“You’re telling me now.”
She huffs. “Nothing you don’t already know.”
“Was any of it real?”
She screws her face up in confusion. “Was what real?”
“This. That night. Any of it?”
She flinches, as if I’ve slapped her. “How could you ask me that?” she whispers, voice cracking.
I yearn to pull her into my arms and whisper soothing words. But I don’t.
“You just admitted you’re part of an undercover operation. That means you’re a master at lying. How am I supposed to know what’s real?”
She takes a step forward, invading my space, her face a mask of quiet fury. “All of it was real,” she spits, venom in her tone. “Every second that they defiled my body wasfuckingreal. I felt it. Ilivedit. And I came to you because I knew you could keep me safe—yes. But I can also keep myself safe, Enzo.Phoenixcould have kept me safe.”
Each word spat at me is like a knife to the gut. She's right. She's not helpless, and yet she came to me. “Then why ask for me?”
She throws her hands up in frustration. “Because when I thought I was dying, there was only one person I wanted to see. Only one person’s face came to mind.”
My heart beats painfully in my chest.
She takes a step back.
“I came to you because I’ve been in love with you since I was eleven years old and didn’t know what love meant. My heart fucking beats for you—only you.Always you.” She shakes her head. “That was real.”
“Iz—”
She silences me with a hand. “Don’t. I can’t look at you right now.”
The last thing I see before she turns and flees is a single tear trailing down her cheek.
Izzy
I slam the bedroom door shut, my back hitting the wall as my knees buckle. Sobs wrack my body, shoulders shaking. Every breath feels like a thousand tiny cuts down my throat.
I can’t stay here. Not anymore. It’s clear now—Enzo will never feel the same way I do. If he did, he never would have believed I lied about what Lucas did to me.
It’s time to go.
I force myself to breathe until the worst of the tears dry, then push off the floor. Grabbing a backpack from the closet, I shove in a few clothes. Not much. Leaving behind all the beautiful things Noemi picked out for me stings more than I expected.
Sadness twists in my chest. I wish I could keep the friendship I’ve been building with her. But her loyalty will always belong to Enzo first.
I change into some sweats and a pullover hoodie—both for warmth and to keep myself less visible.
Once packed, I crack the door open and slip into the quiet living area, careful not to make a sound. From under the sofa, I retrieve one of the guns Enzo hides around the apartment. My hands tremble as I tuck it into the bag.
Distracting Henry will be the hardest part.
The elevator doors open, and, for a moment, I pause. I take one last look around the apartment, forcing myself to swallow back my heartache.
I step into the elevator, pressing the ground-floor button, holding my breath as the doors slide shut. Any second, I expect Enzo to storm in, drag me back. But he doesn’t.
When I reach the lobby, it's not Henry at the reception desk. I breathe a sigh of relief.
I'm not sure of this guys name, but he's there whenever Henry is on a break.
