I will not be the jealous, insecure girlfriend, no matter how in love I am.

Henley showers and walks into the bedroom with the white towel around his waist. “Are you looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow?” I ask casually.

“Yeah, I guess,” Henley replies as he walks around tidying. He folds my clothes that were on the floor and lays them on the chair.

“How long has Jenny worked for you?” I act uninterested in the answer.

“I don’t know, twelve years.”

“Twelve years?” I gasp. “You’ve owned your business for twelve years?”

“No, she and I worked together at another company, and then we both left to work at another company before I asked her to come and work for me.” He puts my shoes in the bottom of my wardrobe. “We need to remodel this wardrobe. It’s doing my head in. Way too hard to keep organized.”

I could give a rat’s ass about organizing the fucking wardrobe.

“So you’ve worked with her at three companies?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You must be close . . .” I twist my lips to hide my disapproval.

“She’s a good friend.” He crawls into bed beside me.

“Do you trust her?”

He frowns. “Of course I trust her.”

That makes one of us.

“What’s with the sudden interest in Jenny?” he asks as he slides his arm around me.

“She just . . .” I pause as I try to get my thoughts together. “She calls you a lot.”

“She worries about me. For a long time she’s been the only woman in my life.”

I blink, shocked. “I’m the only woman in your life now, Henley.”

He smiles and snuggles up to me. “I know, babe.” He kisses my arm. “It’s cute that you’re jealous of her. But you have no need to be. I am yours and only yours.”

“I am not jealous of her,” I lie.

Green with fucking envy, actually.

“Good night, sweetheart,” he says as he lies down. He switches his bedside lamp off and closes his eyes. “I’m beat.” He glances over at me. “How are you still wide awake?”

Because I’m imagining the ways to burn Jenny alive at the stake.

“Not tired.” I fake another smile. “Good night.”

Within five minutes Henley is fast asleep, and my mind is racing.

I hate that he has this friendship with her and that he works with her . . . and that she sees him every day and that I know she’s not on my side.

But more than that, I hate jealous and insecure girlfriends.

I have to let this fear go. This isn’t who I am.

Juliet

“So I guess that’s it.” Rebecca shrugs.

We’re having drinks at my house before we go over to the street party.

“I mean, what did he expect me to do?” she continues.

Chloe and I listen intently. Rebecca met with John today, and she asked him for a divorce.

“What happened then?” Chloe takes Rebecca’s hand in hers.

“He cried and begged for another chance.” She exhales deeply. “And the pathetic thing is that if I didn’t know for a fact that he was still seeing her, I probably would have tried to forgive him.”

We fall silent, lost deep in our own thoughts.

“I feel like a shitty failure of a person.” Rebecca sighs.

“You’ve done nothing wrong, Bec. You know that, don’t you?”

“I put a tracker in his car. That’s not okay. I’m not innocent in all of this. I was spying on my own husband. I still am.”

“Because he was sleeping with somebody else,” Chloe gasps. “Give yourself a fucking break. What were you supposed to do, just believe the lies and stay married to an adulterer for all of your life? And as far as not telling him now, you’re damn lucky you didn’t. You would have forgiven him only to have your heart broken again when you caught him out. He’s never stopped. He’s been seeing her the entire time. Sure he’s fired her from work, but he’s still going around there every night. It’s not just sex—they obviously have some kind of relationship going on here.”

“I know. I can’t believe after all this . . . he’s still lying.” Rebecca’s eyes fill with tears. “I just never saw myself as a divorcée kind of person, you know?”

“I know, honey.” I smile sadly. “I don’t think anyone ever does. But the good thing is, this is a great lesson as to what you don’t want in life.”

Rebecca widens her eyes. “You got that right.”

Chloe charges her glass in the air. “No more sleazebags.”

“None.” I smile over at Rebecca, so beautiful even when she’s so broken.

“That’s it . . . I’m done with men, so done.”

Chloe scrunches up her nose. “I wish I could be done . . . problem is, I like dicks.”

We all giggle.

“What’s with Henley having the street party tonight?” Rebecca frowns. “It’s so unlike him to play host.”

“I know, I thought the same thing.” I shrug and glance at my watch. “We should go over soon.”

“One more drink.” Chloe refills our wineglasses.

“You’re going to be okay, Bec,” I tell her.

“Am I?” Rebecca smiles hopefully.

“We’ll make sure of it.”

Henley

“Okay.” I look around my living room. “Cocktails are done, canapés are out.” I rub my hands together. “I think we’re all set.”

Blake looks around as he sips his drink. “Where are the girls?”

“Juliet’s. They’re having drinks before they come over.”

“Rebecca is still coming, right?”

Antony’s and my eyes meet, and I give a subtle shake of my head. “Yes. But you’re not allowed to talk to her.”

“I can talk to her if I want,” he snaps, indignant.

I fake a smile and then drop it immediately. “Go for Taryn.”

“I don’t want fucking Taryn.”

“Rebecca doesn’t like you.” Antony rolls his eyes into his drink.

“That’s half the fun of it,” Blake says matter-of-factly as he looks around.

“Knock, knock,” says a voice from the front door.

“Come in, Winston,” I call.

The door opens, and he saunters in. I roll my lips to hide my smile. Winston is at least eighty and super skinny with gray hair that he combs over in a very bad attempt to hide his bald patch. He’s in tight blue jeans and a white polo shirt. “You’re looking spiffy tonight, Winston.” I smile.

“Thanks.” He smiles proudly as he looks down at himself. “Thought I’d dress up for the occasion.”

“Good for you,” I reply.

“Wait.” Blake frowns. “There’s an occasion?”

“Yes, there’s an occasion.” I widen my eyes. “Do you listen to me at all?”

“Clearly not.” He frowns. “What the fuck is the occasion?” His eyes dart to Antony. “Wait a minute, this isn’t your wedding, is it? Like . . . you’re not doing that dumb surprise thing, are you?”

“Oh my god.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Nobody even knows Juliet and I are together,” I whisper angrily. “How could this be a fucking wedding, you idiot.”

He puts his hand over his heart. “Thank god for that. I thought you’d really lost it for a second there.”

“Hello, boys,” Carol calls as she walks through the door holding a tray of quiches. “This is so lovely of you, Henley. I’ve made your favorite, dear.”

“Hello, Carol.” I kiss her cheek and take the tray from her. “Thank you. I’ll put this on the table out back.”

“Hey, Dr. Grayson,” Winston says as he comes over. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Call me Blake,” he replies.

Winston’s eyes flick to us. “In private.”

Blake frowns. “O . . . kay.” They step to the side, and Winston begins to whisper in his ear.

“What’s that about?” Antony says as he watches them.

“I have no idea.” I take out my phone and text Juliet.

Where’s my girl?