“Blue? You know I hate blue.”

“I know. That’s why I finally chose it.”

Then he spotted the new lock.

“You changed the locks without telling me?”

“You haven’t lived here for four months.”

Gary looked offended, as though I’d redecorated something that still belonged to him.

Eventually, he asked for a glass of water. I went inside, leaving him on the porch.

While filling a glass, my phone rang.

It was Linda.

“Debbie, why exactly did Gary come back?”

“His girlfriend kicked him out. Apparently, I’m his backup plan.”

Linda became unusually quiet.

“That’s interesting. My sister Carol told me something yesterday.”

“What?”

“Her friend Rachel just threw her boyfriend out after discovering he’d been lying about their relationship. He claimed he’d been divorced for two years.”

I frowned.

“Lots of men lie about being divorced.”

“True. But the timing seems strange. Rachel’s staying with Carol right now. I’m going to ask for a photograph.”

“You think they’re talking about Gary?”

“I don’t know yet. Keep him outside until I check.”

She ended the call.

I stood in my kitchen, suddenly feeling uneasy.

A moment later, Gary knocked again.

“Debbie! Are you making that water from scratch?”

I opened the door slightly and handed him the glass.

“Thanks. Now, can we finally discuss this like adults?”

“Certainly. How long were you seeing your girlfriend before you moved out?”

He stiffened.

“Why bring that up?”

“Because you’re asking me to forget everything that happened.”

“Deb, I already admitted it was a mistake.”

“Did you tell her we were divorced?”

His hand froze around the glass.

“What?”

“Did you tell your girlfriend you’d already divorced me?”

He looked toward Linda’s house.

“Can we talk inside? Your neighbor is nosy.”

“Answer the question.”

“I told her we were separated.”

Before I could respond, my phone vibrated.

Linda had sent a message.

Carol just showed me Rachel’s boyfriend. Debbie, it’s Gary. I’m bringing them over.

I read it twice.

Then I looked up.

Gary was watching me nervously.

“Who’s texting you?”

“Linda.”

“What’s she saying?”

“She found something interesting about your girlfriend.”

The color drained from his face.

“What does Linda know?”

“Apparently, more than I do.”

He immediately tried to move his suitcase toward the doorway.

“Debbie, let’s go inside.”

“No. I think we’ll stay right here.”

A few minutes later, Linda’s car pulled into her driveway.

Two women climbed out beside her.

The moment Gary recognized one of them, his suitcase handle slipped from his fingers.

“No,” he whispered.

The woman walked directly toward us.

“Hello, Gary.”

He turned toward me in panic.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing,” I replied. “Not yet.”

Linda introduced us.

“Debbie, this is Rachel.”

Rachel looked at my husband with undisguised disgust.

“You told me you’d been divorced for two years!”

I stared at Gary.

“He moved out four months ago. We’re still married.”

Rachel shook her head.

“That’s not what he told me.”

Then she revealed something even more astonishing.

“And your name isn’t James!”

I turned toward him.

“James?”

Gary rubbed his forehead.

“It’s my middle name.”

Rachel let out a bitter laugh.

“He told me his ex-wife was controlling and refused to let him see his teenage son.”

“Our son is twenty-four,” I answered. “He moved out three years ago.”

Rachel’s eyes widened.

“He told me your son was seventeen!”

Gary looked increasingly desperate.

“You don’t understand what our marriage was like!”

But Rachel wasn’t finished.

“He also told me you abandoned his sick mother.”