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“See?” Sloane teased, glancing at the white mound sinking into her co ee.

“What?” Ari asked as if she didn’t understand her meaning. “That’s how I like my co ee. What are you, the diabetes prevention police?”

“Really?” Sloane pressed. “You intended to put that much sugar in your co ee? That’s the story you’re going with?”

Ari tossed the wooden stirrer into the garbage and took a sip of the sickeningly sweet co ee without flinching or breaking eye contact. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she insisted. “Is that what you came in here to do?

Judge my sugar intake?”

“No,” she admitted, obviously delighted by Ari’s sticking to her guns and drinking the nearly unpalatable beverage.

“But this is a nice plus. Maybe you should consider going as a shot of insulin to your big Halloween party this weekend.”

For a second time in as many minutes, Sloane caught her o guard. How does she know about the party? The memory played in her mind. She’d told her about it what seemed like

a decade ago. Why is she still thinking about that? Is she planning on going?

“Great suggestion, but it wouldn’t fit the theme, unfortunately. Unless you can think of a famous film where insulin plays a large roll,” Ari countered between sips of her revolting co ee.

“There must be at least one,” Sloane replied before pulling her phone from her pocket. “The internet is filled with all kinds of magical information.” After typing into her phone, Sloane chuckled. “Oh my God. Someone made a list on Wikipedia of movies featuring diabetes.”

“Diabetes is a silent killer, you know,” Ari replied, unsure whether she was o ended by her own joke or not.

Sloane put her phone away but stopped short of apologizing. “So,

what famous film are you going to represent?”

“Why are you so curious? You could just come to the party and find out,” Ari countered, her teeth aching from the unrelenting sweetness in her mouth.

“I suppose I could,” Sloane agreed as she straightened.

“See you around, little Lemur,” she added as she sauntered toward the door, as if they wouldn’t run into each other again that day. Given the size of the o ce, they’d see each other several times before the day was done, but she was sure Sloane just wanted to use the new nickname.

“Bye, Jaws,” Ari shouted back, waiting until she was gone to pour what remained of her co ee down the drain.

CHAPTER 32

ON HER DRIVE HOME, Sloane veered o the road onto the small access path leading to the beach and made an illegal U-turn to head out of the key and back to the city. Ignoring the slew of honks and curses hurled at her, she accessed her phone via the massive screen on her car’s dashboard.

Moments later, she called a number she hadn’t used in months. After a couple of rings, a woman answered.

“Sloane? Are you okay?”

“Hi, Dr. Lerner. Yeah, fine. Would I be putting you on the spot if I asked for an appointment. I know it’s after—”

“Lucky for you, my dinner date just canceled,” she interrupted with an audible smile. “How soon can you be here?”

Sloane broke half a dozen tra c laws as she high tailed it to Coral Gables in rush hour tra c. Dr. Lerner was the only therapist she’d ever had that met clients on nights and weekends. She was apparently the only person aware that people needed jobs to a ord therapy, and normal o ce hours weren’t exactly convenient. She was also the one who

talked to her like a person rather than an automaton full of platitudes and questions.

When Sloane pulled up to the small, Spanish-style house that had been converted for commercial purposes, she already felt more at ease. As soon as the little bell on the door signaled her arrival, Dr. Lerner emerged from behind her door and strode through the small waiting room to greet her.

“Sloane, I’m so happy you called,” she said warmly, her dull, blue eyes connecting to hers in a way that left no doubt she was present and really seeing her.

“Thank you so much for seeing me like this,” Sloane said before embracing her in a tight hug.

“Come on. We have a lot to catch up on, I’m sure. I didn’t even know you were still in town,” she said, locking the front door behind Sloane before leading her to her private o ce that always smelled like incense and peace.