Oh, my God.

It’s true.

My knees wobbled as Penn muttered under his breath, “We’ll be right back.”

I gave a weak smile to Larry, falling into Penn’s fast stride as he guided me through the jostling ballroom.

I couldn’t tear my eyes off him. Forcing my brain to overlap his appearance with that of Nameless. I started seeing things that weren’t there. Or believing in things that had been there all along.

I couldn’t decide.

Without facts or declarations or any confirmation at all, I tripped into the teenage crush I’d never escaped from. I was stupid. I was hopeful. I was blind.

A woman placed herself in our path, smiling coyly at Penn while ignoring me entirely. “Oh, Penn. Fancy seeing you here.” She simpered. “Do you mind if I borrow you for a moment? I have a question about the Triple Segment Securities you recommended last week.” She flicked her dark brown hair. “I want your expert opinion.”

Rage and jealousy clawed me.

If Penn was Nameless, he was mine.

He’d been mine for three years.

I’d only just found him and now she wanted to take him away?

No.

She can’t.

Disappointment and confusion followed as Penn sighed heavily and let me go.

Whispering in my ear, he commanded, “Leave the ballroom. Head to the first-floor restaurant. You’ll see a family bathroom. Meet me there in five minutes. What I need to tell you should be done in private.”

“But I’m not tipsy.”

His gaze hardened then saddened. “It’s too late. You need to know. I can’t fucking lie anymore.”

I shivered as he let me go.

He gave me one last eternally long stare then walked away with the woman, leaving me with fantasies and fears and a joy I never dared believe in.

Chapter Thirty-Four

I MANAGED A few shaky steps toward the large archway that I assumed led toward the hotel foyer and a staircase or elevator.

I hated leaving him. But I wanted answers more. He’d promised he’d meet me. I had to trust he wouldn’t forget or disappear without fulfilling that promise.

Hopefully tonight, I’ll finally know.

The fear that he’d run and I’d never see him again escalated the further I traveled. I didn’t see Larry or anyone else I recognized.

I reached the threshold of the ballroom.

A gray bullet collided into me.

My arms flew out for balance, steadying myself and the kamikaze who’d run into me. I blinked as recognition flowed. “Stewie. Are you okay?”

He smacked his lips, nodding distractedly. “Yeah, sorry for running into you.”

“Don’t worry about it. As long as you’re good, it’s fine.”

He nodded, his face tight and not the usual happiness I’d grown used to. “Yep, all good.” He pushed past me to join the throng but something sparkly fell from his pocket.

Something blue.

Something that didn’t belong in a boy’s possession.

He didn’t notice, fighting his way past adults as I ducked and plucked the silver necklace from the ballroom floor.

My heart stopped.

The world closed in.

I couldn’t breathe.

In my hands sat the very thing I’d lost the night Nameless had saved me. The sapphire star glimmered under the bright strobes of the hotel, the white gold chain snapped in half where one of the muggers had yanked it off my neck.

I stumbled, crashing into a man who cursed as a splash of his orange cocktail tipped onto his silver tuxedo. “Hey!”

I vaguely remembered how to apologize while my mind was no longer here but there.

Back in the alley.

Back where it all began.

In an awful twist of fate, Stewie looked back, his gaze latching onto the necklace dripping through my shocked fingers. He slammed to a halt, looking around feverishly as if searching for Penn. Hoping to undo this minor, inconsequential action that’d ruined all Penn’s lies. Destroyed his stories. Revealed every fact.

I’d believed in a fantasy.

And it’d just crumbled into dust.

I know the truth.

The awful, terrible, sickening truth.

Coming toward me, Stewie sheepishly held out his hand. “Can I have it back?”

My fist curled tightly around the chain. “This is mine.”

“No, it’s not.” His forehead crinkled. “My brother gave it to me.”

My heels were no longer stable or capable of holding me up. I swayed. “Your brother?”

Penn’s voice entered my head, sounding far away. “Larry is family. Stewie will be his adopted son soon. Which will make him my brother.”

No.

If Penn gave Stewie my necklace...that meant he couldn’t be my tragic hero.

He couldn’t be my savior.

He couldn’t be Nameless.

It’s not possible.

This can’t be happening.

Nameless had never retrieved my necklace.

I’d never asked for it back.

The last I’d seen it was in the alley, ripped off my neck, and pocketed by thugs.

My heart palpitated, threatening to faint.

Don’t let it be true...

Only two scenarios existed as to who Penn could be.

The sapphire had shortlisted them.

My life had made a mockery of my heart.

The truth laughed in the face of my moronic trust.

My voice struggled to stay low so as not to attract attention when all I wanted to do was scream. “Why?”