“Do you know her?” I asked quietly.
“No.”
The woman came closer.
Her expression shifted between disbelief and excitement.
“Sorry,” she said. “I don’t want to bother you.”
Annie released my hand.
The movement was small.
It felt enormous.
The woman looked directly at her.
“My name’s Jen. I’m a huge fan.”
Annie did not move.
Jen lifted her phone slightly.
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
Then she smiled.
“You’re Savannah Brooks.”
Nine
Savannah
The strange thing about hearing your own name from a stranger was how quickly your body remembered what to do.
My shoulders settled.
My chin lifted.
The smile arrived.
Warm but not intimate. Surprised but not alarmed. Grateful without suggesting I had expected to be recognized.
It took less than a second.
“Savannah Brooks,” Jen repeated.
Not a question this time.
Beside me, Ellie’s fingers slipped from mine.
She did not pull away dramatically. Her hand simply fell back against her leg, and her thumb closed over the bracelet she had bought less than an hour ago.
I felt the loss of contact immediately.
“I am,” I said.
My voice changed too.
