“Hello,” said a soft voice on the other line.

Quinn sat straight up in bed, pulled the phone from her ear, and double-checked it was Ethan’s face looking at her from the screen.

It was.

But it wasn’t his voice.

“Um . . . sorry, I thought I was calling Ethan . . . ,” she said tentatively.

Silence on the other end. One second. Then two.

“Quinn?” the voice asked.

“Gina?” Confusion flooded her. “What are you doing there? Where’s Kevin? Is Ethan okay?”

Gina hesitated. “He’s fine. He’s right here. Sleeping. I saw your name and it’s—well, it’s late. I thought it might be an emergency, so I picked up.”

“It’s only dinnertime here,” Quinn said. But wait, Ethan was sleeping? Gina saw her name? She tried to understand through the fog that filled her thoughts.

“But—but, I don’t—what are you doing there, Gina?”

From the other end of the phone, Quinn heard a long sigh. It sounded resigned.

“Quinn. I—I’m sorry,” Gina whispered. She sounded as though she was pleading.

It hit Quinn like a brick wall.

It was after midnight, and one of her closest friends was lying in the same bed as Quinn’s fiancé. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to put it together.

And what about Kevin? For God’s sake, he was Ethan’s best friend. Not even thinking of herself, Quinn’s heart squeezed for him. This was going to kill him. Kevin was a good guy. And totally in love with Gina. Everyone knew it. Ethan knew it! And what about Ethan? Did he not love her either?

Quinn felt sick to her stomach. Her head swam, stars gathering just out of reach. She wanted to scream at Gina. To insist she wake up Ethan.

“Say something, Quinn,” Gina said.

Quinn resisted throwing her phone at the wall. What the hell did Gina expect her to say? Should she ask her what she thought of Ethan’s physical prowess now? Or beg for details of how and why this had happened? Convince her to leave and never darken their door again?

There was a lot Quinn could say. Could demand.

Instead, she clicked the “End” button, cutting the connection that traveled between her and Gina instantly. But it didn’t cut the pain. She dropped the phone and fell over to the side, bringing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, her body going into a fetal position as she fought to protect herself from the onslaught of thoughts and the sudden nausea.

But she couldn’t.