I stand in a bathroom stall, wedged between the wall and toilet. Diana is somewhere in this place and I can’t get to her. Zach tore out of here so fast he scared me. I’ve been hiding for twenty minutes. Way too long. I’m done cowering.

Whatever faces me outside these doors, I will walk out with my head high and tackle it head-on.

With Zach on my side now, we form a solid line against anything that comes our way. Even Jonas Knightly. Because Zach stands in my corner, I know I can be strong for Diana, whatever that might mean. And I’ll be able to build a new life. One with Zach.

I have to quit labeling this day. It started as the second worst, then became the best because Zach and I were together, and now it’s deteriorated with Diana’s attack. Where have they taken her? Is the surgery going well? I have no answers and no way of finding out.

The door to the bathroom bangs open and the sound of high heels click in. “Kylie. Where are you?”

I recognize Liesa’s voice. Go out? Stay hiding? Is she a friend or enemy? Before I can decide she bangs a fist on the stall door. “Get out here.” Anger laces her voice.

I’ve been busted so there’s no reason to stay tucked into the stall. I flip the lock and push the door open.

She steps back and folds her arms across her chest. Mad? Certainly. But she’s a hell of a well-dressed angry person. If I had the money she spent on the flowing pants and filmy halter, not to mention the sandals, I could pay my rent for a year.

“Nice outfit,” I say. When what I want to say is, how the hell did you get here?

She ignores what I said and what I didn’t. “How’s Diana?”

An unexpected stone lodges in my throat and I manage to croak. “She’s in surgery but I can’t find anything out. Her spleen ruptured and she... she looked really bad when the brought her in.”

“I’m so sorry.”

I try to process that she’s standing in the ER waiting room bathroom in the middle of the night. “Do you just follow me from one public bathroom to another to harass me?”

She glances at the tiled walls of the bathroom and a smile tugs at her face. “Whatever works.”

I can’t stand it. “How did you find out and what are you doing here?”

“You called Blake.” She says it like she’s answering the dumbest question in the history of dumb questions. “I came to save you and Zach from yourselves.”

“Blake’s here?” I move to get past her but she blocks my past. “I really don’t have time for this. Or the patience.”

She holds up a hand. “Okay, don’t get pissed.”

“Too late.” I give her my most irritated look and try to do an end-run around her.

She blocks me again. “I know you were together today.”

Zach told her? I try to pretend it doesn’t matter. That the fact that he told his fictional girlfriend all about us is totally cool with me but it’s not. Looking at me, Liesa rolls her eyes.

“No, Zach didn’t tell me,” she says, probably reading my face. “I’m not stupid.”

“Spoiled, self-centered, and immature, but not stupid.”

Her gaze drops to the scuffed tile floor as if I’d actually punched her in the gut. “Thanks for that.”

Quit feeling bad for hurting her feelings.

I try again, unsuccessfully, to get around her. “Look, as much as I’d love to stay and chat, my best friend just got the shit beat out of her and is in surgery.”

Liesa takes that like a hit. “I didn’t know you and Diana were close enough that she’s your best friend.”

What, did Liesa think she was my bestie? “What are you doing here, Liesa?”

“Like I said—” She lets out a deep breath. “Cleaning up your mess.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me just fine.” She scowls at me. “You and Zach want to do whatever, that’s your business but jesus, it’s like you two want to get caught.” She stacks her hands on her hips and cocks her head. “If you guys get caught, we’re all going down.”

I know she’s right but I’m too worried about Diana to care. “Okay.” I bob my head. “We’ll stay away from each other until this freakshow is over with—happy?”

“There’s no we here, Kylie. There can’t be.” Her hands drop off her hips and she shakes her head. “Zach is crazy about you and about three seconds away from throwing away everything—his family. His inheritance. His entire life—for you.”

That stops me cold. “What are you talking about.”

“You didn’t think he signed up for this bullshit on his own, did you?” She shakes her head. “His father and Jonas forced him into it. They brought him in to boost rating and if he doesn’t perform, he loses everything. His trust fund. His inheritance. His family—everything.”

Jonas and my father have me wrapped up so tight I can barely breathe.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Stay away from him.” She looks sad when she says it. Like it’s the last thing she wants but there’s something else in her tone. Resolve. “You’re going to have to be the one to do it because he’s got this starry-eyed belief that he’s ready to give it all up for you and he’s not. He’s not strong enough.”

I want to tell her she’s wrong. That Zach and I would be just fine without money. That all we need is each other but the words won’t come. All I can think about is Zach, living in my dumpy pink house, counting out pennies to buy ramen. He wants me, he might even love me, but how long will that last under the weight of his resentment overthrowing everything away, just to be with me.

“Okay.” I nod my head, swallowing the bitterness that creeps up the back of my throat. “You win. I’ll stay away from Zach.”

“None of us win.” Leisa sighs. “None of us get what we want, Kylie. None of us.”