“No,” I insisted.
“I don’t believe you.”
I gaped at her. “We are not sleeping together.”
She spun her glass of water on the table. “Please tell me you aren’t going to do anything stupid.”
“No,” I said, but it came out as a whisper.
“Are you thinking about it?”
What was worse—the fact that I alreadyhaddone something stupid, or that I was letting that mistake back into my life? I glanced at the table and back up. “No.”
“Are you lying?”
Months ago, I would’ve told Gretchen everything. What she already knew, she hadn’t judged. But I’d put so much distance between us lately, and I’d been guarding this secret closely. Admitting the truth felt impossible now.
“I know his type,” she said, her tone heavy with warning. “He’s a player with a capital P.”
“I know that,” I said.
“Do you? I get that it’s tempting, he is agod. And yes, you clearly have chemistry. But I’m afraid he sees you as some kind of challenge. Guys like that have fucked over me and many of my friends. But you have way more at stake.” She paused, searching my face. “Think of what it would do to your marriage. You’d regret it.”
How could I tell her that I’d already done it, and that I didn’t regret it at all? At least not for the reasons I should? I looked down. Grains of salt scattered over the table. I studied them, forming them into abstract patterns.
“Olivia?” she prompted.
I nodded finally. No one had more concerns than I did. I couldn’t be the only person under David’s spell—he could have anyone with the snap of his fingers. Why, then, was I tempted to put everything on the line for him? Gretchen was right. But I feared I’d wandered too far down that path to find my way back.
“So I guess you still have feelings for him,” she said, sighing.
I opened my mouth. “I-I don’t know. He’s helping out with the Oak Park house.”
Her eyebrows met in the middle of her forehead. “Isn’t that weird?”
“Of course it’s weird, but you were there after the wedding. What was I supposed to do when Andrew brought it up? Forbid them from seeing each other? That wouldn’t raise a red flagat all.”
“Well, look,” she said. “David’s with Dani now anyway, right?”
“Seems that way,” I said, directing my scowl at the table.
“So let her have him. If he’s going to break someone’s heart, I’d rather it was hers than yours.”
I smiled so she wouldn’t notice my dejection.
“Speaking of the house,” Gretchen continued, “any news?”
“We should hear back any day now.”
“Are you ready for all that?”
“I don’t know. I guess so.” My conversation with David, fresh in my mind, hadn’t given me any answers. But as usual, opening up to him was easy and left me feeling better. It also left me more confused.
“Well, I hate that you’ll be leaving the city, but I am excited for you,” she said. “This is a big step.”
I nodded. “You’ll come visit, won’t you?”
“Of course,” she said, but her smile waned.
