With Conway was gone, the enormous house felt even bigger.

The sheets were cold against my skin.

The silence of the bedroom was suffocating.

Once upon a time, I couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

And now, I couldn’t stop missing him.

I finished working in the stables, then headed back to the empty bedroom. I showered but didn’t bother putting on makeup since there was no one to impress. My phone rang on the table the second I stepped out of the bathroom. I hoped it was Conway, so I quickly crossed the room and grabbed it.

But it was Vanessa.

The wrong Barsetti. I took the call. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Hey,” she said cheerfully. “What are you up to tonight?”

“Nothing. Conway is visiting your parents right now, so I’m home alone.”

“He is?” she asked in surprise. “Why?”

I knew that information was confidential. “To talk about the show in New York.”

Vanessa bought it. “Well, I don’t have plans tonight either. Let’s go out.”

I knew Conway would be weird about that. He didn’t like it when I went anywhere alone, especially if he wasn’t in the same city. “Or you could come over here. Dante can make dinner, and we can hit the pool.”

“Nah,” she said. “I want to go out and do something. There’s this great place I’ve been wanting to try close to my apartment.”

She just wanted to go to dinner, not head to a club, so that didn’t sound so bad. Conway still wouldn’t like it, but I might have to ignore him. “Let me see if I can get a ride. I’ll let you know.”

“Alright.”

I hung up then called Conway.

But he didn’t answer. It kept ringing until it went to voice mail.

I couldn’t recall a single time when I called him and he didn’t answer. He must be in the middle of something intense. Even if he were in the middle of a conversation with someone, he would step away. But he must be in a situation where that wasn’t an option.

So, I’d have to figure this out on my own.

Conway wouldn’t want me to go out alone. That was obvious. But I didn’t want to blow Vanessa off, especially since I had nothing else to do for the night. I was lonely and bored, and Vanessa had become a good friend.

So, I had Dante arrange for two of Conway’s men to drive me. They would escort me to Milan and then watch me from the vehicle as I had dinner with Vanessa. It would be weird, of course. But when Vanessa asked about it, I could just pin it on Conway.

Because it was believable.

I arrived at the restaurant and found her sitting outside on the patio. She already had a bottle of wine for the table along with two glasses. A fresh basket of bread sat there, still warm and ready to be devoured.

I sat across from her and immediately helped myself to two slices of bread. “This smells delicious…”

“All bread smells delicious. That’s the one thing I hate about living here. Bread is an essential part of the diet.”

“And you hate that?” I asked incredulously.

“They just make it impossible to cut out carbs.”

I rolled my eyes. “Like you need to cut out carbs.”

“Believe it or not, I’m skinny because I restrain myself. Unlike men, who can eat whatever they want with no consequences. I went on a date with this guy the other night, and he ate all the bread in the basket by himself—and this guy is ripped.”

“Are you going to see him again?”

She sipped her wine then shook her head. “Nah.”

“Why?”

“Too clingy. We went out one time, and then he kept texting me all day long. Kept asking when we were going to get together again. It’s a shame because he was cute, but it was just too much for me. If I know something isn’t going to work out, I think it’s best to kill it before it begins to grow, you know?”

“Totally makes sense.”

“I didn’t want to lead him on and make him even more clingy.” She finished her wine before she grabbed the bottle and refilled her glass. “I’m not necessarily looking for Mr. Right, but I’m pretty bummed I haven’t met him. There’s just not much to choose from. They’re either jerks or too suffocating.”

Conway was neither of those things. He and I just fit together, despite our unusual beginning.

“When did you know Conway was the one?”

I was about to drink my wine but hesitated when she asked the question. I forced the glass to my lips and took a drink. “I’m surprised you want to know.”

“Why? We’re friends, right?”

“Yeah, but the guy I’m seeing is your brother.”

She shrugged. “I can stop myself from vomiting as long as I have a glass of wine in my hand. So, when did you know?”

There wasn’t a specific moment in time when my feelings changed. The process was slow, and my opinion began to change once he showed his softer characteristics. He was protective, loyal, and faithful to me. I guess if I had to choose a defining moment, it was when he decided to let me go. I could stay if I wanted to, or I could leave. But in the end, being with him was the only place I wanted to be.

But I couldn’t tell Vanessa that.

“I guess…since the moment I met him.”

Vanessa’s eyes softened in a way they never had before. “Aww…” She set her glass down, her lips stretching into a beautiful smile. “That’s so sweet, even if you are talking about my brother. I always thought he’d want to be with some stuck-up skank with no personality, and I’m so glad he picked you. You’re perfect for him.”

I smiled back. “Yeah, I think we’re perfect together.”

Vanessa and I said goodbye on the sidewalk, giving each other a long hug before I turned away and headed to the van.

Out of nowhere, a man walked up with a microphone in his hand. Behind him was a man holding a news crew camera, and judging by the bright red light, the camera was rolling. “Sapphire, can we talk with you for a moment?”

I’d seen paparazzi swarm Conway whenever we went to fashion shows or other events, but I’d never seen them emerge on a quiet evening in the city. I was surprised they were there to begin with. Perhaps other people spotted me and started posting it on the internet.

No wonder Conway didn’t want me to go anywhere.

The two men who’d escorted me to Milan got out of the SUV and came toward me, ready to pull me out of the situation and away from the spotlight.

Now I was grateful I’d brought them.

“Is it true that you’re living with Conway?” The man turned the microphone to my mouth.

“I… I have to go.” I’d already experienced this attention once when I was in New York. But that event still didn’t prepare me for this. The lights were right in my eyes, and more people crowded around me when they realized I was Conway’s woman.

He pressed the microphone farther toward me. “Do you love Conway Barsetti?”

It was such a personal question, something I hadn’t even said to him. But it was obvious to anyone who saw us together. Vanessa had just asked me when I knew he was the one, even though I’d never told her I loved him. The whole world believed we were in love, because that was exactly what they saw.

I didn’t see the harm in saying it. It was long overdue, and I was exhausted from holding it in for so long. Like a secret I wanted to get off my chest, I let the truth fly from my lips. “Yes. Yes, I do.”