Maybe because of her fear of not wanting to alienate anyone ever. Because growing up not being able to talk to your next-door neighbors sucked. And going through the rest of your life in the same town as the guy who cheated on you also really sucked. She’d wanted to show everyone she was resilient and mature, that she could handle interacting with him in a civilized way.

But those weren’t really excuses she could use anymore to avoid the truth. Which was that she hadn’t been brave enough to confront him. Or hear the truth herself.

“Okay, sure,” Sam said. “But I bet I know what you’re going to ask. It’s one carat, with a white gold band.”

“The ring is nice, but that’s not what I was going to ask you about.”

She walked to the door and turned the sign from OPEN to CLOSED. Some people on the sidewalk gave her funny looks.

She’d never done that before. But she needed a few minutes.

She sat down at a table and waited until he came and sat, too. Then she took a big breath. “Why did you cheat on me?”

He colored, which she took as a semi-good sign. But she didn’t expect or need him to apologize. She just wanted an answer. “Tessa, that was a dark time,” he said, fidgeting his fingers. “I don’t think we should get into it now, do you? Because of our friendship.”

Tessa sat up in the chair. If she was going to do this, she was going to go all the way. “Sam, we don’t have a friendship. You come in here and ask for advice, and I give it. Plus—you cheated on me. But I need to know—what made you do that?”

Tessa held her breath. She’d guessed his answer to that question a million times. A little overweight. A little plain. A little stuck.

Except there was one difference now. She wasn’t afraid of the answer. She didn’t feel plain and chunky anymore. And she wasn’t stuck. Only…heartbroken. And not heartbroken over him. She’d gotten over Sam a long time ago. It was Leo she couldn’t push out of her head.

Sam grew quiet. Another flush creeped into his cheeks. “Truthfully, Tessa, I felt like you…checked out.”

From the door, there was a series of quick raps. Startled, she stood up, seeing the group of people out on the sidewalk press their faces up against the glass, trying to see in.

“Are you closed for the rest of the day?” a lady with a giant bag from the candle factory gift shop asked through the door.

“I’m sorry. Ten more minutes, and I’ll be right with you.” She flashed ten fingers just to make sure everybody got it.