I learned every nook and facet of jealousy. I taught myself how to swallow down desire and walk away from possessive envy. I stewed in resentment of the guys she dated—always the most deplorable candidates the species had to offer—but I never let myself resent her. The thing about that key was that when it broke, it stayed inside me. Waiting for her to come back, to find the remnants and finally turn it. I’d already asked for so much and probably taken more than I deserved. I wasn’t going to rush her tonight. Not when I was going to ask for much more very soon.
