How could things be moving so quickly when until yesterday he hadn’t remembered Lily existed? I knew the brain and heart could do strange things at times, and not always in conjunction, but she’d ensnared him overnight. The burning fury bubbling at the surface made me choke. He must have sneaked out again after our argument. They’d spent the night together, no question, but had he been with her? Ash had never seemed interested in one-night stands, had once told me he needed to feel a connection with someone to sleep with them. Did he feel something for Lily? Was he going to leave me again? Go back to Brookmount with her?

I wanted to shout at her to leave, scream at Ash, remind him I’d been the one whose number he’d remembered when he woke up on the beach, I’d been the one he’d called. Even through my rage I knew it wouldn’t work. That kind of behavior would rally them against me. I had to be smart. Whatever was going on between them had only just begun, and Lily had instigated it. Ash was vulnerable. She’d taken advantage of him, and if the encounters between her and me thus far had been battles only I had known were being fought, as of now I’d wage an outright war. Wars meant collateral damage. But that was on Lily. It was her fault. She was the one who’d come here. She was the one who wouldn’t leave things alone. Anything and everything I did would be her responsibility.

Ash and Lily disappeared into the house, walking close together, still chatting, not even throwing a backward glance. I counted slowly under my breath, forcing myself to get to at least thirty and to keep going until I couldn’t stand it any longer. At fifty-two I strode to the house, repeating I had to keep my cool. Fake it ’til you make it. This was a long-term play.

I opened the front door and walked into the kitchen with a well-honed smile slinking across my face. Ash had his back turned and was in the process of digging two mugs out of the cupboard while Lily flicked on the kettle as if she’d been here, in my house, a million times. She must have heard me come in, and when she turned around, had a startled look on her face.

“Maya,” she said, her grimace easing as she took in my relaxed expression. “We, uh—”

“I spent the night at the Harbor Inn,” Ash said, matter-of-fact.