Contents
Chapter 5
Overview
Eloise and Jasper give in to their attraction and have sex again, but the encounter exposes the unsustainable strain of secrecy. Jasper insists Eloise acknowledge him publicly and pushes for honesty. After he leaves upset, Eloise researches divorce lawyers. They speak by phone, agree to involve attorneys, and decide to stop having sex.
Summary
Eloise and Jasper’s encounter at her home turns physical, with Jasper alternately tender and demanding as their chemistry escalates. Eloise worries about complications and rejection but pursues him anyway, and they have intense sex that reaffirms their connection.
Afterward, Jasper states he won’t be kept a secret forever. He demands that Eloise stop pretending not to know him in public and presses her to tell her family. Feeling hurt by her earlier public avoidance, he dresses and leaves abruptly, while Eloise realizes she made him feel used.
Reeling from shame about their impulsive Vegas marriage and the prospect of becoming an ex-wife, Eloise resolves to fix it. She showers, then spends hours researching Montana divorce lawyers, selecting a woman in Missoula to contact discreetly.
Eloise calls Jasper to apologize. They acknowledge the mess, agree to let their respective lawyers handle the marriage, and she promises to tell her family. Recognizing that continuing their affair will only complicate matters, they decide to stop having sex, though the goodbye feels ominously final to Eloise.
Who Appears
- EloiseNarrator; sleeps with Jasper again, feels shame about secrecy, researches divorce lawyers, calls Jasper, and agrees to end the affair.
- Jasper ValeDemands honesty and acknowledgment, leaves hurt after being hidden, agrees to involve lawyers, and consents to stop having sex.