“Is everything okay?” Aiden asks, and I hear his locker close in the background.

“I think so? I told them.” My words trail off as I sink into the sofa.

Aiden pauses, and when he speaks his voice is hesitant. “You told them what?”

“About me, Aiden. They know.”

He’s silent for a few beats, then, “Are you all right?”

Noah and Mason have started arguing over if I look like a Jessica or not, and a smile tugs at my lips. “Yeah. I am.”

“Good. I’ll be right there.”

When I hang up, Noah and Mason are staring at me. Noah breaks the silence first. “What the hell, not-Amelia, Aiden knew this whole time?”

I shift self-consciously. “Not the whole time, but for a while, yeah.”

“Are you going to tell us your real name?” Noah asks. “I have ten bucks on Danielle.”

The two of them are looking at me, waiting patiently for me to tell them all about myself. “Wait, so you guys believe me?”

They glance at each other. “Yeah,” they say simply.

I eye them suspiciously. “And you’re not mad at me?”

“No,” they say again, and Mason adds, “You’re not supposed to tell people you’re in witness protection. Why would we be mad at you for following the rules?”

A laugh bubbles up my throat. All this time I spent panicking about what they’d think if they found out the truth about who I am, and worrying about how I was lying to my friends, for nothing? They just understand? It seems so easy I want to cry and thank the universe for giving me friends as understanding as Mason and Noah.

My laugh turns into a sob and Mason and Noah share panicked looks.

“We broke not-Amelia!” Noah stage-whispers to Mason.

I wipe the tears away and try to regain my composure. “I’m sorry. I came here to apologize to Mason and make sure he was okay and turned it into a whole thing about me.”

Mason waves me off. “I’m fine, really. Pissed at my dad, sad for my mom, but it’s not my marriage. My mom knows now. My dad took one look at me yesterday and knew I knew, so he told her everything. He really loves your mom, I think. I don’t think it was a random affair, Amelia—er . . .”

“Thea,” I supply, and Noah swears.

“That wasn’t one of my guesses, was it?”

I ignore Noah for the moment, thinking only about sweet Natalia, and how now she knows the truth. “How did she handle it?” His other words sink in my jaw drops. “Are you saying Brian is leaving your mom for mine?” The words are a shock even as I say them. I had suspicions before, but when Mason hesitates and nods in confirmation, the rug is ripped right out from under me.

“I think that’s what’s going to happen, yeah,” he says and his jaw ticks. “Mom’s okay. She didn’t seem that surprised. My parents talked for hours last night, locked away in their room. When they were finally done, Mom came to see me. She’s going to stay with my aunt for a bit, but their marriage is over. There’s no saving it.”