“I don’t know, a couple of months I guess. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re actually too boring to be single. At first I thought you just needed some time to get used to it, but then I realized you were going to continue to act like you were married even though you were technically separated, so what’s the point? If you’re going to act like you’re married, you may as well have a husband. The few times I got you out to happy hour, you just stared at your drink and acted like a dud. You have hands down the hottest doctor I’ve ever seen panting after you, and you won’t even sleep with him. You just want to be his BFF. And I swear you’re getting more prudish and conservative without Phil than you ever were with him.”

“That’s not true!”

“It is, and Phil seems less conservative without you, although I think he may just be acting that way in an attempt to get you back, because there is no way he would have let Katie date Matt if he had been living in the house. The fact that he knew about it and allowed it to continue is a testament to how far he was willing to go to get you back.”

“Stop talking,” Lina said, squeezing her head. “You’re confusing me. I need to think.”

“It’s been six months. The time for thinking is over. You need to just feel.” Adele picked up the vase. “Go or stay?”

Lina looked at her cell phone for the third time in as many minutes. After the kiss they’d shared on the side of the field, she expected to hear from Phil, but it had been three days without a word from him. She squeezed the bridge of her nose. She’d been waffling back and forth all evening about sending him a text. She shook her head, let out a deep sigh and typed.

Logan’s dance is tomorrow night. Did you want to go to the pre-dance party to take pictures? It starts at 6. She pressed send before she could change her mind.

With you?

She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip. It’s in Baltimore, so if it’s more convenient you could just meet us there.

I’ll pick you up at 5:30.

Lina stared at the engagement ring on her finger. Her eyes had focused on it as soon as she opened her jewelry box, and after slipping it on, she couldn’t bring herself to take it off. She wasn’t going to dwell on what it meant or what message she was sending Phil. He probably wouldn’t even notice.