Her fingers pressed her temples as if the pressure would somehow clear the fog of his skewed logic. It didn’t. “I don’t get it. In the last few months there’ve been times when I’ve wondered if you still like Jess and now you’re buying a house with her?”

Sweat beaded on his top lip. “Her place is falling apart around her. I ought to know, I’ve shored it up often enough. This way she gets out of the rental market and you get your best friend living next door. Jesus, Libby! I did it for you.”

His face and neck were puce and he was heaving in breaths as if he’d run a marathon. She visualized his blood pressure and panicked. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell and stress you out. It’s just all of this is so …” Unlike you. “Out of the blue.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be out of the blue.” He fell onto the couch, his face haggard, looking like he’d aged ten years in twenty-four hours. “Jess shouldn’t have told you.”

The blame rankled and it swept her back to the source of her anger. Nick should have told her. Hell, Nick should not have committed to buying the house with Jess without first discussing it with her. “I know you did it for me and Jess, but as nothing’s signed, I don’t think we should go ahead.”

His eyes shot open, their gaze frantic. “I can’t break a promise.”

And she knew he couldn’t. His code of honor wouldn’t allow him to and she loved him for it. “You don’t have to. I haven’t promised her anything, so I’ll do it. I’ll tell her we’ve re-crunched the numbers and we’re sorry, but we can’t manage it. She’ll understand.”

“She won’t. For God’s sake, she does the practice’s books! She’ll know you’re lying.” He grabbed her hand. “Think about it. Do you really want to risk your friendship with her?”

His fingers dug in so hard her hands hurt and she tugged them out of his grasp. “Then I’ll tell her the truth. I’ll say I’m worried about what this could do to our friendship. How it’s too important for us to ever risk falling out over money.”

“Please. Don’t.” The request was barely a whisper but the words roared with intent.

Her goosebumps rushed back so fast her skin hurt and then her entire body stilled. She scanned his face, searching for a sign, a clue, anything that would explain why she felt like she was teetering on the edge of a precipice.

His usually warm gaze was wide and filled with fear.

Her mouth dried. “Oh God. All of this is somehow connected to your panic attack, isn’t it?”

Nick stared straight ahead.