“Since Richard left. He was a rescue. Zoe begged me to give him a home, and I couldn’t say no to her. Fortunately, Tiger loves Zoe. He tolerates the rest of us. Don’t expect affection.”

Nicole had reached the point where she didn’t expect anything from anyone, least of all affection.

She felt a pang of loneliness.

“I didn’t know what you’d be bringing with you,” Milly said, “so if there’s anything you need, let me know.”

What she needed was a hug, but she was afraid to ask. There had been a time when Milly would have held her, and she would have held Milly, and they would have taken comfort from the fact that no matter what happened they had each other, but that wasn’t the case anymore. And it was her fault.

She missed the unquestioning affection that had always existed between them. She missed the insulating quality of their friendship, and the intimacy and luxury of being with someone who knew you well but loved you anyway.

Did Milly still love her?

And did she even deserve it?

She put her bag down and surveyed her refuge. Milly was right that it was small, but small didn’t bother her. Small made her feel safer. At her home in LA with its walls of glass overlooking the sea, she made a point of never standing near the window because there was almost always a risk that someone was watching her. Inside these four walls, which she could almost reach out and touch, no threats could be lurking. And it was charming. Bookshelves covered one wall, and the stylish wooden desk tucked under the window overlooked the thickly wooded shoreline. There was a vase of fresh flowers on the table next to the sofa, which had been made up with fresh linens.

“I don’t need anything, but thanks.”

Milly opened the window a little wider. “There’s a bathroom opposite. I put out clean towels and a new T-shirt you can wear to bed if you want it.”

Nicole felt emotion thicken her throat. She hadn’t been there in Milly’s hour of need, but still Milly had shown up for her. More than that. She’d done everything she could to make Nicole comfortable.

“Thank you. Do I need to be careful walking around the boathouse at night? What if I need a glass of water? Do I need to turn off the alarm?”

“What alarm?”

“The intruder alarm.” Nicole’s palms felt sweaty. “You don’t have one?”