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“You think?”

“I know,” Cherry says, her voice gentler than I’ve ever heard it.

And for the first time in days, that sharp ache of missing him softens into something else. Something warm. Hopeful.

Maybe even mine.

By the time our massages are over, I feel like I’m floating.

I don’t know what enchanted oils the masseuse used or how she found every knot I didn’t know I had, but my limbs are liquid, my head is clear, and, for the first time in days, the grief of missing Eddie doesn’t feel like it’s pressing a cinder block against my chest.

We’re back in the lounge area, wrapped in robes, lounging on overstuffed chairs with our feet propped up and our hair messily piled on top of our heads. Frankie has stolen the lavender-scented eye mask from Cherry’s tray and is wearing it on his forehead like a tiara.

“You look like royalty in a silent breakdown,” Cherry mutters, sipping herbal tea like it’s a shot of whiskey.

“I’m reclaiming my calm,” Frankie says. “Do not interrupt the process.”

Lexi chuckles softly and reaches for a handful of dried mango slices. “Honestly, he’s earned it. That facial nearly turned him into a new man.”

“My pores are tighter than my last situationship,” he replies, completely deadpan.

I laugh and lean back, letting my head sink into the cushion. Everything feels soft. Safe.

Until Cherry reaches across and takes my hand.

Her grip is warm, steady.

“It’s going to be okay, Laney.”

Her voice isn’t loud or forceful—it’s low, full of something deeper than reassurance. A quiet certainty that lands right in the center of my chest.

“You have to trust what you and Eddie have.”

I nod, eyes stinging a little. “I do. I just… sometimes it’s hard to believe something that feels that good could actually be real.”

Cherry nods like she’s been there. “I get that. Jake and I? We weren’t always… this. We’ve loved each other forever, but we hurt each other a lot before we finally got it right.”

I look at her, surprised. “You two seem so solid. So… unshakable.”

She lets out a dry laugh. “We are now. But we had years of wrong timing, wrong choices, stupid pride, stupid people... everything in between. There were times I thought we were done for good.”

“What changed?”

Her gaze softens. “We grew up. We stopped listening to fear. And we chose each other. Even when it was hard.”

I swallow against the lump in my throat.

Lexi reaches over and rests her hand lightly over ours. “I didn’t even know Hunter’s real name when I got pregnant. I thought I would never see him again.”

My eyes snap to hers.

“It was meant to be one night of fun,” she says softly. “But fate had other ideas and she delivered the man of my dreams, my absolute soulmate, to me when I least expected it.”

Frankie quiets instantly. Cherry doesn’t even blink. They already know the story.

“One night and I was done. And for a long time, I felt like I was just barely surviving. Then we found our way through allthe drama. One night. I didn’t even mean it to be forever and it ended up being everything I could ever dream of.” She smiles gently. “When I got pregnant, it scared the hell out of me. But that man… he didn’t run. He stepped into the storm and never left. And now we have Theo. And peace. And a home I never thought I’d feel safe in again.”

The breath I take is sharp. Real.