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She nodded weakly, flicking her gaze over to Nathan. Perhaps he hadn’t heard that. It was loud, and she’d been speaking quickly, and—

“Ella?” His voice was low, but Alice could see the tension ripple in his jaw.

“I can explain,” she said quickly. “It was…just a fun little mix-up.”

He looked at her in disbelief. “You’ve been using Ella’s identity?”

“No!” Alice protested. “I mean, yes, at the gym, and a couple of other classes, but…”

“I…don’t understand.” Nadia looked slowly back and forth between them, her forehead creasing in a frown. “Ella, what’s going on?”

“Her name isn’t Ella,” Nathan said, his eyes not leaving her. “It’s Alice. Alice Love.”

“Nathan—”

Nadia frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Yes, Alice, what do you mean?” Nathan folded his arms.

“I can explain,” she said again, but the note of guilt in her voice was clear.

“Excuse me.” A young waiter bobbed nervously just behind them, his arms full of plates. “Could you maybe take this outside? You’re blocking the way.”

“Of course,” Alice told him, at the same time Nathan said, “No need.” He pulled his wallet from his jacket pocket and pulled out several notes, tossing them on the table. “I think this should cover it.”

“Nathan!” Alice felt something twist inside. He wasn’t even getting angry, just staring at her with terrible self-control. “This is all just a silly misunderstanding!”

“I’m sure,” he agreed, almost too affable. “Nadia, good to meet you…” With a nod, and a final glance at Alice, he turned to leave, striding quickly out of the restaurant into the dark street.

Alice grabbed her things and hurried after him, dashing out into the rain. “Nathan, wait!”

He took three more steps and then stopped. She caught up with him, breathless. “I can explain!” she insisted again, clutching his hand. “Ella had signed up for the membership, and there was time left on the card, so I thought…” Alice swallowed, hearing the inadequacy of her own words. “But then, of course, I had to go along with it as Ella because, well, I thought it would cause too many questions and by that point, I was just sick of them, so—”

“So you assumed her identity,” Nathan finished.

Alice nodded. The rain was soaking through her thin dress, but she didn’t care—all that mattered was that Nathan listened, that he understood what she’d been trying to do.

“A wanted criminal, and you were just running around, using her alias?” Nathan shook his head in disbelief. “And this Nadia—she doesn’t know who you really are? You said she’s a friend.”

“She is. But I met her in class, so I introduced myself as Ella, and after that…” Alice glanced down, miserable. “It just seemed easier.”

“God, Alice!” Pulling away, he took a couple of paces farther down the street before swinging back. “Do you realize how stupid…No, how dangerous…” Nathan stopped, clearly lost for words.

“You’re right!” Alice exclaimed. “You’re completely right, which is why I stopped. I haven’t been back anywhere as Ella for weeks now!”

“You mean…You’ve been doing this all along?”

Alice realized that, perhaps, full disclosure wasn’t her best tactic. But something made her keep talking, wanting to tell him everything, no matter how strange it was.

“I wanted to understand her!” she tried. “To see who she really was, underneath it all. I tracked down the places she went, and the people she’d talked to—only, they knew her as me, as Alice, so…So I became Ella, instead.”

Nathan just stared at her.

“It wasn’t going to hurt anyone!” she cried. “It was just a few little lies, while I investigated.”

“She was a criminal!” Nathan yelled back. “I’ve been running around, trying to separate your public records—to prove your innocence—and all this time…”

“I am innocent!” But Alice’s voice caught in her throat. It wasn’t true, she knew, not anymore.

Nathan clearly thought so too. He shook his head again, final, as if dislodging all affection for her. “I can’t talk to you about this, not right now.”

“But please—”

“I mean it, Alice; I don’t want to know.” He looked at her for a long moment, and the disappointment in his expression made Alice