Anthony tell Amber Shayla snuck in his house while he was drunk

 Anthony's Confession to Amber — The Night He Couldn't Explain"

It was late, and the city hummed quietly beneath the night sky as Anthony sat across from Amber at the dimly lit café they used to frequent before life became complicated. The coffee between them had long gone cold, untouched like the words that hung heavy between them.

Amber sat with her arms folded, her sharp gaze not missing the nervous tapping of Anthony's fingers against the chipped tabletop. She had called this meeting, tired of the vague text messages and Anthony’s evasive behavior over the last few weeks. Something was off. She felt it in the distance between them, in his scattered explanations, and the exhaustion he wore on his face like a second skin.

“Start talking, Anthony,” Amber said, voice cool but expectant. “You’ve been hiding something. What is it?”

Anthony exhaled deeply, staring down at the cracks in the wood grain, searching for words that wouldn’t destroy whatever trust remained between them. But the truth was ugly, and there was no sugarcoating it.

“It’s about Shayla,” he began, his voice rough.

Amber’s jaw tightened instantly. “Of course it is. What now?”

He rubbed his temples, the weight of what he was about to confess crushing him. “There was a night… a few weeks ago. I was in a bad place. Everything was hitting me at once—work stress, the situation with Kai, and yeah, my own guilt. So, I drank. A lot.”

Amber watched him carefully. “Anthony, what does this have to do with Shayla?”

He met her eyes, guilt swimming in his. “I woke up the next morning… and Shayla was there. In my house. In my bedroom.”

Amber sat back, stunned. “What?”

“I was confused, hungover. I didn’t even remember how she got in,” Anthony said quickly. “She said I called her. Said I told her to come. But I checked my phone later—no calls, no messages. I didn’t reach out to her, Amber. She came on her own.”

Amber’s face twisted with disbelief and fury. “And what happened? What did she do while you were… passed out?”

Anthony swallowed hard, the memory as blurry as it was painful. “I don’t know everything. I just know that when I woke up, she was sitting at the foot of the bed, talking like nothing was wrong. Like we were still together. She said she wanted to take care of me. Said she missed me and Kai needed his father back.”

“So, what, she just... broke into your house?” Amber’s voice rose. “Anthony, do you hear how insane this sounds? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because I didn’t want to make it worse!” he snapped, then lowered his voice. “I didn’t know how to explain it without sounding like I invited her. I didn’t want you thinking I was sneaking around with her again. I wasn’t. I swear to God, Amber. I never invited her. I didn’t touch her.”

Amber’s heart pounded in her chest, torn between anger and the small voice in the back of her mind that always questioned his honesty. “What did she say when you asked why she was there?”

“She said she was worried about me. That I wasn’t answering her calls—which I wasn’t. I’d blocked her number weeks before. She said she let herself in with the spare key she still had from before we broke up.”

Amber covered her face with her hands for a moment, breathing deeply to steady herself. “You never changed your locks?”

Anthony shook his head, ashamed. “I should have. I was careless. I didn’t think she’d cross that line.”

Amber let the silence stretch between them, the weight of Anthony’s negligence settling like fog. Then she spoke, her voice cold and steady. “So what do you want from me now? Forgiveness? Sympathy? Or do you want me to tell you it’s okay that you let your past walk back into your life whenever it wants?”

“No,” Anthony said, shaking his head. “I don’t expect forgiveness. I just needed you to know the truth. I’m cutting ties with her for good. I changed my locks. I blocked every possible way she could reach me. I just… I couldn’t carry this alone anymore.”

Amber’s eyes softened just slightly, though the hurt was still there. “Anthony, you’re not a victim in this. You created this mess. Shayla wouldn’t still have access to your life if you’d put up boundaries when you should have.”

He nodded, every word a dagger of truth. “I know. And I’m trying to fix it. I want us to be okay, Amber. I want to build something real with you. No more secrets.”

She sighed, leaning back in her chair. “Trust doesn’t rebuild overnight, Anthony. It takes time. And you better be prepared to earn it.”

“I will,” he promised.

But as Amber stood to leave, grabbing her coat, she paused and looked back at him.

“And if Shayla shows up again?” she asked.

Anthony’s jaw tightened. “She won’t.”

Amber gave him one last long look, her face unreadable. Then she walked away, leaving Anthony alone at the table with his cold coffee and colder regrets.

But in his chest, for the first time in weeks, the truth — ugly and raw — finally had room to breathe. Whether it was enough to heal what he broke, only time would tell