Back to her routine—not just because Ashley had to, being the executive director of Celeste Beauty, but also because it was the only way she knew to distract herself from the loneliness after Valerie moved back into her own apartment.

Ten days of nonstop laughter and chaos with Valerie had filled her days with color, and now the silence felt heavy. Valerie’s bubbly, blunt personality, always finding something to do even at home, had made those ten days vanish way too quickly. ...