They walked into the small room with its two matching twin beds. Their luggage was stashed on the desk and the dresser. They changed and readied for bed, moving out of each other’s way and sharing the bathroom as if they were back in college and the intervening years were nonexistent.

“We aren’t in high school anymore,” Anna said as she climbed into her bed. “Why not stay with him?”

“I was worried you might lecture me.”

“It’s not that I don’t want you to be happy—”

“I have no idea why.”

“I want you to be happy, and I want you to decide what’s going to make you happy. But I might not be able to restrain myself from telling Reed that I’ll kill him if he hurts you again.”

“He apologized.” Jenny sat on her bed. “He’s not perfect. It’s not all cuddles and sex, even though that part’s freaking awesome. I... I love him, and I’m done pretending I don’t.”

“He hurt you,” Anna whispered.

“I know that better than anyone.” Jenny met Anna’s eye with determination. “I’m not giving him up, even if you think I’m a fool.” The bitterness in her friend’s voice sounded harsh in the small room with its low, timbered ceilings and close walls.

“I don’t think you’re a fool. I think you’re brave.”

Jenny blew out a breath and got into bed. “Don’t lie.”

“I’m not lying.” Anna took a deep breath. “You follow your heart even if it’s scary, even if you might get hurt. That’s brave.”

“I know what it looks like from the outside. Our love story has all the makings of a sad country song, and I might get left on a dirt highway.” Jenny paused. “But I want to follow my heart. I trust myself, even if he wasn’t trustworthy in the past. I’m giving him another chance.”

Anna saw Jenny wipe her eyes in the dim light of their room.

“Whatever you choose,” Anna said, “I’ll always be there for you.”

“I never really thanked you for coming to get me.”

“You did.”

Jenny had thanked her in a million small ways. She hadn’t given up on Anna, even when Anna wasn’t always a good friend. “I was embarrassed for you to see me so helpless.”

“We all need help sometimes.” Anna pulled the blanket over her shoulder. “You don’t have to sneak around. We’ll use the same system from college.”

“No way. You need sleep more than I do. Besides, sneaking around is hot.”

Anna wished she had someone to sneak around with. Or rather, she wished she felt comfortable enough to sneak around with the someone she already had in mind.

“You like him like him, don’t you?” Jenny asked.

“We established we aren’t in high school.”