Chapter 3

I picked the best steakhouse in the city and ordered the steak, the wine, the lobster. My money spends just fine without anyone's blessing.

I stayed out past two. When I got home, the house was dark. Not one call. Not one message. They'd all gone to sleep without a thought.

I felt my way to the bedroom, and I smelled her before I saw her.

My pillow. My sheets. All of it soaked in someone else's scent.

I hit the light. Celeste was asleep in my spot, curled under my blanket, my husband beside her.

I slapped her before I finished thinking about it.

She burst into tears on cue. Lucian shot up and pulled her behind his arm.

"What is wrong with you? We were talking and lost track of time! We fell asleep, that's all!"

"You fell asleep talking. Into my bed. Under my blanket."

"We were waiting for you! You stay out till two in the morning, Cece kept me company. People fall asleep. It's normal!"

"Waiting for me. That's why nobody called, nobody sent a single message. And you two wait for me in my bedroom instead of the living room?"

"You're being impossible."

I was done arguing with him. I looked at Celeste. "I'm home now. Are you leaving, or were you planning on three in a bed?"

She held her cheek. "Lucian, it really stings."

"I'll get you some ice." He couldn't fuss over her fast enough.

The second they were out, I locked the door behind them. Then I stripped the bed — sheets, blanket, pillowcases, all of it — and made it up fresh, until the room smelled like mine again.

In the mirror, my neck was as bare as the day we married.

I put in earplugs and slept.

The next morning, Lucian came at me the moment I opened the door.

"What was that last night? I knocked for half an hour! You woke up my parents! You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. I gave you a whole night with Celeste. You could thank me."

"Are you sick? Why would I sleep with Cece? You're my wife!"

"Oh, so you remember. I thought that position went to her the day she flew back."

Celeste slid in between us, gentle as anything. "Please don't fight. We're supposed to have a nice moon together. If this is because of me, I'd feel terrible."

"Look how considerate Cece is," Lucian said. "Learn something."

His mother joined in. "Calla, that temper of yours is getting worse. Locking your own husband out! We'll let it go this once. Don't let it happen again."

His father didn't even look up from his coffee. "You've all spoiled her. A man's word is law under his own roof. Locking your husband out — in my day, a wife like that got put in her place, and fast."

Junie laughed. "Keep it up, Calla. My brother's going to trade you in."

Celeste said nothing. She just watched me, with a small smile she didn't bother to hide.

Then Lucian started dragging luggage into the hall. "Enough. The convoy leaves at nine. We're already late."

Eight suitcases, stuffed until the zippers strained. On top of them sat the tonic case — a full week of moon doses for the whole family, every one of them brewed by me.

"The convoy has weight limits, so you're taking the bags," Lucian said. "You're driving anyway. Take everything up to the front desk, drop off the keycards, then head down and get in line. You'll make it if you don't dawdle."

He pressed three black keycards into my hand. The only three keys to an eighty-thousand-dollar suite.

I looked at the suitcases. At the cards in my hand.

And I smiled.

"Sure. Go ahead. I'll be right behind you."