Chapter 1

"Sit in the back. Serena's feeling a little carsick today."

Evan didn't even look up when I opened the front passenger door.

Serena was already sitting in my seat.

She wore a cream-colored cashmere sweater, her seat belt securely fastened. My travel mug rested on her lap.

She followed my gaze, glanced down, and immediately smiled.

"Oh my God, is this yours?" She lifted the mug. "Evan said I could use anything in the car. I thought it was his."

"It's fine."

I reached for it.

But Serena didn't let go right away.

"You really don't mind me sitting here, do you?"

She looked up at me, her voice so sincere there was almost nothing to fault.

"My stomach's been awful today. If I sit in the back, I might throw up."

"She barely slept last night." Evan finally glanced at me from behind the wheel. "It's only twenty minutes, Laurel."

I stood outside the car.

Cold wind poured through the open door, tossing my hair across my face.

"I didn't say anything."

"I know." Evan sighed. "But that look on your face—"

Serena immediately unbuckled her seat belt.

"Forget it. I'll move. Really, I don't want to cause trouble between you two."

That was what she said, but she merely rested her hand on the buckle. She made no real attempt to get up.

Evan frowned.

"Serena, stay where you are."

Then he looked at me, his voice softening.

"Can we not make this weird?"

I closed the passenger door and opened the one in the back.

"Let's go."

Serena turned around and smiled at me.

"Thank you, Laurel. You've always been so considerate."

Evan started the car.

They barely stopped talking the entire way.

"Remember the roof of Mason Hall?" Serena suddenly burst out laughing. "You were so sure you could climb over from the fire escape, and then you ripped your pants wide open."

Evan laughed so hard the steering wheel jerked in his hands.

"Come on. Don't tell that story."

"Why not? Laurel's never heard it, has she?"

Serena looked back at me through the gap between the seats.

"No."

"Then you've missed out on so much." She winked. "Evan in college was a completely different person."

"Thank God for that," Evan said with a laugh. "Otherwise, Laurel never would've married me."

"You never know."

Serena looked at him, drawing out the words ever so slightly.

I lowered my head and unlocked my phone.

There were more than a dozen unread messages in the rehab center's group chat. I opened one at random, then closed it again.

Another burst of laughter came from the front.

By the time we reached the restaurant, Daniel and his wife were already seated inside.

He froze for a moment when he saw the three of us walk in together.

"Whoa."

Serena laughed and opened her arms.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm only back for a little while."

Daniel laughed and gave her a hug.

"It's been twelve years, right? You and Evan still look exactly the same standing together."

Silence fell for half a second.

Daniel's wife immediately smacked him on the arm.

"Seriously? That's what you decided to say?"

"I didn't mean anything by it." Daniel quickly raised both hands. "I was just talking about their old college crowd—"

"It's fine." Serena smiled easily. "Laurel doesn't mind."

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to me.

Evan looked at me too.

I pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Of course I don't."

Halfway through dinner, Serena dropped her phone under the table.

Evan bent down to pick it up at almost the exact same moment.

Their heads knocked together.

Serena clutched her forehead, laughing uncontrollably, while Evan reached out and rubbed the spot she had bumped.

"You're still as clumsy as ever."

The gesture was so natural.

So natural that no one thought anything was wrong with it.

No one except me.

Daniel's wife nudged the wineglass closer to me.

"Want some more?"

"I'm driving."

Evan looked up.

"I'll drive."

"You've had two glasses."

"Then we'll call a ride."

Serena immediately chimed in. "Evan can take me home, and you can drive his car back."

I looked at her.

As though she had only just realized how inappropriate that sounded, she hurriedly waved her hands.

"Or forget it. Pretend I didn't say anything. See? I'm making things difficult for everyone again."

"You're not," Evan said.

He answered too quickly.

Serena fell silent.

She lowered her head and took a sip of wine, but the faintest smile touched her lips.

On the way back, she sat in the front passenger seat again.

Evan dropped her off at her apartment first.

When the car stopped, Serena didn't get out right away.

"Thank you for bringing me out tonight." She turned toward Evan. "For the first time in months, I actually felt like a normal person."

Evan's expression softened.

"You're going to be okay."

Serena nodded, then turned to look at me.

"Laurel, thanks for lending me Evan for the night."

Before I could respond, she laughed.

"I'm kidding."

She got out, closed the door, and waved goodbye.

Evan was silent for the entire ten-minute drive home.

When we were almost there, he suddenly said, "She's in a really bad place right now."

"I know."

"The divorce wasn't her fault."

"I never said it was."

His fingers tapped twice against the steering wheel.

"Then why were you so cold all night?"

I turned to look at him.

"I spent the whole evening in the back seat, and I sat through dinner with you. How was I cold?"

Evan was silent for a moment.

"Forget it."

When we got home, he went to take a shower.

I placed my purse on the kitchen island and took out my phone to charge it.

The screen had barely lit up when a notification appeared on Evan's phone beside it.

Serena.

I hadn't meant to look.

But the message was only one line.

It was enough for me to read before the screen went dark.

Thanks for tonight. And thanks for always making room for me.