else.

As the night wore on and the drinks kept flowing, Megan headed to the bar with a couple of friends to order another round, leaving Josh alone with Jessica at their table. The mood shifted quickly.

Jessica slid into the seat beside him, much too close. Her perfume clung to the air between them, sharp and heavy, making him want to back away, but there wasn’t much room to move in the crowded booth. She leaned in, her voice dropping to a near-whisper as the music pulsed around them. “So,” she said, her tone thick with implication, “do you really love Megan?”

Josh blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in her tone. “Of course I do,” he said cautiously, trying to keep the atmosphere light. “She’s amazing.”

Jessica smiled, but it wasn’t friendly. It was more of a smirk, as if she knew something he didn’t. “Are you sure? Because I’ve been thinking.” She leaned in even closer, her lips brushing the shell of his ear. “Maybe you could love someone else.”

A chill ran down his spine, and he shot up from the couch, stepping away from her. “What are you talking about?”

Jessica stood too, her expression unreadable. “Relax, Josh. I was just testing the waters.”

Josh’s heart raced, anger rising in his chest. He wanted to believe this was some twisted joke, but her eyes told him it wasn’t. It was manipulation, clear as day. Without another word he stormed toward the bar, where Megan was chatting with her friends, blissfully unaware of the poisonous game her best friend was playing.

“Megan,” Josh said, his voice tight, “can we talk? Alone?”

Megan turned to him, her smile fading as she picked up on his tone. “What’s going on?” she asked, following him toward a quieter corner by the entrance.

Josh hesitated, unsure of how to phrase it without sounding crazy. “Jessica just… she just made a move on me.”

Megan blinked, then chuckled softly, the sound light and dismissive. “Come on, Josh. That’s just Jessica being Jessica. She’s always testing people.”

His stomach turned. “Testing people? Megan, she hit on me. That’s not a test, that’s betrayal.”

But Megan shook her head, her smile returning but now tinged with annoyance. “You’re overreacting, Josh. She’s just messing around. If you can’t handle a little teasing, maybe you’re not as serious about me as you think.”

Josh felt a dizzying tilt, as if the ground beneath him was shifting. “You can’t be serious,” he said, his voice low. “You’re backing her after what she just did?”

Megan crossed her arms defensively. “She’s my best friend, Josh. I trust her. If she’s testing you, it’s because she cares about me. She wants to make sure you’re the real deal. And clearly, you’re not, if you can’t take a little harmless flirting.”

The words stung, sharper than he’d imagined they could. “Harmless?” he repeated, his voice low. “She was trying to get between us, and you’re just going to stand there and defend her?”

Megan sighed, her patience clearly waning. “Look, if you’re going to make this a big deal, maybe you’re not cut out for this relationship. Maybe you’re just not committed enough.”

The accusation hit him like a punch to the gut. He had given everything to this relationship, had shown Megan over and over how much he loved her. But as she stood there, choosing loyalty to her friend over respect for their relationship, defending someone who was deliberately trying to sabotage them, he saw things clearly for the first time. Something inside Josh shifted.

Josh took a breath, steadying himself against the weight of the moment. He could fight for Megan, try to convince her that what Jessica had done was wrong, that he loved her enough to stand up to her toxic friend. Or he could walk away. Walk away from the woman he thought he loved, but who clearly didn’t respect him enough to see the truth.

He glanced toward the back of the bar, where Jessica now stood leaning against the wall, watching them with that same smug smile, as if daring him to say the wrong thing. And there was Megan, beautiful and infuriating, expecting him to back down, to prove his loyalty by accepting her friend’s betrayal.

Josh felt something harden inside him. A cold resolve settled over him.

“I’m done, Megan,” he said softly, the words heavier than he expected. “I’m not going to fight for a relationship where I’m tested like this. If you can’t see how wrong this is, then maybe we’re not right for each other.”

Megan’s face fell, her eyes widening in shock. “Wait, what? You’re seriously going to leave? Over this?”

Josh nodded, his heart aching, but his resolve firm. “I love you, but I won’t be a part of a relationship built on games and manipulations. If you don’t trust me now, you never will.”

He turned and walked toward the door, the weight of his decision pressing on his shoulders. He could hear Megan calling after him, her voice cracking with disbelief, but he didn’t turn back. Not this time.

The door to the bar swung shut behind Josh as he stepped into the cool night air. His heart was still pounding from the confrontation with Megan. The distant hum of the city around him seemed quieter than it had been just hours before. He walked briskly down the street, the neon lights casting long shadows across the sidewalk. The weight of his decision sat heavily on his shoulders, but he knew it was the right one. 

"Josh, wait!" 

Megan’s voice echoed behind him, cutting through the nighttime bustle. He heard her hurried footsteps on the pavement, and a moment later, she caught up to him, her breath coming in short gasps. 

Before he could speak, Megan grabbed his arm and spun him toward her. Her face was flushed, eyes wide with something between anger and desperation. She didn’t say a word. Instead, she pulled him close and pressed her lips to his, a sudden, fierce kiss that left him stunned.

For a second, Josh didn’t move. The world around them seemed to blur, all the tension and frustration dissolving as their bodies connected. His arms found their way around her waist, holding her tight as if that could stop the whirlpool of emotions inside. They lingered like that for a long moment, their foreheads pressed together, their breath mingling in the quiet space between them.

“I’m sorry,” Megan whispered, her voice barely audible. “I hate fighting with you.”

Josh searched her face, seeing the exhaustion in her eyes, mirroring his own. “I hate it too,” he murmured, his hand gently brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek. “But this isn’t something we can just kiss away.”

“It might be?” She squeaked, her pretty voice tiny and hopeful.  

Before they could say another word, a voice interrupted them, shattering the fragile calm that had settled over them.

“Well, well, well. Look who it is.”

Josh turned toward the voice and saw Max, an old acquaintance from his college days, swaggering toward them. Max had always been the kind of guy who thought he could charm his way into anything, but lately, Josh had been keeping his distance, seeing the cracks in Max’s ‘friendly’ persona.

Max’s eyes slid over Megan with an appraising look that made Josh’s stomach tighten. “Hey, Megan,” Max said with a grin, ignoring Josh entirely. “I was just thinking we should grab a drink sometime. What do you say?”

Megan blinked, momentarily confused, then her face hardened. “Excuse me? I’m with Josh.”

Max shrugged, his grin widening like it was a joke. “Yeah, I can see that. But, you know, we could have a good time, just the two of us. What do you think?”

Josh stepped forward, his voice low and even. “Not cool, Max.”

Megan’s eyes flared with anger, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Definitely not cool.”

Max’s smirk faltered slightly, as if he hadn’t expected them to be so united. “Relax, man. I was just joking.” But the glint in his eyes said otherwise.

Josh shook his head. “You don’t joke about something like that. Not in front of me, and definitely not in front of Megan.”

Max scoffed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. No need to get all defensive.” He gave Megan one last lingering look before walking off into the night, his arrogance trailing behind him like a bad stench.

Josh sighed heavily, the adrenaline from the brief confrontation still thrumming in his veins. Megan slipped her hand into his, and they walked together in silence, the incident casting a shadow over them as they made their way back to Josh’s apartment.

Once inside, the silence between them grew heavier. Josh set his keys down on the table, trying to collect his thoughts, but the weight of the night’s events pressed down on him. Megan sat on the edge of the couch, fidgeting with her phone before finally speaking up.

“Max was completely out of line,” she said, breaking the silence. “That was so disrespectful to you.”

Josh leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. “Yeah. It was.”

Megan looked up at him, her brow furrowed. “I mean, what kind of friend would do that? It’s like he doesn’t care about you at all.”

Josh let out a bitter laugh. “Funny you should say that.”

Megan blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

Josh pushed off the wall, pacing slightly as the frustration that had been simmering all night bubbled to the surface. “I mean, can you see why I was upset when Jessica did the same thing? She offered me sex, Megan. She didn’t care that I was with you.”

Megan shook her head, her expression hardening. “That’s different, Josh. Jessica wasn’t serious. She was just testing you. She wanted to make sure you were loyal to me.”

Josh stopped pacing and turned to face her. “Testing me? That’s your excuse? So it’s okay for Jessica to make a move on me because she’s a woman, but when Max does it, it’s disrespectful?”

Megan crossed her arms defensively. “Jessica didn’t actually intend to sleep with you, Josh. She was just testing your dedication. Max was serious.”

Josh’s voice rose in disbelief. “That’s such bullshit, Megan! You can’t have one rule for women and another for men when the behavior is exactly the same.”

Megan stood, her eyes flashing with anger. “I can’t believe you’re starting an argument with me over this.”

“I’m not trying to start an argument,” Josh said, his voice lowering but still full of tension. “I’m trying to point out the double standard. How come when a woman does it, it’s ‘just a test,’ but when a guy does it, it’s a violation? It’s hypocritical, and it creates a power imbalance. Men are crucified for this behavior, but women get a free pass?”

Megan stared at him, her hands clenched at her sides. “You’re making this into something it’s not. Jessica wasn’t trying to sleep with you.”

Josh threw his hands up in frustration. “But she was still trying to come between us! Just like Max did tonight. It’s not about the intent—it’s about the fact that someone else is interfering in our relationship, trying to drive a wedge between us. And you’re defending it when it’s Jessica, but attacking Max when he does the same thing.”

Megan’s face reddened, her voice rising to meet his. “Because it’s different! Jessica was protecting me, making sure you were loyal. Max was just being an asshole.”

Josh shook his head, his voice softening with weariness. “Intimacy and trust between two people should be sacred, Megan. We should be protecting each other, not letting other people test our loyalty or come between us.”

Megan’s eyes flashed with indignation. “You sound so preachy right now. You’re acting like you’re morally superior.”

Josh’s patience finally snapped. “That’s rich, coming from the person who defended Jessica’s behavior but ripped into Max for doing the same damn thing. You’re the one who’s being hypocritical.”

The room fell into a tense silence. Megan’s eyes narrowed, and without another word, she grabbed her coat from the chair and stormed toward the door. “I can’t do this right now,” she said, her voice shaking with anger.

Josh stood frozen as she yanked the door open and slammed it behind her, the sound reverberating through the apartment like the final nail in the coffin. 

He exhaled slowly, the weight of the argument settling in his chest, a hollow ache where there had once been hope.

A month later, Josh sat in the same bar where he had often waited for Megan. But this time, the weight of expectation was gone. He sipped his beer, watching the world go by outside the window, content in his solitude.

His phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. It was Megan, a text message blinking up at him. I’m sorry. I see it now. Can we talk?

Josh stared at the message for a long moment before finally setting his phone down, leaving it unanswered. He had already passed the test. The only one that really mattered. Josh had self-esteem enough to respect himself even if others couldn’t. That was their loss.