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My gaze finds Easton as he and the guys lift another beam into place, and I admire his strength—physical and emotional.

He dove headfirst into this marriage, dedicating his time and energy to me. He doesn’t let doubt rule his decisions. He follows his heart.

And I want to be more like him.

Blair tsks. “This is so unfair. None of these men are doing anything for me. I wonder if this is what it would feel like if I were a lesbian?”

Ginny sighs. “Sometimes I wish I were so I wouldn’t end up disappointed by men so much.”

I laugh. “It’s not all men, but it’s always a man that will disappoint you, huh?”

“There’s a truth bomb I didn’t need today.” Blair smacks her gum a few more times. “Ugh. I need to pee. I’ll be right back.”

I watch Blair disappear down the hall, wait for the bathroom door to click shut, and turn to Nora and Ginny.

“Easton and I had sex.” Their heads snap toward me so fast, I wonder if they have whiplash.

Nora’s eyes fly wide. “Oh my god! Really?”

“Really. And it was fucking amazing.”

Ginny glances out the window before looking at me again. “The man looks like he knows how to fuck, so that doesn’t surprise me.”

“Oh, he definitely does. And I don’t know if it’s just the hormones or what, but I’m fairly certain it’s the best sex I’ve ever had.”

Nora smiles softly. “It’s not just the hormones, Lennon. It’s your friendship, your history. When you share a bond with someone like that, it makes intimacy much better. Or at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

Ginny shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never married and slept with my male best friend before, but Nora makes a very valid point.”

I glance down the hallway to make sure Blair isn’t eavesdropping. She still doesn’t know the truth behind my marriage to Easton, and I’m not ready to tell her. But Ginny and Nora know, which is why I had to get this news off my chest.

“How did this even happen?” Ginny prods. “The last time I was around you two, you acted like you wanted to punch him.”

“I did, but again, I think part of that was hormones. He was being so overprotective, doting on me, and…”

Nora snorts. “Oh, you poor thing.”

Ginny laughs. “Yeah, sorry, Lennon. You’re not getting any sympathy from us.”

“I know, and now I feel like an ass for being frustrated with him at all. But everything changed the night we had dinner with his mom and Owen.”

Nora’s brows draw together. “How so?”

“Do you remember my prom night?” I ask. Ginny knows what happened because I confided in her years ago. But Nora was sixteen then, and I don’t remember whether she was home that night.

Nora taps her chin. “I think so. Your ex, Justin, showed up, right?”

“Yeah, and so did Easton.”

She nods. “Okay. Yeah, I remember that.”

“Apparently, Easton showed up at the last minute because he wanted to take me to prom and planned to ask when he reached our house, but Justin was already there.” Both their eyes fly wide. “I know. His mom told me when we were alone, and suddenly, all the puzzle pieces fell into place. Later that night, he punched Justin, and we had the fight that changed our friendship. Now I understand why.” I look toward the backyard and focus on Easton. “I hurt him.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t do it on purpose,” Nora argues. “How were you supposed to know if he didn’t tell you?”

“That’s what I yelled at him about the night before the camping trip,” I explain, and then fill in the details of what transpired from that night through the weekend.

Blair returns to the window just seconds after I finish explaining where Easton and I are now. “What are you all whispering about?”