Copyright 2018 by Colleen Hoover

Pantem Press is excited to announce that the remaining novels in
The Virtue Series, made successful by Verity Crawford, will now
be co-written with author Laura Chase. Verity is ecstatic to have
Laura on board, and the two are looking forward to the co-
creation of an unforgettable conclusion to the series.
Verity is ecstatic? Ha! At least I know never to trust another publicity
announcement. I start reading the comments below the announcement.
-Who the heck is Laura Chase?
-WHY IS VERITY HANDING OVER HER BABY TO SOMEONE
ELSE?
-Nope. Nope, nope, nope.
-That’s how it usually works, right? Mediocre author gets successful,
hires shittier author to do her job?
I set down my phone, but it’s not enough. I turn off the ringer and put it in
my purse, then zip it shut. “People are brutal,” I mutter under my breath.
Jeremy laughs. “Never read the comments. Verity taught me that years ago.”
I’ve never really had to deal with comments because I’ve never really put
myself out there. “Good to know.”
When we arrive at the store, Jeremy hops out of the Jeep and runs around to
open my door for me. It makes me uneasy because I’m not used to this kind of
treatment, but it would probably make Jeremy even more uneasy if he allowed
me to open the door myself. He is just the type of guy Verity describes him to be
in her autobiography.
This is the first time I’ve ever had a guy open a door for me. Dammit. How
messed up is that?
When he grabs my hand to help me out of the Jeep, I tense up because I can’t
prevent my reaction to his touch. I want more of it when I shouldn’t want any of
it.
Does he feel the same around me?
Sex for him has been out of the picture for quite a while now, which leads
me to wonder if he misses it.
That has to be a hard adjustment. To have a marriage that seemed to revolve
around sex in the beginning, only to have sex ripped out of the marriage
overnight.

---

Why am I thinking about his sex life as we’re walking into Target?
“Do you like to cook?” Jeremy asks.
“I don’t dislike it. I’ve just always lived alone, so I don’t make meals very
often.”
He grabs a shopping cart, and I go with him to the produce section. “What’s
your favorite meal?”
“Tacos.”
He laughs. “Simple enough.” He grabs all the vegetables he’ll need to make
tacos. I offer to make spaghetti for them one night. It’s really the only thing I
cook that I can honestly say I’m good at.
He’s on the juice aisle when I tell him I’ll be back, that I need a few things
outside of the grocery department. I get the tampons, but grab other things to
throw in the cart with them, like shampoo, socks, and a few shirts since I didn’t
really bring any with me.
I have no idea why I’m embarrassed to buy tampons. It’s not like he’s never
seen them. And, knowing Jeremy, he’s probably purchased them for Verity a
few times. He seems like the type of husband who wouldn’t think twice about it.
I find Jeremy in the grocery section, and as I walk toward him, I notice he’s
flanked by two women who have abandoned their carts to talk to him. His back
is pressed against the ice cream cooler, giving the impression that he wishes he
could melt right into it and escape. I can only see the backs of their heads as I
approach, but when Jeremy’s eyes meet mine, an attractive blonde turns around
to see what he’s looking at. The brunette seems more my speed, but only until
she looks at me. Her glare changes my mind instantly.
I approach the cart as if it’s a wild animal, cautiously, timidly. Do I place my
items into the cart or will that make this awkward? I decide to set my things in
the upper basket, a clear line in the red-cart sand: We are together but not