“You don’t have to do this.” Hannah stared at me in the mirror as I put on my earrings.

“I do.” The big night was here—the one where I blew everything to bits.

She leaned against the doorframe behind me. “I like Willis. I like you and Willis together.”

“He’s just a mark.” It rang false even to my ears.

“He’s not, and you know it. There’s more.”

I dropped my eyes, for once unsure under her steady gaze. “Even if that’s true, it doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters.” She grabbed my shoulder and squeezed. “We’ll find another way. Blackmailing Willis could backfire. What if he would rather have you out him as the real Scarlet Rocket than pay you off?”

“He won’t. He’s built this little empire brick by brick. It’s his pride and joy. The book comes out in a few days.” I shrugged. “I’ve timed it perfectly. After the party, I’ll tell him to pay up or have his name trashed all over the blogosphere and the book deal destroyed.” Cold, but necessary. I stared at my own eyes in the mirror, loathing what I saw.

My plan had been shadowy at first, but when I’d discovered how much was riding on Willis continuing the Scarlet Rocket ruse, I knew just where to turn the screw. If his fans found out he’d been tricking them all along, they’d abandon him in droves. I had no doubt the scandal would destroy him. My only question was, if I followed through with my plan, would it destroy me, too? Could I do such a horrible thing to Willis and live with myself?

Hannah dropped her hand from my shoulder. “There has to be another way.”

“What other way?” I whirled, anger and pain crossing paths inside me. “Fifty-thousand dollars isn’t just going to come knocking. We have three more days before Pauly comes to collect on your screw up!”

She flinched and paled. Her voice, barely over a whisper, cut my heart to shreds. “You’re right. I-I’m sorry.”

“No.” I sighed and pulled her into my arms. “I am.” Stroking her hair, I held her as she trembled. “Everything will be all right. We’ll get the money, pay Pauly, and leave this dump. Start a new life. It’s almost finished. I just have to get through this.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Shh.” I held her tight and tried to think of what Mom would say in this situation. “We’ll make it through and be stronger on the other side.”

“But Willis—”

“I know.” I closed my eyes. “He’s turned into more than I ever intended.”

“You fell in love with him.”

Tears welled in my eyes, but I couldn’t let them fall. “I don’t know when it happened.”

“I do. The moment you first met him.”

“Not possible.”

“I knew it then. You didn’t take his wallet and run like usual. You stayed. When you got home that night, I could feel the change. For the first time in a long time, you looked forward to something.” A sob shook her. “But I’ve ruined it.”

“Nothing’s ruined.” I rocked her back and forth in my arms like Mom used to do. “We can fix it. But first, we have to deal with Pauly.”

“I’m scared.”

“You’re safe here. Just stay in your room. I’ll be back right after the party.” Because Willis won’t want to see me anymore. The ache in my chest popped open like a can of biscuits.

“All right.” She nodded and pulled back, her red-rimmed eyes weighing heavy on my already sunken soul.

I tucked her hair behind her ear, hoping my calm movements would soothe the both of us. “It’ll all be over soon. I promise.”

Her gaze faltered. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

* * *

“Have I mentioned how amazing you look?” Willis spoke in my ear as we walked up the carpeted stairs to the Vanity Fair party.

“Only five times or so.” I smiled as the cameras clicked around us.

“Just five?” He scoffed as we reached the top step. “I need to up my game.” He gave me a long look, taking in my black gown that fell to my ankles. The slit rose to my upper thigh, and the strapless bust cut a straight line across my chest, giving it an almost corset-like appearance.

“Ready?”

“To rip that dress off you?” He grinned. “Yes.” He wore a formal black suit, not as dressy as a tux, but almost. His tousled hair tickled his ears, and, thankfully, the welts from the bath bomb had disappeared from his neck. With his tall frame and Clark Kent glasses, he was a showstopper.

We entered the venue. Large vases decorated the sides of the walk, but instead of flowers, they were filled with busts on sticks. One appeared to be a bunch of multicolored Julius Caesars, the next a cotton candy-colored arrangement of Darth Vaders.

Willis shook his head. “Artsy types. Jeez.”

Music drifted from a room to our right, and we followed the flow of people into a wide ballroom filled with glitterati. Bigger than the prior events, the Vanity Fair people held nothing back. Waiters circled with full drink trays, and several round tables laden with food were scattered throughout the room. Jewelry everywhere. Men with fat wallets desperate for female attention. So many people.

“Be strong.” I wasn’t sure if I was pep-talking Willis or myself.

“I am. I work out three times a week.” Willis eased a hand to the small of my back and guided us through the crowd to the nearest food table. He picked up a cheese tart and popped it into my mouth. So creamy and good.

“How did you know?” I said around the tasty treat.

“You get kind of jittery, and food always seems to take the edge off.” He snagged a chocolate bonbon and downed it. “Too bad they don’t have any chicken wings.”

“If it isn’t Scarlet Rocket!” Jina, wearing what could only be described as the carcass of a giant peacock, walked up and air-kissed my cheeks. “I was so hoping I’d see you here this evening.”

“Yes.” I smiled and hoped there wasn’t any cheese stuck in my teeth. “Have to keep hyping up the book, you know.”

“No rest for the wicked, my dear.” She winked. “I have an advance copy of the book on my desk just waiting to be opened. But I would like to see one more live demonstration before I take the plunge.”

No pressure. “I’d be happy to take a few questions.” I eyed the food that I wouldn’t get to eat.

Willis grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing tray. Handing one to me, he edged closer. “You’ve got this.”

I drank half the glass as Jina turned and announced, “Does anyone have a question for Scarlet Rocket?”

“Pushy,” Willis whispered.

A few people turned to look, but no one volunteered. Relief coursed through me, and I grabbed another cheese tart and wolfed it down like a linebacker at a team dinner. Maybe I could do a guest blog entry for Willis entitled “Stress Eating: Yeah, It’s Deffo a Thing.”

The live band kicked up a notch, and a dance floor cleared in front of them.

“Want to dance?” Willis held his hand out in a formal request.

“Jina, would you mind if I—”

“Go ahead, dear. I’ll have some questions lined up for you when you return.” She smiled and shooed us away.

“That’s comforting,” I grumbled as Willis pulled me onto the dance floor where only two other couples swayed to the music.

“You’ll do great.” He gripped my waist, and I wrapped my hands around his neck like we were at high school homecoming.

“Do you think Jina is planting crazy questions for me. Like maybe someone’s going to ask, ‘If I have a dick in my ass, my pussy, and my mouth, and I sneeze, will that cause my vagina to explode?”

He laughed. “Well, we all know the answer to that question is yes.”

I giggled and rested my forehead against his lapel. “This feels so good.”

“I know.” He kissed my crown.

I closed my eyes and pretended it was just the two of us. No room full of strangers, no Pauly, not even a Hannah at that moment. Just Willis and me, dancing without any hard realities bearing down on us. We moved together slowly, each sway drawing our souls tighter and tying them together with a double knot. I couldn’t pull away from him without damaging us both.

“What are you thinking about?”

I turned my head so I could hear the steady thump of his heart. “Us.”

He hugged me tighter. “I was thinking about us, too.”

“Yeah?”

“About us ditching this party early so I can strip that dress off you and make you scream.”

My knees weakened, but he held me up.

“Sound good to you?”

All I could do was nod.

“Good. Let’s get to work and then get out of here.”