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Her face turns ashen, and she sways on her feet.

Olivia clutches her arm. “Whoa. Easy.”

“Is everything okay?” Grace rushes up and grabs her sister’s other arm.

I look at my best friend, finding her eyes hollow and haunted.

“You’re remembering it?” she whispers.

Alarm rings through me. My hold-no-prisoners, badass girlfriend. I’ve never seen her look so terrified before. “Tay, what aren’t you telling me?”

Grace says, “I think Tay is just feeling sick. She was complaining about the shrimp cocktail, right?” She darts a frantic look at Olivia.

“Right. That she was,” Olivia murmurs.

The color slowly returns to Taylor’s face, and she lets out a nervous laugh. “You’d think The Orchid has better food.” She turns around and calls out, “Belle! Over here.”

Belle, Maxwell’s wife, and Millie, Ryland’s girlfriend, glide over, twin smiles on their faces.

“Tell your men they need better chefs for this party,” Taylor grumbles. Her voice is light, but there’s sweat beading on her forehead.

Belle’s eyes sharpen. “What did we miss?”

“Tay has a stomachache from the shrimp cocktail, and Lexy is remembering the night of the accident.” Grace strains a smile.

Millie’s breath hitches and the girls exchange a worrisome glance.

Something is terribly wrong.

“Go find Ethan. We’ll take care of Tay and her digestive problems.” Olivia nudges me.

“You guys are acting weird.”

“Even if we are, we can’t tell you anything. Medical trial, right? So, go. Find your man.” She shoos me away.

Unsettled, I cut through the crowd and head toward the library. My mind swirls with questions and theories and dread knots in my stomach.

Ping.

Eager for a distraction, I whip out my phone from the hidden pocket of my forest-green gown and see a notification.

A new email from Polaris.

He didn’t forget me.

My breath catches and I quickly stop to read his note.

To:[email protected]

From:[email protected]

Subject: RE: Do you ever want to meet?

Lexy,

I’m sorry for not responding.

It’s not you. It’s me.