She bit her lip and looked away as Theresa twisted around to me. “What do you think?”

The dress was black, form fitting, and would stop mid-thigh. I spoke the truth. “Sexy as hell, Amanda.”

Her cheeks grew pink, and she let her hair fall back down. “Thanks. That’s what I go for, sexy as hell on a daily basis.”

I perched on a chair in the corner. Theresa grabbed a different dress from the closet and held it in front of Amanda again. “This one?”

It was pink and lacy. Amanda’s eyebrows shot up. She paled for a quick second before shaking her head and grabbing the black one instead. “I’ll wear this one. I’m good with it.”

“Really? You’re sure?” Theresa frowned at the pink dress. “Maybe I’ll wear this one then?” She glanced at me. “Emma?”

Cue my retreat. I stood. “Oh, no. I’ll find something in my room.” Making a hasty escape, I heard Amanda’s soft laugh, and I paused out in the hallway. A different pain filled my chest. I missed her.

I would miss her.

No. Squeezing my eyelids shut, I told myself I wouldn’t think like that. I couldn’t. We’d have to figure out the cop boyfriend, somehow. She was another sister to me. At that thought, a yearning washed through me. I wanted to talk to Amanda about Andrea, fill her in on everything, but that meant more questions and more answers that I couldn’t give her anymore.

“You okay?”

I looked up. Noah frowned at me, now dressed in a black sweater and jeans. I blinked a few times. Noah was my boss and Carter’s friend. He was big and usually grumbling in the background, especially with Theresa, but right now he looked like he’d stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. I grinned at him. “Theresa is going to go nuts when she sees you.”

“Why?” He cocked his head to the side.

“In a good way. You look good, Noah. She’s not going to be able to keep away from you tonight, especially if she has a few shots.”

“Really?” He mulled that over. “Yeah. Okay. She likes my cologne. I’ll put some of that on, too.” Decision made, he gestured to me again. “You okay, though?”

I looked at the closed door to Amanda’s bedroom. No, but I said, “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Carter’s coming back.”

“What?” I looked at him again.

“Carter. I know he took off this week, but he’s dealing with stuff. You know him. He’ll be back,” Noah reassured me. “Whatever it is, it must’ve been important.”

Carter hadn’t called me since he left that message telling me where he was. There’d been a few text messages, but hearing those words, a floodgate opened. Blinking back sudden tears, I nodded quickly and turned away. “Yeah. I know.” But I missed him. I wanted him here. He was my anchor.

“Emma?”

I turned my back to Noah and closed the distance to my room. “I’m good. Promise.” Forcing a cheerful sound to my voice, I hurried inside. I knew I wasn’t convincing, but I didn’t care. Pressing back against the door, another tear slipped free, and I held my hands to my stomach. It was churning, doing somersaults inside.

I couldn’t even think about Carter and what was going on. Noah had no clue. None of them did, and I realized something: Tonight might be the last night I got to spend with my friends. Carter would send for me. Whatever he was doing, he was doing it to make things safe, and then he would call for me. I’d go to him, and everything would be all right again.

I could feel a raging headache starting. It rose from the base of my head, and I pinched at my temples, rubbing in a circling motion. Amanda’s cop boyfriend. My unknown sister. Carter. The impending war. Maybe drinking tonight would be a good time—my last hoorah. I laughed at that thought. Fuck it. I was going to forget everything for a night, just one night.

I nodded to myself, feeling my stomach settle down with the decision. I would have fun. I would, or I would try.

When we left for the club a little later, it felt like everyone had come to the same conclusion. Theresa was flirting with Noah—no surprise. Amanda and I shared an amused look as Theresa’s hand rested on Noah’s stomach.

She murmured under her breath to me, “What’s the saying? She can’t keep her hands off her guy? Literally this time.”

I nodded in agreement. Theresa was pressed to his side, and her hand rubbed his stomach. He leaned down, bending his head to hear when she murmured something, and locked them in a private moment.

Amanda chuckled. “I have a feeling we won’t be seeing much of Theresa tonight.”

I grinned. “Good for them, though.”

She nodded. “Yeah. She really loves him.”

“I can hear you two.” Theresa looked at us, pulling away from Noah just slightly. She sent us an accusing look. “We’re not deaf, you know.”

Amanda waved her away as she teased, “Get back to canoodling with your man. Whisper sweet nothings to him.”

Theresa laughed. Her cheeks were red and flushed, and her lips puckered together, as if she was holding herself back from kissing Noah right then and there. Her free hand came to rest on his arm as he turned sideways to face her, placing his own hand on the side of her hip.

Amanda leaned closer to me. “Why do I get the feeling this is the image we’re going to be seeing all night?”

I laughed. “Because they’re in love, and they’re happy.”

“Finally.”

“Finally.”

We shared another grin. It felt right to be on the same page.

“Again,” Theresa groaned. “Shut up, you two. I could do without your commentary.”

“Then don’t canoodle in front of us.” Amanda gestured at the two of them. “Look at you. This is prime entertainment. How can we not watch? Our men aren’t here—” She bit off her words and looked at me, panicked. Her face paled.

“Wait. What?” Theresa untangled herself from Noah. “Your men? As in both of you?”

Amanda sent me a pleading look, biting down hard on her lip.

“She meant Carter.” I leaned forward, blocking Amanda from their view and patting her arm. “She’s being nice, trying to distract us all by saying that. And see, it’s working.” I gestured to Theresa. “This would’ve lasted the whole drive to the club.” I turned back to Amanda. “You don’t have to distract me, though. Watching the lovesick couple isn’t making me miss Carter,” except that it was. I patted her hand again. “Thanks for trying to distract me, though.”