Rule Number Thirteen ofAdeline’s Guide to Overcoming Loneliness: Adeline, I’ll spare you any more rules, and if you choose to forget any of the others, remember this. When loneliness leaves, let it go. It was a companion for a while—a lesson—but it was never meant to last forever. When that day finally comes, let the walls you built in loneliness crumble and free your hands to hold onto something that matters more.
My heart stops at the sound of my name, uttered in a voice I never expected to hear again. “Addie?” Slowly, I turn around to see Vivienne St. Claire, of all people, standing before me with a look of disbelief in her eyes, as if she can’t believe it’s really me. As if she cares.
Her name tastes bittersweet on my tongue. “Vivienne.”
She smiles, but it’s tentative, unsure of her reception. My own lips twitch into something resembling a smile, though the knot of emotions tightening in my chest makes it feel forced. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lilia’s jaw practically hit the floor beside me, with Bea next to her looking between us like she can’t believe what she’s seeing.
Liam just looks like he’s about to laugh.
Vivienne steps closer, her wide blue eyes scanning my face like she’s trying to memorize it. “Oh my god, it really is you,” she says, her voice tinged with something I can’t quite place—surprise, nostalgia, maybe even guilt. “How are things? I heardabout… what happened. To John. I’m so sorry,” she continues, her tone soft, but I can’t help but hear the pity in her words.
The knot in my chest tightens. Of course, it would come up. People always feel the need to bring upthat. The thing that shattered my life, the thing I can barely talk about without breaking. And despite her concern feeling more or less genuine, I’ve learned not to trust appearances. People’s expressions lie just as much as their words do.
I shrug, trying to feign nonchalance. “It’s okay,” I say, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue. It’s not okay, of course.
For a moment, her gaze falters, and she looks as though she might say more. Instead, she asks, “How’s Ari been? I haven’t seen him in so long.”
It feels like the ground shifts beneath me.
My heart stops, my pulse pounding in my ears. I stare at her, uncomprehending.
She doesn’t know? How can she not know?Does she not watch the news? Did no one tell her?
“You’re telling me you don’t know?” The words come out sharper than I intend, and Vivienne’s brows knit together, her confusion plain as day. Is it possible she really doesn’t know? But that doesn’t make any sense becauseeveryoneknew.
“Know what?” she asks, her voice cautious.
I feel the air leave my lungs as the words I never wanted to ever say push their way out. “He’s gone, Vivienne.” There’s that word again. The word that’s been haunting me lately. I don’t realize I’ve been biting my lip until I taste the blood in my mouth.
And Vivienne’s face pales. Her lips part as if to respond, but no words come. I watch as her expression shifts—first disbelief, then something closer to dread. Her voice trembles when she finally speaks. “What do you mean, ‘gone’?”
But I can see it in her eyes, the truth she’s already piecing together but doesn’t want to believe. Her hands tremble slightly as she covers her mouth, her gaze dropping to the floor. “No,” she whispers.
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly, my voice steadier than I feel. I can’t bring myself to say it more plainly than that. I won’t.
My gaze meets Kai’s narrowed eyes, as they flick between Vivienne and I with a quiet curiosity. When they finally land and stop on me, I almost can’t stand the intensity in his gaze. But before I can look away, or even say anything, a flurry of motion erupts around us. Cameras flash, questions are shouted, and the air suddenly fills with absolute chaos as people holding cameras descend like vultures.
“Kai! A quick word?”
“Miss St. Claire, who’s your friend?”
“Kai! Kai!Kai!”
Questions on questions about Liam, Will, and Christian too, that make my head spin. And yet, they all remain completely composed despite the cameras and microphones currently being thrust in their faces. The scene grows louder, more frantic, as some of the paparazzi attempt to inch closer. One of them even grabs Kai’s arm, which he politely, but quickly, shrugs off. Vivienne’s head jerks up, her face still pale, her eyes glassy. She looks at me, as if torn between staying and running. And then, the mask slips back on. The practiced smile, the polished composure.
“This is a private event. No unauthorized photography,” one of the security members says, then I see him mutter something into the mic attached to his suit lapel.
Suddenly, the security guards spring into action, a team of them, with the dark suits and earpieces I had noticed at the front gate. “Step back!” one of them commands, positioning himselfbetween Vivienne and the paparazzi, raising a hand to block the cameras.
Meanwhile I watch in utter shock as the security guards pull—I meandrag—the paparazzi away and out of the building. “Keep moving,” a guard orders, and within minutes the chaos is subdued. Vivienne, still wearing her practiced smile, offers a polite thank-you to one of the guards as he steps aside, giving her space to breathe. Liam mutters something under his breath about how they always make a scene.
And then through the stampede of people, I spot him—Kai’s terrifying father. He’s moving toward us, and I swear his presence is like a thundercloud rolling into the room. He’s accompanied by an equally scary woman.
Yep, that’s my cue.
“Excuse me,” I mutter, seizing the opportunity to slip away unnoticed back to Lilia and Bea.
“What just happened?” Lilia demands, her voice pitched with disbelief as she stares at me like she can’t figure me out.
