The crowd cheered as Rachel laughed softly in my ear and blew a kiss at Kate.

“I wanna know who the guy is!” a girl called out from across the room, making everyone laugh.

“Eh, that’s just her husband,” Kate answered flatly, making the crowd snicker. She met my eyes and winked, then grinned before looking away and starting in on the next song as if she hadn’t just made my stomach drop.

We watched her for almost an hour as she fucking killed it on stage. Then I ushered Rachel out of the building without saying good-bye, making excuses about wanting to beat the rush of kids.

I had the distinct impression that I knew very little about the woman I’d been avoiding for the past ten years, and I wondered how I’d missed it. She wasn’t the awkward girl I remembered, or the sloppy woman in sweats and tank tops that Rachel occasionally invited over to the house when I was home.

The Kate I’d seen on stage was a fucking knockout—confident and sassy. I knew then that I’d continue to avoid her, but for an entirely different reason than I had before.

About the Author

When Nicole Jacquelyn was eight and people asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she told them she wanted to be a mom. When she was twelve, her answer changed to author. Her dreams stayed constant. First she became a mom, and then, during her senior year of college—with one daughter in first grade and the other in preschool—she sat down and wrote a story.

You can learn more on Twitter (@AuthorNicoleJ) or at Facebook.com/AuthorNicoleJacquelyn.

Also by Nicole Jacquelyn

Unbreak My Heart

Change of Heart

Heart of Glass