“I saw it and thought of you right away,” she said. “I was terrified it would break, so I brought it as extra carry-on luggage. I had to charm the flight attendant to let me keep it in my lap.”

I was touched by her thoughtfulness. “Thanks,” I said, my voice husky. But I couldn’t forget that she had manipulated my husband into her bed. “Have a seat.” I indicated the stool behind the counter. “We need to talk.”

“Sure.” She perched, like a little pregnant bird, on the edge of it. “What’s up?”

I took a deep breath. “I know you slept with Brian.”

“And you slept with Max.”

My cheeks burned with humiliation. “Yes, but you told Brian that I was bored with him. And desperate to have sex with someone else.”

“That’s what you told me, Jamie. That day when we were walking in the forest.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You said you had wanted to be with other people and have other sexual experiences, but you and Brian got together so young.”

“That didn’t mean I wanted to swap husbands!”

“So you didn’t enjoy it?”

My face was practically on fire now. “I—I didn’t say that. But my husband is hurt and upset.”

“He seemed to be having a good time to me.”

Jesus, she could be mean. My voice wavered as I continued. “And then you got pregnant. Brian was . . . concerned.”

“The baby’s not his,” she snapped, hopping off the stool. “I showed him a dated ultrasound photo.”

“Why wouldn’t you tell me? Why sneak around behind my back?”

“That was Brian’s idea,” she said darkly. “He said it would hurt you too much if he got me pregnant, and not you.”

My chest constricted and my throat closed. Even the suggestion of it hurt.

“Look,” Freya retorted, “I was trying to do something nice for you. I don’t appreciate being treated like some kind of villain for spicing up your stale marriage.”

“It wasn’t stale,” I said, but my words wobbled.

“If you and Brian are too uptight to handle what we did, or if you’re too jealous that I’m having a baby, we don’t have to be friends.”

“I want to be friends,” I said quickly. “Brian’s just . . . still feeling raw about what happened that night. But he’ll get over it. He just needs a little break from you guys.”

It felt like a betrayal of my husband, but it was also true. Freya’s friendship was so valuable to me, that I would deal with my issues immediately. Brian would take more time.

But Freya was angry. “I think we could all use a break.” She snatched up the empty canvas bag. “Enjoy your new vase.”

I watched my only friend storm out of my store and out of my life, the emptiness already making my stomach ache.

Chapter 35

35

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