“It’s not real,” I say. “It was just because her old boss was there. Because we’re in public. All of this—it’s all been fake.” My words crack at the end of my sentence, and I drop my head, my chin falling to my chest. Felix steps up beside me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Nathan, it’s never been fake,” he says. “It doesn’t matter what lie you’ve been telling yourself or telling her, that’s the truth. And you know it.”
