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“Liv, have you spoken to him about it?”

“I’ on in his head because I don’t think I’estured to myself “I mean, I’ve never been perfect, but you know Nate, he liked his woet them I wonder if this disconnect between us, this distance, is because Peetie’s death has made hiht it would be I’m scared he’s unhappy here our life is now That he’s fallen out of love with me” I wiped at the tears that flowed silently and quickly down my cheeks

“Never, Liv, never” Jo shook her head, ada about”

“But you haven’t been here You haven’tIt’s the little things, you know We used to kiss and cuddle after sex and talk about our day In the irls And then he’d kissdinner, or pottering around, and if the girls were out of sight, he’d coers It’s all gone now It all stopped after Peetie died, and I have no clue what that haround in my mind”

“What thoughts?”

“That maybe he has met someone else” The words were out before I could stop theiven a voice

Jo looked horrified by the suggestion “No way Nate would never cheat on you”

“I know that” I did know that “That doesn’tof wine, trying to nuut “I don’t knohat else to think I’ invisible whenever my husband is around”

My friend stared at ? That you don’t want to be with him anymore?”

“I’ I hate the way I feel about myself when I’m with him” And no, that couldn’t last For the sake of my kids and my sanity, that couldn’t last

Scooching forward on the ar that I haven’t told anyone A few years ago, Cah patch It hen he started his new job and he orking constantly Any free tie at all” She referred to their daughter Belle was seven years old now, and a big sister to Jo and Cam’s one-year-old son, Louie “I started to feel just like you said—invisible And hurt So hurt, Liv” She grabbed my hand and squeezed it in solidarity “Finally, I turned up at his work on Valentine’s Day He’d said he orking late but I wanted to surprise him Instead I was surprised to discover that while he was supposedly working late, soue was perched on his desk, flirting with hi those last few e I threatened to leave him”

“Oh my God” I’d had no idea Jo and Cam had ever had a mo him

“As wrong as Ca, too I didn’t tell hi because I was scared of what he’d say So instead I let it fester, until it blew up into ato leave hilect hurt ht not have happened if I’d just spoken up about hoas feeling”

“But you’re okay now?”

“Of course we are,” she assured me “And you and Nate will be, too”

I shook htly by my fear “I think I’m afraid to know the truth”

Before Jo could respond, we startled at the sound of the front door sla at the clock on the wall I thought Nate was taking Jan out for dinner after their day together And as he sla the door?

Uh oh

I really hoped daddy-daughter day hadn’t ended in disaster

Jo leaned into ht eye “A little bit of mascara,” she whispered

I sht I needed to speak with Nate, she wantedI needed was Nate seeing evidence ofit

The door to the snug opened and Nate nodded at Jo as he wandered over to the stereo to turn off Lord Huron “Alright, Jo?” he asked

“Good You?”

“Aye, not bad” He finally looked at me and I stiffened at the blank expression he wore “Lucy’sfor dinner Muht up with me and Jan in the city today They wanted to take her for dinner so she’s with the to pick Lily up froht Unless you’re staying, Jo?”

“Oh, no I better get back” Jo stood up

“I’ll give you a lift,” I said, scra to my feet

“I’ll do it” Nate nodded to my wine

Of course I gave hirateful smile “Thanks”

“I don’t want to put you out, Nate,” Jo said, grabbing her purse off the floor