Leo reached into the bag. “And before you ask, yes, I brought spring rolls.”
Remi gave him a small smile. “You’re too thoughtful.”
He leaned against the counter and lowered his voice to a whisper, “Pretty sure you needed a friend.”
She met his gaze. “I certainly did.”
In the quiet that followed, she let herself exhale. She was grateful for his presence. And they ate Thai food in the middle of the afternoon.
All day she’d been rehearsing what she would say to Bianca and imagining every possible outcome of their conversation. She wondered if there would be shouting, silence, tears—maybe all three.
The knock at the front door was more of a light tap. Remi didn’t rush to answer it. She stood in the foyer, steadying herself. The sunlight had long retreated and there was only darkness against the windowpanes. When she finally opened the door, Bianca stood there, flight weary and unsure, her luggage at her feet.
Remi said nothing. Bianca’s mouth parted—just slightly, as if to speak, but she hesitated. Her hair was pulled backinto a sleek bun, and she wore black leggings with an embellished denim jacket. Her eyes were tired, and she suddenly looked older, more fragile. Maybe guilt had a way of aging a person.
“I took a Lyft from San Francisco,” Bianca finally said, her voice hoarse. “Longest ride ever.”
Remi stepped aside wordlessly, allowing her in. She was grateful that the girls had taken off for Bodega Bay and had planned to have a late dinner somewhere along the way back. That way she and Bianca could talk privately—or fight—whichever it ended up being. They walked to the kitchen without speaking, the air thick with years of friendship and betrayal. Bianca turned to face Remi, her posture stiff.
“Before you say anything,” Bianca started, “I just want to say I’m sorry. I feared that when you started talking about going through Gerard’s things—”
Remi leaned against the counter, arms folded. “You’re sorry,” she repeated, tasting the words, trying to feel something from them.
“I never meant for it to happen,” Bianca continued. “It was a mistake, a moment of weakness—”
“No,” Remi cut in, her voice calm but firm. “Stop calling it that. A moment is a kiss you regret. This was much more. Don’t minimize it.”
Bianca flinched as if the words slapped her. “You’re right. It wasn’t just a moment. But itwasjust a one-time thing, though—many, many years ago. It was a bad decision on both our parts. Alcohol played a huge role.”
Remi looked down at the kitchen island. “You sat in my home. You ate my food. We laughed together, cried together. You played auntie to my daughter. All the while—”
“I didn’t plan to sleep with Gerard.”
Remi stared at her. There it was—the confession. Heart pounding raw truth.
“Yet you did.” Remi’s voice cracked, just slightly, and she hated the way it made her feel vulnerable. “You did.”
Bianca’s eyes brimmed with tears. “It was early in my marriage with Harry, and I was going through a tough period in my life. And Gerard … Rem, I didn’t mean for it to happen. But it did. And I hate myself for it every day.”
Remi was silent and just let her ramble on.
Bianca looked at her. “I didn’t mean to betray—”
She was grateful for self-control because in her mind she wanted to drag her across the hardwood flooring, by her hair, no less. But what good would that do?
Remi interrupted. Her voice raised. “You absolutelydidmean to betray me. You both did! You had every opportunity, nineteen years’ worth of opportunities to tell me the truth, but you both held onto this secret for-fucking-ever. And the only reason you’re telling me now is because you know that I know—”
“I wanted to tell you, Remi, I did. I begged Gerard … wanted us to come clean.”
Remi hated the sound of her using the worduswhen referring to her and Gerard. It was difficult enough ridding her thoughts of them sleeping together, wondering when it was that it happened. Where it was and, moreover, whereshewas when it took place. She didn’t want to know, not really. But then again, she did. It might’ve eased the anxiety she was feeling, and the tightness in her chest, or maybe it would intensify it.
“Gerard was terrified of losing you. You were his world,” Bianca continued.
“And you?” Remi spat. “Were you his world too?”
“I was his very big mistake, and he never let me forget it.”
“You had an obligation to me, an allegiance to me. You owedmeloyalty, not Gerard.”