A glimmer of realization dawned on Sam’s face as he finally tuned in to Heather’s words but his sudden attention felt forced, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “Hawaii? Perfect,” he said with a practiced warmth, tucking his phone away. “Just us, no distractions,” he added, his voice a shade too enthusiastic. His feigned excitement, a sharp contrast to his usual distracted self, planted a seed of doubt in Heather’s mind.
As days passed, Heather noticed Sam’s forced cheeriness didn’t wane. “A beach escape sounds amazing”, he repeated with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes — the same eyes that lit up whenever he looked at his phone. Heather couldn’t shake the feeling that Sam was putting on an act. His affection didn’t seem real, and her fears, she would soon discover, weren’t so unfounded after all.