Page 25 of What We Got Wrong

“She’s precious,” Mel said, trying to maintain her cool façade, though Quinn didn’t think it was possible to not melt at that adorable face.

“She’s the sweetest,” Quinn agreed.

A minute later, a text came through.

Emma: also…have you stolen her from her husband yet??

When Quinn showed Mel the message, her friend laughed. “Are you going to tell her?”

“How long do we have until we have to get to our next sessions?” Quinn asked. When Mel checked her watch and answered that they had some time, Quinn wrote back.

Quinn: Funny story…

Her phone was ringing within thirty seconds, a video call.

“We have exactly five minutes before we have to leave for our next meetings,” Quinn said, as a greeting. Emma was calling from her porch, her lovely green eyes shining in the sun.

“Did you ride in on a horse and steal her away? Please tell me there was a horse involved,” Emma replied, sounding dreamy.

“You are such a cheesy romantic,” Quinn said.

“I’m an old married lady. I have to live my romance fantasies through someone,” Emma said.

“There have been no horses involved in our Chicago excursion,” Quinn assured. “I think you got the wrong impression from my text.”

“How so?”

“She doesn’t have a husband,” Mel said, squeezing her head into the frame.

“Ooh, ask her for some tips on how to get rid of one,” Emma said, and before either of them could check in on her, she continued, “Mel Hayes, you look absolutely gorgeous. Your makeup is immaculate.”

No one made Mel blush like Emma. “Thank you, beautiful.”

“Don’t call me that,” Emma huffed. In Quinn’s eyes, and in Mel’s, in a different, much more pointed way, Emma was a knockout. Her body had changed, though, in the time since they’d graduated. She’d stopped competitively swimming, and lived an entire decade, one that included birthing a whole human. Emma was still learning to accept the differences. “Is she acting the fool?”

“Which she?” Mel asked.

“Do I need to be here for this conversation?” Quinn said.

Emma shrugged. “Probably not. I was talking about you, though. I guess if y’all aren’t fucking yet, you’re both being dumb.”

Mel gasped, leaning into the melodrama. “You want them to hook up? I assumed that we all were supposed to hate this woman?”

“I don’t hate her at all. I love her,” Emma said. “I mean, she broke my heart, but…yeah. Feel free to tell that bitch she still owes me a phone call.”

Mel raised her eyebrows. “She broke your heart? I’m confused.”

“In a friendly way, don’t get jealous,” she replied, winking at Mel. “Am I finally free to talk about this, Q?”

“Absolutely not,” Quinn answered. “We have to go.”

“She’s right, we should head back downstairs,” Mel said with a sigh.

“Will you keep me updated? Mel, I mean you, Quinn is not going to do it.”

“Of course,” Mel replied, before adding, eyebrows wiggling, “I need to fill you in on my recent exploits as well.”

“Sounds fun,” Emma said, her cheeks taking on a faint hint of pink. Pretty much the entirety of their friendship, as soon as Quinn had introduced them, had been harmless flirting and Mel’s sexy stories. Quinn was sure that Emma knew even more about that part of Mel’s life that she did. “Q, I love you.”