Chapter 11

Zoe settled into the backseat, her heart fluttering with an unexpected curiosity. From her vantage point behind the driver’s seat, she couldn’t help but fix her gaze upon Thomas, her best friend Cassandra’s husband, as he moved about the front of the car. Cassandra slid into the passenger side, and without missing a beat, Thomas crouched gracefully to click her seatbelt into place. His focused attention on her made Zoe’s chest tighten—she knew Thomas was supposed to be gay, because Cassandra had told her so, but seeing him now, close and attentive in this everyday moment, planted a seed of doubt in Zoe’s mind. So she did what she always did when something puzzled her: she watched.

The sun glinted off the dashboard as the two of them settled. Cassandra rubbed her palms together, as though trying to generate warmth. Thomas turned his head, dark eyes soft. “Are you cold?” he asked, voice low enough that only Cassandra—and Zoe, who listened intently—could hear. “Should I turn off