“Hey, man,” the man greeted, extending his hand and engaging in a handshake followed by a hug with Nathan. “Ain't this a surprise? You're never here this early, much less with a guest.” Neither of us had a chance to reply before the man yelled back to a woman mixing a drink. “Tessa, guess who's here?”

“Who?” she asked, turning her attention towards us. “Holy shit. Nathan Maxwell accompanied, I must be dreaming.” The woman with straight hair smiled at us, surprise and genuine curiosity etched into her features.

“Tessa,” Nathan said, giving the woman a hug. “Never thought you'd see the day, huh?” He turned his attention to me and I just knew introductions were about to happen. Would this woman know who I was?

“Tess, this is Evelyn Carson, Evie this is Tessa Morgan, the owner of the bar and a friend of mine. The man who greeted us was Sam, her husband.”

I extended my hand to her, but instead, the woman pulled me into a warm hug. She studied me for a moment, cocking her head to the side until she smiled. I could practically see her brain working, trying to get to know me with just one stare. In the end, she said, “I approve. Go on, take a seat.”

We took a seat, Nathan next to me, and immediately the woman was in front of us once again, whipping up a drink for us. “How old are you, Evelyn?”

“Uh, twenty,” I said, feeling slightly out of place.

“Guess you can't drink alcohol then,” she said raising a scolding eyebrow.

“Not that she can handle it,” Nathan mocked, remembering my birthday. I glared at him but all I received was another smile. He was happy.

“I'll just get a lemonade.”

“Good idea,” she said in a motherly tone. “We'll have enough with Nate being wasted. We don't need two of you.”

Nathan rolled his eyes, taking a sip of the drink she'd set in front of him. After a quick chat, the woman left Nathan and me alone, his posture showing how relaxed and at home he felt. He turned his whole body to face me, leaning his head on his hand.

“Not the place you expected I'd bring you to?” I shook my head, a smile playing on my lips. “Figured we needed a comfortable place to talk.”

“I thought you'd want to go to a place where no one knows you,” I said with honesty.

“Why would I do that?” He furrowed his eyebrows as he swirled the drink around.

“Just the small marriage detail.”

“Small detail,” he said with a shrug. “They all know about it.”

“They do?”

With a nod, he took my hand in his, running his thumb over my knuckles. “This thing with Hannah, it's just a matter of time. I agreed to marriage counseling for six months, even though I knew it would be pointless. If after the counseling our marriage isn't better, we agreed to get a divorce.”

“How do you know it won't be better?”

“Because it was doomed from the start.”

“I don't understand, Nate. Why would you say that? Why did you get married in the first place?”

The emotions that flashed over his features were so many they couldn't be read. He lowered his gaze and sighed as if trying to compose himself before taking another sip of his drink. “I was a different man then, Evie. I don't want this life anymore, I never did.”

“Then why—”

“Like I said, I was a different man, my priorities were different.”

“Did you ever love her?”

A humorless laugh left his lips. “I tried, but you can't force these things.” He downed the last bit of his drink, catching me off guard. “All right, we've been texting for the past year more often,” he began. “And for fuck’s sake, you're so different from her, even through texts. And then you came back with your snarky attitude and just your desire to live, it reminded me of who I am.” His intense stare met mine and he smiled again, tender…caring. “I don't have to pretend with you,” he explained. “You being in that house makes it more tolerable to be there for now but as soon as the next two months pass, I'm done, I'm leaving.”

“That's all that's left?” I asked, a new hope igniting in me.

“Two months and I'll file for divorce.” He smiled and rubbed his hands together as if preparing for something. “All right, so I know you must have many questions, so go ahead. Ask them all.”

“Do you still have sex with her?”