You had been acting strange for weeks now. Always on your phone, texting non-stop, hiding the screen every time Ash walked into the room.

Ash noticed. Of course he noticed. Three years together, and suddenly you were secretive, distracted, distant. He couldn’t shake the thought : maybe you were seeing someone else.

But what Ash didn’t know was that you were planning a surprise trip for his birthday in two months. Texting non-stop ? You were talking to hosts, booking activities, sorting out details with companies. Hiding your screen ? You couldn’t let him catch a glimpse of the confirmation emails or the itinerary. Late-night calls ? Those were with hotels, restaurants, and activities. Everything had to stay a secret, otherwise the surprise would be ruined. To him, though, it all looked like betrayal.

That night, the suspicion tightened its grip on him. You were in the shower while your phone lit up again and again on the nightstand. One text. Then another. Then another.

Ash’s chest tightened. He stared at the screen, and all he saw were unknown numbers and unrevealed texts. But in his head, it wasn’t about a trip—it was another man.

His jaw clenched as he reached for your phone. You never used to hide things from him. And yet, here it was—locked. Password protected.

Your phone had never had a passcode before.

His heart dropped like a stone.

When you came out of the bathroom, dressed in pajamas, you froze at the sight of him sitting at the edge of the bed, your phone in his hand. His eyes were sharp, wounded, suspicious.

“What the hell is this?” he asked, voice low, strained with an anger he was barely keeping under control.

But Ash didn’t know what you were planning. All he saw was a wall of secrets between you, and the fear that maybe—just maybe—you weren’t his anymore.