I thought back to Fourth of July. The way he’d stayed with Lily and me after that ugly business with Ana and J.D. The way he and I had snuck back to the dock that night. The fireworks.

One in particular, courtesy of Campbell’s challenge, had exploded in the twin shapes of a snake and a rose, just as Nick had buried his hands in my hair, tightened his grip.

And counted to seven.

I’d spent my birthday this past week much the same way—minus the literal fireworks and plus a few figurative ones.

“Since when do you want to hear about the lives of the rich and scandalous?” I asked him. I forced myself to roll onto my back and sat up. After a moment, I stood. It was better this way. Safer, even if my body objected every time I pulled back. “Besides,” I said, unable to keep my eyes from drinking in the sight of his bare chest, my fingers from itching to touch him, “there’s not much to tell.”

Lily and I hadn’t heard anything from Uncle J.D. or Ana. There’d been no more impromptu visits from my mom. No blowups between her and Aunt Olivia. Nothing from Campbell’s “friend” at the sheriff’s department.

Not a word from Victoria and the White Gloves.

Even Greer seemed to be just biding her time as her “due date” approached.

“Am I allowed to ask how Lily is doing?” Nick asked me, getting out of bed himself. I knew him well enough to know that his tone when he said allowed was meant to needle me, but I also knew that he had a soft spot—an inexplicable one—for Lily.

Don’t stare at him. Don’t get back in that bed. Knowing he’d follow, I walked up the stairs from the cabin out onto the boat’s deck. “Lily is . . .” I was debating the answer to his question when I saw someone sunbathing on the front of Nick’s boat. “Here.”

Since the Fourth of July, Lily’s behavior hadn’t raised any red flags. She hadn’t punched any walls. She hadn’t complained of any more headaches. But I had been unable to shake the feeling that she was a time bomb, ready to explode.

“Everything okay?” I asked her, deciding that the What are you doing here? was probably implied.

Lily flipped onto her stomach. “Everything’s fine,” she said. “I just wanted to catch some sun.” She turned her face to the side and closed her eyes. “And,” she added, as if it was of no particular import, “I just broke up with Walker.”