It’s easy for him to say. He’s not the one who saw his life flash before his eyes. I have to take a few deep breaths to slow the sudden panic threatening to grip me. Every time I so much as brush up against the memory, my body reacts like I’m back in the moment.

I couldn’t be more disappointed to see Piper standing at the front desk when we arrive at the gym. She’s talking to a muscular middle-aged man who lifts his chin to greet Colt and Nix before turning to find me standing behind them.

“Oh. You must be Leni.” He extends a hand and gives me a firm shake. My boss, I suppose? His name tag tells me his name is Chad. “I was explaining to Piper how I’ll need some help in the storage room today. We just got a lot of supplies shipped in, and they need to be unboxed and accounted for. Think you could help her out with that?”

Exactly what I want. Time spent one-on-one with my ex-best friend. The two of us in a storage room with nothing to do but talk. At least I know there’s a time limit. It seems like the guys work out for an hour and a half, maybe two hours. I can handle a couple of hours with her, I guess.

“Come on. I’ll show you where it is.” She waves me along behind her, and I follow silently. I don’t dare look, but I wonder if either of my stepbrothers notices me walking with her. I’m sure they’d think it was funny. For all I know, this is the entire reason they got me a job here. Knowing I’d have no choice but to face the person who betrayed me worst of all.

It doesn’t take long to figure out what Chad was talking about. Stacks of boxes are lined up along one of the walls in the cramped room. Shelves lining the other three walls are covered in all kinds of items—towels, bathroom supplies, and cleaning products. And it looks like whoever’s been charged with keeping things organized and decluttered has been sleeping on the job since there’s empty packaging lying around, and the shelves are in disarray.

Rather than stand around and discuss what to do first, I grab a trash bag from a roll sitting on a shelf and start gathering up shrink wrap, packing tape, and things people have left lying around. Piper hesitates but soon follows my lead and straightens up the supplies left on the shelves. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can get out of this room.

“So the wedding was really nice. Your mom looked so happy.”