Last December, I went to my best friend’s engagement party. You know how these events go, everyone’s dressed to turn heads, the music is loud, and the drinks are flowing. At the reception, I met this guy who seemed to know everyone. He was funny and kept complimenting my outfit, so we started talking. I don’t even remember how many drinks we had, but somehow, we ended up back at his place. He was sweet, offered me water, and made sure I was comfortable. The next morning, he insisted on dropping me off.

While we were driving, he mentioned how close he was to the groom. That’s when it hit me that I had just spent the night with the groom’s cousin. I felt my stomach drop. I quickly made up an excuse to end the conversation and got out of the car as fast as I could. My friend still talks about how fun the party was, but I can never tell her what really happened that night. To make things worse, her cousin has tried texting me since, and I’ve been ignoring him. Now, I avoid all their family gatherings like my life depends on it.