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Evie dropped her hair. “I am!”

“Then prove it.” Sunita leaned in. “Go on. How do you really feel?”

She let out a big breath, remembering how Nick waited until she was safely inside the B&B before driving away and his text that arrived ten minutes later: Best evening with the best person. Sweet dreams, Evie

The warmth of his actions blazed through her, unraveling the negative stories she’d told herself again and again as a coping mechanism post-split. “Okay. Yes, I’ve been feeling…nostalgic.”

“Nostalgic!” Sunita snickered. “You mean horny.”

Rolling her eyes, Evie picked up a pretzel. “It’s hardly the same thing!”

“You were staring at his ass!”

“When?”

“When Nick left, when the medic was wrapping your hand.”

Sunita saw that? Evie scoffed. “I was saying thanks.”

“Yeah.” Sunita laughed. “Thanks for some tasty visuals for the wank bank later.”

She lobbed her pretzel across the table, missing her friend. “You are terrible, Sun! Does Micah know you’re such a perv? Actually, who are we kidding—he’s probably thanking his lucky stars!”

“Ohh-kay, that’s it.” Sunita rolled up the sleeves of her blouse. “Time to be honest. About everything.”

“Such as?” Evie looked sidelong at Fiona, who shrugged. “Should we be worried?”

“I broke up with Micah.”

“What?!” Evie and Fiona cried at the same time.

“It’s fine. It was mutual. We both realized we’re better as friends.”

“You okay?” Evie clasped Sunita’s hand.

“I’m great. It’s just one of those things, you know? A bit of personal housekeeping like…quitting my job.”

Her breezy delivery left Evie confused and Fiona demanding, “You didn’t!”

“I did. Felt incredible.”

Evie let go of Sunita’s hand. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Everything was blowing up here. You didn’t need to worry about me, too.”

“I always worry about you.”

“Eves, I’m okay! It’s just that dishing gossip started to feel gross. I started to feel gross.”

“Well, it’s not the most”—Fiona paused, her tipsy brain searching—“compassionate of journo paths, is it?”

Sunita nodded woefully. “I damaged relationships. I destroyed lives.” Fiddling with her pizza crust, she skirted Evie’s gaze. “Actually, I…destroyed Nick’s.”

Fiona slumped back in her chair in stunned boozy silence as Evie sputtered, “You…How?”

“The sex tape exposé?” said Sunita. “I paid the source. I wrote the story.”

Evie’s jaw dropped. “But there was no by-line.”