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cave in and talk a little. "It's like we were made for each other. I don't know how else to say it. Jack can read my mind. He knows what I want, when I want it. He's done things to me that made me so insanely..." I suck in a breath of air and press my hand to my heart. "Kate, I had no idea it could be like that."

"When you find the right guy, it is. So, everything's great? You both want the same things?"

I nod and then add, "He's a little more brazen than me."

Kate sips her coffee. "What do you mean?"

"I like to keep things private and he likes to, ah, well, he wants me when and where he wants me." I tell her about the room in the restaurant on our honeymoon. Her jaw drops. "And I loved that while we were doing it, but if I knew that was his plan, I would have puked. The thought of getting caught makes me so nervous. It's not a turn-on at all, but Jack wants it."

Kate comes back to herself. Her jaw snaps shut and she says, "Try it."

"What? Weren't you listening - "

She cuts me off. "I was, but you don't know what you like until you try it. There've got to be things like that that you've already done, things that you never thought you'd do. I remember talking about oral with you before gym class. You said you'd never do that. It sounded gross at the time. It's not so gross now, am I right?" She grins at me and gives me a look.

I snort laugh and look away. "I forgot about that! But this isn't the same. I feel so frightened that I can't lose myself in the moment, you know?"

"Oh, you'll like it then. Having sex when you're scared out of your mind makes it better. I don't know how or why, but you have to work up enough nerve to try it."

Kate and I talk a little longer, until Gus comes and tells me that someone is here to see me.

Kate and I ask in unison, "Who?"

"Some guy named Jackson."

Chapter 28

ABBY

Kate gives me a look that says I would be an idiot if I talk to him. "Don't do it, Abby. Something's off about that guy."

"He was my friend. I at least need to tell him that now isn't the best time."

"Yeah, and you might want to hurry," Gus says. "He introduced himself to Jack as your ex-boyfriend. You should have seen Jack's face. It was - " I don't hear the rest of what Gus has to say. I fly down the hall and into the lobby. While we talked about it a little bit, I didn't really go into very much detail. As to why Jackson would introduce himself that way, I have no idea.

Jack is standing with his arms folded tightly across his chest, working the muscle in his jaw. Damn it. I didn't think Jackson would just show up. Kate was right. Who does that? Nothing really happened between us, but Jack doesn't know that, and there's no telling what Jackson has said. Why would he introduce himself as my ex? Is he crazy? He has to know that I married Jack.

As these thoughts race through my head, I feel my emotional hardwiring coming undone. Cords are frayed and flying every which way, and the first person who missteps is going to get fried. I don't smile. I'm not into fake and I'm not thrilled to see him. I can't believe he just dropped in and did that.

Jackson glances up at me. "Abby." His voice is a little too high, like he's nervous.

"Jackson, now isn't a good time." I walk briskly toward Jack and stand next to my husband with Jackson across from me. "Today has been crazy, so I didn't get a chance to call." Jack's eyebrows climb up his face and he turns his head and looks at me for a second. I say, "Jackson went to college with me."

"He told me that. I asked how he knew you and he said you guys dated, which surprised the hell out of me." Jack locks his jaw again and stares holes into Jackson.

If the tension goes up another notch, I'll scream. I breathe to steady myself and push my fingers through my hair, tugging it out of my face. "We did, but that was a million years ago." I turn my attention to Jackson and ask,