“Luke,” she breathed, her smile relieved and eyes shining as she stepped around the table.

My eyes flicked to Tess, but she was looking down, her lips pursed and brows together. I had a suspicious, sick feeling that she was trying not to cry.

Wendy floated across the room like the fucking angel of death, and before I knew what was happening, we were hugging. Her arms were around my waist, her face buried in my chest like it had been a thousand times before. The familiarity struck me, but there was no comfort, only a rush of aversion.

But I hugged her around the shoulders with the briefest of squeezes before using my retreat to grasp her shoulders and peel her off of me.

Tess had turned away, the back of her hand swiping at her face.

“What are you doing, Wendy?” I asked quietly, my jaw tight.

Wendy beamed up at me. “I … I wanted to see you. Did Laney tell you I was back?”

“She did.” My gaze drifted back to Tess, who was whisper-arguing with Ivy. “Hey, why don’t we take a walk?”

“I’d like that,” she answered.

I offered a curt smile and started for the front of the shop, my eyes on Tess. “I’ll be right back,” I said, hoping she heard the apology and reassurance in my voice.

Tess tried to smile but looked away. She looked like she felt ashamed, foolish. And I mentally cursed a roaring tornado of obscenities.

Jett and I had a full conversation as I passed that consisted of a lot of What the fucks and I have no fucking clues and a solid, Don’t tell Mom.

I pushed the door to the shop open to the sound of the little bell, and Wendy exited the building.

Thank fucking God.

She smiled up at me. “Where do you want to go?”

I didn’t answer, just started walking in the direction of the park. “What do you need, Wendy?” It wasn’t cold, nor was it rude. But there was no invitation in the words.

“I … I just … when we last spoke, it was … tense.”

“How is your boyfriend, by the way?”

“We broke up.” She stopped, snagging my elbow. “I’m sorry to just stop by. I just really needed to see you.”

I sighed, running a hand over my face. “It’s not good for me to see you, and there’s nothing left to say.”

“LA’s not the same without you, Luke. We … we moved there together, were married there together.”

“Got divorced there.”

A frown, slight though it was. “I didn’t want to be there without you, so I came home. I missed you.”

My eyes narrowed. “What do you want?”

She huffed. “Nothing, okay? Everything … everything feels fucked up. And when things feel fucked up, it’s always your face I want to see.”

Another sigh, this one controlled, my jaw tight, the muscle bouncing. “Are you all right? Do you need anything?”