Content Warning: This section of the guide includes depictions of domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, pedophilia, abduction, and murder.

As soon as Josie leaves, Alix’s house feels different. She doesn’t believe that Josie is going to Pat’s, but she puts the thought aside to prepare for her sisters’ arrival. When she cleans the spare room, she notices that the key is still under the mattress and puts it in her pocket. Zoe and Maxine arrive with their children, and Alix knows that Nathan plans to go out that night. She is nervous that he won’t come home, and she will have to deal with her sisters’ judgment. When he leaves, she implies that if he comes home that night, they will have sex.

Meanwhile, Josie follows Nathan to the pub, where he meets his friends. They sit outside, and she sits at the restaurant next door and eavesdrops on them. When he describes her as “the houseguest from hell” (252), she becomes even more committed to her plan. She texts someone, who says they will be there in 10 minutes. Ten minutes later, Katelyn approaches Nathan’s table and asks to join them, then stays with them after a friend supposedly stands her up.