He laughed again. “I’m sure. Have a good day, ladies.”

When the side door clicked closed behind him, I turned to Aggie. “What was he really doing here?”

She rinsed out her coffee cup from earlier that morning. “Just what he said. The fund-raiser.” She frowned. The cup dripped water on the floor. “I promise we didn’t talk about you, sweetheart.”

I rolled my eyes, because I knew that was the proper response. “I hope not. Because that would be a waste of a trip. And a boring conversation.”

She chuckled, and her beaded earrings swung back and forth. “Oh, you. What would I do without you?”

Another rhetorical question.

Aggie filled her cup, stirred in some creamer, and left me alone in the kitchen. I didn’t feel like cleaning, but syrup was stuck on my hands from the towel I’d just used. I squirted some hand soap out, and the lemony scent filled my nose.

The floors of the building where I’d been held had been scrubbed with lemon-scented cleaner.

Lemons reminded me of that place, of the walls closing in, of secrets kept and secrets shared.

I’d never told Aggie about that particular trigger because she usually bought things that smelled like baked goods.

What were Aggie and Dr. Sedwick talking about, and what did it have to do with me?

Always so many secrets.

Immediately, I knew what my next mixed scent would be.

I would make a bottle and label it SECRETS and fill it with nothing but lemon.

I met up with Chloe at the coffee shop later in the day. Nick hadn’t returned to the carriage house, and Aggie had disappeared into her bedroom right after Dr. Sedwick left. I didn’t want to be alone. I had called Chloe, but now I worried that the moment she set her eyes on me, she’d know I was keeping something from her.

My cheeks still felt hot from the kiss, the heat of the moment setting my skin aglow. Chloe would take one look at me and see the truth written across my face.

“Hello, you,” Chloe said, and hooked her arm in mine as we entered the coffee shop. “How are you?”

The question felt like a trap. How was I? I was many things. Confused. Thrilled. Worried. Anxious.

All I said was, “Good.”

We got in line at the counter, and Chloe let go of my arm to dig around inside her purse. She pulled out her cell phone. “I have something to show you. And once I show you, I think you will be more than good.”

I frowned. “Okay.”

She tapped in a few things and handed the phone to me. It was a text conversation between her and Evan.

The first one on the screen, from Evan, said, Is Lis seeing that d-bag Nick?

I looked at Chloe and raised a brow.

“I know,” Chloe sang as she stepped up to order her drink.

I kept reading. Chloe had replied, Why?

Evan said, Bcuz he’s a creep? Bcuz she deserves better? Bcuz I want to know?

Interesting, Chloe said.

Just answer the question.

Which one?

UR so fking annoying sometimes.

That was the last one. Chloe hadn’t responded to Evan, and he hadn’t pressed for more.

When I glanced up from the cell, the barista behind the counter was staring at me expectantly. “Oh, sorry,” I said. “Iced latte, please.”

Chloe and I scooted down the counter to wait for our drinks at the other end.

“So?” Chloe said after she dropped her phone back in her bag.

“So. I’m not sure what to think of that.”

“Should I hire a skywriter for you? Would that make the message clearer?” She sighed and shook her head as she tore the wrapping from a straw. “Evan likes you. And he’s jealous of Nick. And we all like a jealous man.” She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and twirled the straw between her fingers. “I don’t know what it is about them. Oh wait, yes I do. It’s the jealousy. Jealousy gives you power. Everyone wants something. And jealousy makes them want it more.”

“You are depraved,” I said.

“Yes,” she answered simply.

Our drinks were thrust onto the counter. I grabbed mine and made my way to a table in the far corner, near the windows, and Chloe followed.

“So, speaking of Nick,” she said, and all my senses went on alert. Did she know about the kiss?

“What about him?”

“Are you with him?”

“No. It’s not like that.” Liar, I thought.

“Well, have you… you know?” Chloe asked with a waggling of her eyebrows.

My mouth dropped open. “Chloe!”

“What? I would. I would do it so hard.”

“Stop. Please.”

She shrugged. “So clearly you haven’t. But it’s only a matter of time, I’d say. He can’t keep his eyes off you. Next step, it’ll be the hands.”

My face flushed, as I recalled the feel of those hands on my body, his fingers buried in my hair. And just like I’d predicted, Chloe saw it.

She gasped. “You are hiding something.”

“No.” I looked out the window, wincing at the zealous tone of her voice.

“Have you at least kissed him?”

I didn’t say anything.

“You did! Well. Kissing is the foundation of sex, so I guess you’re off to a good start.”

I lowered my voice. “Can we not talk about this here?” I scanned the shop, feeling as though everyone was staring at me, listening in on the conversation about my sex life. Or what little there was of it.