Chapter 2

By the time I got home, the chilled dessert in my hand had melted completely.

I didn't want it anymore, so I dropped it straight into the trash.

I opened Brooklyn's social media. Mostly travel photos, nothing out of place.

Then something occurred to me, and I switched over to her secret account and scrolled through it.

Sure enough, I found a post about a turquoise bracelet.

It was on her pale wrist, and the caption was a single word: love it.

Among the people who'd liked it was Paddy.

And he was the first one.

I stared at that like for a long time, and something inside me sank lower and lower.

Paddy never liked anyone's posts, least of all a woman's.

His social media was dead water. Except for work, he never shared anything.

The selfies I sent him didn't even earn an emoji back. He'd only say "cute" to my face.

Yet he'd liked Brooklyn's turquoise bracelet.

My phone buzzed.

A message from Paddy: "You home yet? I just wrapped up. Want me to bring you some of those grilled skewers you love?"

I fought down the irritation and replied, "No need."

Twenty minutes later, the lock turned.

Paddy came in, a bag of skewers in his hand, still steaming.

"I knew you wouldn't have eaten."

He set the skewers on the coffee table and reached over to ruffle my hair. "What, are you mad?"

I said nothing, and he laughed and sighed.

"Knew it. My little princess is being paranoid again."

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, his warm breath tickling my neck.

"It really was just business. Brooklyn's company has a project, and they needed my side to work with them."

"She only picked me because of you, you know."

I turned to look at him. "Why would she pick you because of me?"

Paddy paused.

"Aren't you two best friends?"

"Best friends." I repeated the words and found them almost funny.

"And best friends get to take my boyfriend out to dinner alone?"

"Haven't I already told you? It was a work thing."

Something impatient crept into his eyes.

He leaned down, bringing his face close to mine. "Caroline, what's gotten into you today?"

I looked up at him.

Clear eyes, long lashes, soft features.

Just as handsome as the year we met in college.

And exactly like the man in that marriage certificate photo in the dessert shop's album.

A sharp ache went through my chest. I hadn't figured out yet how I wanted to face tearing everything open.

"Nothing." I stood up. "I'm going to shower."

The moment the hot water came down, I closed my eyes.

All I could see was that turquoise bracelet.

The next day, I went to Brooklyn's place.

Usually, whenever work wasn't busy for her, we'd make plans to watch a movie together on the weekend.

But when I thought about it, the last time we'd gotten together was half a year ago.

Lately she was always saying she was busy.

She'd also started seeing some mysterious boyfriend.

I'd dropped plenty of hints. "When are you going to bring this boyfriend around so we can get a look at him?"

She always said, "There'll be plenty of chances later."

All that hiding and dodging could only mean one thing.

That boyfriend was someone she couldn't bring in front of me out in the open.

When she saw it was me at the door, there was a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

"Caroline, what are you doing here?"

"What, are you so busy being a career woman now that you've got no room for your best friend?"

I smiled and stepped past her inside.

Brooklyn hesitated, then trailed after me, making idle conversation.

We'd known each other since college. Six years of it, close enough to pass for real sisters.

Which only made it harder to accept that she and Paddy had been keeping it from me.

"It's the weekend. Stop working for once. Let's go out and see a movie. Go make yourself presentable."

Brooklyn laughed and went off to shower and do her makeup, while I wandered around with nothing to do.

Until I reached her vanity.

I saw that pretty turquoise bracelet.

Right down to the smallest detail, it was identical to the one the dessert shop had shown me yesterday, the turquoise bracelet you got for buying a three-year membership.

I'd only just picked it up.

Before I could even get a good look, a hand snatched it away from me.

"Caroline, what are you doing?"

"Who said you could go touching my things?"