“Mommy!” Aubrey comes flying out the door with a huge grin. “I missed you today!”

“I missed you, too!” I clutch my little girl and rock back and forth.

The thing I love about my job is the time I still get with the kids. I was able to work from home two days this week, and the more I learn about the inner workings of Celebaholic, the more days I can be remote. My actual position may not be what I want, but the hours are kind of awesome.

I urge Aubrey back and smile. “Did you have a good day with Aunt Danni?”

She nods and then whispers in my ear. “She gave us ice cream.”

“She did?” I act shocked.

“She said not to tell you.”

I giggle. “Then we better not tell her you did.”

“Did you tell your mom about our secret?” Danielle asks with a fake angry look on her face.

Aubrey’s hands go behind her back, and she shrugs. “Maybe.”

Danni makes a huge huffing sound and crosses her arms. “Aubrey Nicole McGee, you’re going to get me in trouble.”

“Should we let her off the hook?” I ask Aubrey.

“Yup!”

Danielle laughs and pulls her into her arms, kissing her cheeks while she giggles. Danielle is Aubrey’s godmother, and the two of them are trouble together.

Finn walks out with his backpack on and the phone, which I now think has actually attached itself to his hand, in his view. “S’up, Mom?”

“S’up?” I repeat. “S’up with you, dude?”

That gets his attention. “You’re so not cool.”

“Oh, I’m the coolest mom ever. I’m so cool that you wish you could be my friend.”

Finn shakes his head and smiles. I can’t help but light up a little. He’s been so depressed that it’s good to see a glimmer of the boy I know.

“Aunt Heather is cool . . . you’re not,” he says playfully.

I can’t deny that Heather being with a television star gains her cool points with the kids, but I miss the days when they thought I was the best.

“Well, get your butt in my car before this non-cool mom starts singing and dancing with Aunt Danni.” I raise my brow, challenging him. Finn knows we’ll do it. I have no problem embarrassing him.

He practically sprints toward the door, and a piece of my heart stitches back together. The kids will have their challenges with all of this, but I could use more smiles.

I get Aubrey buckled in and then meet Danielle at the front of the car. “You doing okay?”

“I’m surviving.”

She grips my arm and gives a sad smile. “I want you to know I love you and that I’m proud of you—we all are.”

People have no idea how lucky I am to have my girls. There is no way I could survive without them. I know we all share the same feelings, which makes it that much more special. I would do pretty much anything for the three of them.

“Proud?” I ask.

“Yeah, honey. You left him when Lord knows you should’ve left years ago. I’m proud of you for doing what you have to. It’s been weird because he calls Peter all the time, and . . . I just felt very in the middle.”

Peter is really Scott’s only friend. I haven’t even considered that Danielle would be hearing the other side of it. No wonder she’s been kind of weird.

“I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head quickly. “No. You have nothing to be sorry for. It was stupid, and Peter knows everything now. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“I wish that were the case.” I smile and then glance back at the car, keeping my voice low. “You know who gave me a hard time about this weekend, and I’m waiting . . .”

Danielle grips her neck and sighs heavily. “He’s going to do it because he thinks he can. He’s pushed you around for so long that he doesn’t know how to handle this new, badass and pissed off woman. Don’t be a doormat ever again—not with him or anyone else.”

“I’m not.” There’s no mistaking the conviction in my tone. He can try, but I’ve had it. This was my first test, and instead of caving to him, I stood my ground. Our time in that house, while we waited for the kids to finish school, was very . . . eye-opening. I saw him for who he is, and the rose-colored glasses shattered. He’s a giant dick and not the good kind.

“Good. I’ll see you Monday?” she asks.

“Bright and early.” I give her a hug and promise to call if I need anything.

Off to my date with the Devil.

The kids fill me in on their day, and Aubrey is going a mile a minute. The ride to my house—old house—is a few blocks, but I drive extremely slowly. I want to delay this as much as possible. Knowing that I’m going to see the home I once loved has my stomach doing somersaults.

We pull into the driveway, and I fight back my discomfort. The kids need to see me as a pillar of strength.

Scott opens the red door and heads down the walkway. He’s wearing his black suit pants I had pressed last month, the blue shirt I bought, and his smile is effortless. I could almost believe he’s happy to see me.

But when I exit the car, his smile shifts to a look of disappointment. I realize he’s still the same miserable person, but I’ve changed and no longer care if he’s happy.

I walk toward him, wanting to be polite. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

Silence.

We stand in front of the home where we shared our lives and can’t even look at each other.

“Are the kids ready?” Scott asks.

Okay then. “Yes, they’re—”

“Daddy!” Aubrey screams as she spots him, cutting off this extremely uncomfortable exchange. “Daddy! Daddy!”

“Princess!” Scott calls back and rushes to her side door. He has her in his arms immediately.

She squeezes him and kisses his cheek. “I missed you so much, Daddy! So much!”

I move to the trunk so I can grab their bags.

“I missed you more. You got so big! Hi, Finn! How are you, buddy?”

Finn doesn’t respond. He just puts the headphones back over his ears.

“I never want to leave you, Daddy.” Aubrey giggles and wraps her little arms around him again.

My heart breaks, leaving nothing but tiny bits remaining. I can’t stop the tears this time. I shift to put my back to them and wipe away the moisture before anyone sees. I hate this so much.

I draw in a deep breath and pull my shoulders back. Time to be the bigger person again. I carry the bags to the sidewalk before heading to Finn’s side.

“Come on, dude. It’s time to go see your dad.”

“I’d rather stay with you.” He glares at his father and then his eyes turn pleading. “Please, Mom.”

Please, God, help me through this.

I touch the side of his face, mustering every last bit of strength I have. “You should spend some time with Daddy. He probably missed you, and I’m sure he hasn’t been able to get to the next level in Overwatch.”

My eyes meet Scott’s, and I see appreciation for the first time.

Scott clears his throat, drawing Finn’s attention. “I’ve been trying, but you know I can’t capture the objective without my sidekick.”

Finn’s chin drops, and he unbuckles his seatbelt. “Fine, it’s not that hard anyway.”

“Why don’t you guys head inside so I can talk to your mom. I got some new stuff for your rooms.” Scott gestures to the front door, but before the kids can run inside, I stop them.

“Come give me hugs.”

The kids each wrap their arms around me, and I hold them tight. This is going to be the hardest thing I do. Dropping them off every other weekend will never be something I look forward to. I love these kids and would keep them with me every day.

“Bye, Mom!”

“Bye, guys!”

They run off, leaving me with Scott. Hopefully, this time he can actually say more than a few words to me.

I rock back on my heels and slip my hands deep into my pockets. “So?”

“So, where do you want to meet on Sunday?”

He isn’t seriously asking me that, is he? Not after the whole fight on the phone. There is no way he can possibly believe I’m going to come get them. No. I don’t believe it.

“Excuse me?” I keep my voice calm.

“I figure we can meet at the McDonald’s between our houses.” Scott cracks his neck.

He’s fucking for real.

“For the last time, I’m not meeting you, Scott. You will bring Finn and Aubrey to my house at the time we agreed on through the lawyers.”

His eyes turn hard, and he makes a low growling noise in his throat.

Good. Be pissed. I don’t give a shit. This is absolutely ridiculous considering it was his stupid agreement.

“I don’t see why you can’t just meet me!” He bellows. “Fucking hell, it’s like you never change!”

I’m not going to stand here and allow him to yell at me. It’s why I’m living in my best friend’s house to begin with.

“You’re living in the house because you asked to stay, even though it was more of a goddamn upheaval on our kids, but you didn’t care. I moved us out without any help from you. You don’t want a wife anymore, so I’m not going to act like one.” I rip open my car door and get in, my chest heaving in anger as I jam the key into the ignition. The old Kristin would’ve met him because she wanted him to be happy.

The new Kristin doesn’t give a shit how he feels.

Scott stares at me in disbelief as I back the car up. I’m done making everyone else happy. It’s time for me to enjoy life a little.

I head back to my place to try to assemble an outfit for tonight.

Forty minutes later, I’ve dug through all the boxes of clothes I’ve yet to unpack and am wearing a simple black two-piece bathing suit under my cute floral-print romper. I throw my dark brown hair into a messy bun and call it a day.

There’s no way I’m going to stay out late tonight, I want to wallow in my self-pity. But once again, I must do something I don’t want to . . . work.

If I can get myself in the mindset that this might actually be semi-enjoyable, I’ll be golden.

I’m still sitting on the edge of the bed giving myself the world’s worst motivational speech ever.

Or as soon as I can get my lazy ass up.

Oh, boy. This is going to be entertaining. Heather is the best drunk ever. She can’t hold her liquor and usually does something epic . . . like landing in bed with a rock star. I force myself to get up and go.

Twenty minutes later, I’m at Heather and Eli’s house.

I can do this. I can go in there, do what I need to do, and get home where I can shovel my face with crap food and watch movies that only depress me more.

I knock on the door, and Heather opens it with a huge smile on her face. “Kristin!” Her arms wrap around my neck, and I go falling forward.

“Holy shit! How much did you drink already?” I laugh as we both steady ourselves.

She releases me with a laugh. “I only had one, but Noah makes these really strong.”

If this is her after one . . . we’re in so much trouble. “Pace yourself, honey.”

Heather rolls her eyes and pulls me into the house. “Start drinking. You need to forget your worries, and I have my friends Jim, Jack, and Johnny all here ready for you. Or we can hang out with Jose.”

My brows raise, and she thrusts a glass into my hand. “Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?”

Her gaze drops to the floor, and when she looks up, a tear forms. “It’s two years today . . . since I lost her.”

She doesn’t have to say another word. I pull her into my arms and rub her back. “Oh, Heather. I’m sorry.”

It’s hard to believe that she lost her sister two years ago. It feels like it’s been so much longer. There’s nothing to say to ease her pain, but I wish I could. Stephanie was more than a sister to Heather. She was like a daughter.

“I’m okay,” she says as she pulls back.

“Today is a shitty day all around.” I shrug.

“Scott?”

“Yup.” Then, because there isn’t anything she can do to make it better, I shrug again. “You know . . . exes.”

“All too well, my friend.” Heather laughs and takes a sip of her drink. “Now, drink so I can bring you out back. Eli and Noah are both in the pool. Shirtless.”

Maybe a little alcohol will make me not such an awkward turtle. I follow her advice and take a gulp, shuddering as the alcohol hits me. “Holy hell!”

She wasn’t kidding about the drinks being strong. I don’t know that I can taste the mix. It’s basically straight tequila. I take another gulp and look out the back window.

The back wall of the house has the best views, though. The sun is setting, giving the sky a pink and yellow hue, but that isn’t what my eyes are fixed on.

Standing on the edge of the pool is the most gorgeous male specimen I’ve ever seen. The photo of Noah Frazier is absolutely nothing compared to the living version. He’s taller than I imagined with a wide frame and tanned skin. His hair is wet, appearing almost black, and little drops of water fall from the tips, sliding down his perfect body. I watch the rivulets slide from his chest and then lower as they follow the ridges of his six-pack.

I grip the counter to stop from falling over. “Oh my God,” I say, barely breathing the words.

Heather’s head twists, and when she looks back at me, her grin is wide. “Yeah, God definitely made them.”

“I can’t go out there,” I stammer. “I’ll never be able to speak.”

There is not a chance in hell I won’t make a total fool of myself.

“You have to!” Heather grips my hand. “He’s expecting a reporter friend to interview him.”

My stomach drops. No, no, no, she didn’t.

“You told him?” I scream the question.

She laughs and drains her glass. “Of course we did. Trust me, it’s better he knows. We explained you’re one of my best friends and that you wanted to talk for a bit. Eli said he was more than happy to do the interview for you.”

Jesus. I’m going to kill her.

I grab my drink and throw it back. My throat burns, and I cough as the warmth starts to flow through my veins.

“Easy!” She warns while slapping my back.

“This is going to be so embarrassing,” I whine.

Heather laughs as she pours another drink. “Yup. Yup it is, but oh so entertaining.”

Maybe I can duck back out and no one will ever know. There’s nothing saying I have to do this. My boss is, like, twelve, I’m sure I can come up with something plausible. Celebrities aren’t known for being reliable.

Ugh.

I need this job, though.

Before I can make a move either way, the glass door slides open and Noah walks through the threshold.

My legs start to quiver as his eyes meet mine. All I can think about is how I’d like to climb him like a tree and shake his coconuts. I thought he was hot in the photo, then he was better through the window, but up close, he’s otherworldly.

“Hi.” Noah’s throaty voice floats around me. “You must be Kristin.”

Instead of speaking, I stand here with my mouth hanging open. Some small sounds that could be words escape, but they aren’t coherent.

Kill me now.

“Noah, this is my best friend, Kristin. Who we told you about.” Heather elbows me.

“Yes. Me. Hi. Kristin. I. You. Hi.”

Smooth. Someone should video this because I’m sure it’s highly entertaining.

“Right.” Noah flashes a blinding smile. “I hear you’re a reporter?”

Okay, Kristin, you have to speak in more than one-word increments or grunting noises.

I grab Heather’s glass she just poured and hope it’ll act as a talisman. “Yes, for a small blog, but I’m that. A reporter. For a blog. I write.”

And a bumbling idiot.

Noah’s green eyes are filled with humor. He moves a little closer and places his hand on top of mine. “Eli filled me in a little. I’m happy I came.”

I’m pretty sure I just came. At least we’re all coming.

“Me, too.”

His lips turn up as his eyes rake my body. “See you out there.” He winks and walks back out.

My ovaries have officially disintegrated.

I turn back to Heather, who bursts out into a fit of laughter. “Oh, that was epic. You all said I was starstruck when I met Eli? You should’ve seen that!” Heather continues to laugh at my expense. “Yes. Me. Um. Blog. Er—” She mocks.

“Shut up.” I laugh—because, really, what else can I do—and bump her hip before moving around the bar and grabbing a glass. “Now, pour me a shot before I drink straight from the bottle.”

There’s only one way to get through tonight.

Alcohol.

Lots of Alcohol.