Page 51 of The Yes Factor

“Please, like you’ve never Facebook stalked her before? I’ll tell you what happened to her.” Bex gears up and I can tell this is going to be good. “She married Jeff Henderson, remember him, quarterback?”

“Of course, I remember Jeff Henderson. Who doesn’t? Most Handsome and Valedictorian.”

“So she and Jeff married right after college. Had four kids together.”

“Four kids? Jeez!”

“And then he left her.” Bex is solemn. “For Alison.”

“What!” I spit out a mouthful of wine.

“Last thing I heard from my mom was that Katie moved back home with her parents so they could help with the kids.”

“I thought Katie Greenwood would be the queen of a real estate agency. Glamour photo on a For Sale sign in front of McMansions.” I’m genuinely baffled. “Seriously, in my mind, all these years, Katie Greenwood has been living the perfect high-income suburban life, two point five kids, marble countertops, jacuzzi bathtub, hot and smart husband.”

Bex chuckles wryly. “Nope, she got jilted by a husband who ran away with her sister. So the aunt of her four kids is now also their stepmom.”

“Holy shit. So nobody’s got the perfect life then.”

“Liv, you gotta know by now that nobody’s life is perfect.”

We both turn as we hear a car door slam in the driveway. Craning her neck, Bex tries unsuccessfully to get a view from the low-slung seat of the lounge chair.

“If that’s my neighbor Opal, don’t talk about real estate, cross-stitching, or African Parrots, she will go on and on,” Bex commands in a hushed voice.

Through the open backdoor, we hear the front doorbell ring.

Bex looks at me. I do my best to act natural.

“That’s weird, Opal never rings the doorbell.” Bex hops up and makes a dash inside. I’m hot on her heels because there’s no way I want to miss what’s coming next.

Right as her fingers touch the handle to open the front door, I almost reach out to stop her. To ask her not to be mad at me for doing this one last thing. For making a bet that I hope to God is the right one.

She opens the door and seems to freeze. Her face lights up, then I think she might start crying.

“Devon?” Her cheeks are flushing.

He smiles. That smile.

I look at Bex and I know I played my hand right.

* * *

“So, where do you think you’ll hang it?” Devon unwraps the brown paper and bubble wrap from the Eastlake mirror.

“Over there.” Bex points decisively to an empty spot in her foyer. Devon follows with the mirror and stands beside Bex. He places the mirror on the wall.

“You’re going to need some new fastenings to really hold it up properly. But it looks good here.” He nods, commending Bex’s design instincts.

I watch from across the room and see Bex and Devon’s reflection, standing shoulder to shoulder in the mirror. Like a family photo that’s been on the wall for years.

Chapter Eighteen

Hello. Buh Bye

BEX

Peeking through the living room curtains, Liv and I wait until we hear Devon’s truck door slam and the engine purr to life before I turn toward her and lose my mind. In pure excitement.

---