Just the Nicest Couple

Nina calls Officer Boone on her drive home, and he seems more suspicious of Nina spying on Lily and Christian than he generally does of the Scotts. Nina lists all evidence against Lily and Christian and implores Officer Boone to investigate. Nina’s mother greets her upon arrival, noticing how scared Nina appears. Nina tells her mother about Christian, and Nina’s mother invites Nina to sleep in her bed. Although she realizes that the practice is childish, she accepts.

Nina’s mother cooks a large breakfast the following morning, although the food does nothing to calm Nina’s nerves. She nearly crashes her car while leaving her mother’s driveway. Nina notices her mother watching in alarm from the living room window.

The principal at Nina’s school interrupts Nina’s class, requesting that Nina report to the front office. Officer Boone awaits Nina in the front office. He tells Nina that Jake’s body was found in Langley Woods several days prior. Distraught, Nina asks for the details about Jake’s death. Teachers and students line up to watch Nina leave the school with a police escort. Nina sees Lily, identifying fear in her expression.

Later, Nina breaks the news of Jake’s death to her mother. Nina’s mother replies, “I know, honey. I know” (307). Nina’s mother tucks Nina into bed and comforts her throughout the night.

Christian leaves work early again. He admires a toddler with his father in the shared elevator, and daydreams about his own child. Christian tries to call Lily on the drive home, but she doesn’t answer her phone. Entering his house, Christian finds Lily crying on the couch. Lily tells Christian that the body found in Langley Woods is Jake. Lily believes that her arrest is imminent.

Christian reflects on meeting and falling in love with Lily. He patters restlessly through their house, checking the internet for updated news stories about Jake. Christian attempts to reassure Lily, reminding her that her actions were in self-defense and that they will hire a good lawyer. At one point, Christian offers to take the blame for Jake’s murder.

The couple watches the evening news; the lead report is about Jake. Christian views a picture of Jake from years prior. Jake seems happier and more relaxed, and Christian has difficulty believing that the image shows the same person he knew in recent years. The news anchor reports that Jake died from a gunshot wound to the head. Christian and Lily startle at this revelation. Christian asks Lily if she shot Jake, to which Lily replies that the reporter must be mistaken. She swears that no guns were involved in her altercation with Jake. Christian stares at Lily, distrusting her and suspecting her of more dishonesty.

Nina’s mother prevents Nina from going to work. She explains to Nina that she needs to grieve and make funeral arrangements. Nina feels a sense of “closure in knowing Jake is dead” (320). She no longer has to search for him. She scrolls through endless texts and calls of condolences from all her acquaintances aside from Lily. Nina returns to bed.

Christian waits until Lily falls asleep before searching their house for a gun. Lily walks in on Christian digging through her purse. Christian confronts Lily, asking her if she shot Jake. Lily denies it and asks Christian to hold her, as she feels terrified. Lily and Christian return to their bedroom, and Christian lies with Lily until she falls asleep, moving to a chair and watching her from a distance while she is unconscious.

In the morning, Christian returns to the bed next to Lily. Lily confesses to having an affair with Jake. She had sex with him five times in his car and at Jake and Nina’s house. Christian asks Lily how she could betray her close friend, and Lily cries in response. Lily admits that Jake tracked Nina to prevent her from walking in on them.

Lily explains how she invited Jake to Langley Woods, intending to end their affair. All other events of the day happened exactly as Lily described initially, including that Lily never shot Jake.

Ryan calls and texts Nina relentlessly, and Nina eventually blocks his number. Nina fears that Ryan will find her at her mother’s house. Police arrested Lily for Jake’s murder, though she is released on bail. The evidence against Lily is very incriminating. She confesses to having an affair and an altercation with Jake where he was murdered. Although they cannot find the gun, Lily has had plenty of time to hide the murder weapon. Nina fantasizes about the various ways that she could harm Lily.

Nina struggles with her grief while she makes funeral arrangements. Her mother suggests that they both sell their houses and move somewhere new together, and Nina likes the idea. She cannot stand the thought of returning to where Jake betrayed her. Nina walks to retrieve the mail, a tremendous effort in her condition. A notice about a traffic violation addressed to her mother catches Nina’s eye. Nina’s mother’s poor eyesight prevents her from driving.

Nina confronts her mother about the traffic violation. She is concerned that her mother put herself or others at risk by driving her car. Nina’s mother claims that she needed to pick up milk for a baking project. Nina scolds her mother for making this dangerous decision, explaining how she ran a red light. She can’t help but notice that the date of the traffic violation occurred on the same day that Jake disappeared. Later, Nina checks the location of the reported infraction on the internet. The intersection sits within a mile of the hospital at which Jake operated.

Nina knows that her mother never liked Jake. She realizes that her mother knows the combination of the safe in which she and Jake kept their gun. She knows the garage code and Nina’s schedule. Nina waits until her mother falls asleep and searches her house for the gun. She finds it in her mother’s car in the spare tire well. Nina vomits on the garage floor.

Nina’s mother finds her in the garage and insists that she come inside for cocoa. She looks unsurprised to see Nina holding the gun. Nina’s mother justifies killing Jake. She caught him sleeping with Lily, and witnessing him attack Lily in Langley Woods was the final straw. Nina’s father cheated on Nina’s mother, making her life incredibly difficult when he abandoned his family without making child support or alimony payments. Nina’s mother didn’t want Nina to have a similar life experience.

Nina’s mother reaches for Nina, but Nina recoils. Nina grabs her cell phone, explaining that she plans to call the police. Nina’s mother pleads that she acted out of love for her daughter. Because Lily betrayed their friendship, Nina wants Lily to suffer for her actions. Nina thinks about her mother driving the car and realizes that her mother’s eyesight is probably fine. Nina’s mother confesses to faking her condition to spend more time with her.

Nina grapples with the decision about turning her mother in for murder. She recently received the biopsy results, and the prognosis is poor. Nina’s mother has breast cancer. She will likely die in prison if Nina turns her in. On the other hand, Lily is innocent. She will give birth in jail and be separated from her child for most, if not all, of her life unless Nina clears her name. Nina realizes that her mother acted out of love and protection and doesn’t believe that she can betray her mother.

Eight months later, Christian cares for his infant daughter, Bella. Christian prepares Bella for a visit with Lily. They all meet in a park, and Christian knows that he will miss Bella very much over the next week when she remains in Lily’s care. When Christian and Lily hug, Christian recognizes how familiar and comforting, though brief, the embrace feels.

Lily informs Christian about Nina’s mother’s recent release from prison. Nina’s mother’s health is declining quickly as her untreated cancer progresses. Lily works at a different high school now. She doesn’t speak to Nina, though she knows that Nina still teaches at the same school. Lily also knows that Ryan resigned mid-year, shortly after Nina returned to work.

Lily and Christian make more small talk before Christian stands to leave the park. Lily invites Christian over for dinner, something that she does every time she sees him. Christian tells Lily that he will consider the possibility, which is his standard reply. One day, he might accept her offer.