Hey, Piper, you told me Raphael Holt’s mother has cancer, right?” Carly asks over the phone.

“Yeah?” I hold the phone to my ear as I walk briskly to the bus stop. I’m going to be late if I don’t catch the bus that’s approaching now.

I probably shouldn’t have stayed up last night, but it was hard to say no to another round. When Raphael is determined to fuck me, I can’t resist him.

It has been a week since the Paris trip, and he’s been staying at my place every night since then. I still can’t quite believe how much my life has changed.

I have a boyfriend now—it’s still weird to call him that—and I’m no longer a virgin. The best thing of all? I’m happier than I’ve ever been.

“Um, so, I don’t want you to get alarmed,” Carly says hesitantly. “But my mom knows Elise Holt, Raphael’s mom. They’re not super close or anything. Like, my family’s doing okay but nowhere near the level of the Holt family. But they do kind of move in the same circles.”

Carly’s stalling, and I don’t know why.

“Hold on, give me a second.” I take the phone off my ear and run toward the bus stop. I manage to hop on, right before the driver shuts the door. I give him a grin, and he just grunts with a bored expression.

“Hello?” I say into the phone. “Carly, you still there?”

“Yeah.”

I stumble down the aisle, as the bus starts moving, and take the nearest empty seat. It’s hard to walk in a moving bus with one hand holding a phone. “What do you have to tell me?”

“Um, I told my mom about how Raphael asked you to pretend to be his fiancée because his mom would want to see him get engaged before she…you know.”

“Carly! That’s supposed to be a secret.” I can’t believe she told her mom. What if the news spreads and Raphael’s entire family finds out?

“I’m sorry, Piper. I just… It’s my mom, you know? I’m sure she’ll keep it a secret.”

“Yeah, okay.” I say, barely able to hide my irritation.

I glance at my watch. I’m going to make it just in time. I can’t afford to be late. The manager’s already annoyed at me for having missed work two days in a row last week.

On the bright side, at least I’m not going to lose my apartment now, even if I lose my job.

“Um, so, my mom was really surprised to hear that. As far as she knows, Elise Holt is fine. She’s completely healthy.”

“Well, Raphael tells me she doesn’t like to talk about it, so maybe they’re just not close enough for her to know?”

“That’s possible…” Carly’s voice trails off and an awkward silence ensues.

“But you don’t think it’s probable,” I guess.

“Yeah,” Carly admits. “She’s still doing the same things she’s always done, Piper. She’s been organizing charity galas, going on shopping trips to Europe… She’s not slowing down at all.” She pauses. “I don’t think a cancer patient would be able to do that.”

I grow quiet. Carly’s right. My mom had cancer, and I know the toll it took on her body. I saw it firsthand.

Even if Raphael’s mom has a lot more money, there’s no way she can maintain the same level of activity after going through cancer treatments.

“Look, I really thought long and hard before telling you. I just think you should know, since it seems like you’re kinda into Raphael, am I right?”

She doesn’t know the half of it. I’m not just “kinda into Raphael.” I’m completely smitten by now. I’m even too busy spending time with him that I’ve forgotten to tell my best friend all about it.

“Piper? You still there?” Carly asks.

“Yeah, I’m listening.”

“I just want to tell you to be careful with him. He has a reputation, you know. He has a new girl on his arm every week, it seems. And I don’t want you to get hurt because I know you’re not used to dealing with a guy like him.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Carly.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

“Did anything happen in Paris?” Carly pauses and asks, “You didn’t… You didn’t sleep with him, did you?”

“Of course not. I barely know him.” I don’t know why I’m lying. Maybe I’m embarrassed. I feel like an idiot.

Could it all have been a big lie?

“Good,” Carly says. “I’ve been worried about you.”

“I’m okay.”

“I know. You’re smart and you can take care of yourself. I just think you should know.”

“Yeah. I appreciate you telling me.”

“I’m sorry about telling my mom.”

“It’s okay. Look, I have to go, Carly. I’m rushing to work now. Talk later, okay?”

“Okay.”

Once I hang up, I grip the phone with my hands, so hard my knuckles turn white.

What could that mean?

Did Raphael lie to me? How could he make up such a horrible lie?

He seems so genuine. Everything feels so real.

Could I have been fooled?

My blood turns cold as I realize it wouldn’t be impossible.

Raphael has been lying to his family about the nature of our relationship. If it’s so easy for him to lie to his own family, how much easier must it be for him to fool me?

My heart pounds in my chest. My whole body starts to shake.

I got played. I got played real good.