Chapter 4

I sat across from my sister Chloe at our favorite café, my hands wrapped around a mug of chai tea gone cold. The afternoon light filtered through the windows, casting dappled shadows across our table. I'd called her urgently, needing to talk to someone who wouldn't judge me—or at least wouldn't judge me too harshly.

"I think Julian's seeing someone," I said, my voice steadier than I expected. I'd rehearsed this conversation in my head a dozen times, carefully editing the truth into something Chloe could handle.

Chloe's eyebrows shot up, her expression shifting from casual interest to alert concern.…