“Come on, Eve, you’ve been sulking all day,” Serena said, looping her arm through Eve’s as they walked down the marble steps. The evening air was soft, golden with sunset, the smell of grilled meat already drifting through the courtyard. “You need to breathe a little. It’s just a barbecue, not a funeral.”

Eve forced a small smile. “I didn’t say no, did I?”

Serena glanced at her sideways, her red lips curving into something between a smirk and concern. “You didn’t have ...