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“No one. They’re getting ready for a show tonight,” Cora said. “What happened?”

“Computer, replay holo of the press conference. The part where Austin Cooper speaks.”

I sank onto one of the massage pods and let it play for Cora, who threw a hand over her mouth in response. When it ended she said, “Shit.”

“Yeah, thanks for tossing me to the adlets,” I said, lying backward and letting my head hang upside down off the cushion.

“I’m so sorry. That was not what I saw in the cards.”

“Well maybe your cards were wrong, chica.”

She glared at me.

I shouldn’t have said it. I knew how sensitive she was about others not believing in her. But this wasn’t about her. It was about me trusting the wrong person. Again. He probably didn’t even believe me, just pretended to so I’d fuck him. It was my own damn fault for getting all gooey-eyed over the first guy to act like he understood me. That was how desperate I was.

Cora grabbed my hands and tugged me up into a sitting position. “My cards are never wrong. That”—she pointed at the spot the holo had been—“was the lie. Not whatever happened between you.”

Tears stung my eyes as I tried to make sense of it logically. How could I reconcile what I’d just seen with the Austin I thought I’d gotten to know? It had only been a few days. How could I really know someone in that amount of time?

I stuffed a curl in my mouth and chewed as Cora’s face blurred behind the tears that filled my eyes. A realization hit me like a boulder on the head. The last fifteen years of my life I’d dedicated to uncovering the truth. But I’d done it to force others to believe in me, not the monsters. That sasquatch didn’t want to be discovered. It’d disappeared into the woods as fast as it could for privacy. I was the one forcing the issue. No wonder no one had real evidence yet. Not only did they not want to be found, but the world didn’t want to find them. I was the only one fucked up enough to try and change that.

“What’s happening in that head of yours?” Cora asked, sitting cross-legged in front of me.

“I just had an epiphany,” I said, sniffling.

“You realized that Austin was just acting for the cameras and Nicole because it’s his job?” she asked, brushing the hair from my face.

I shook my head and whimpered. “No. I realized that this whole time, what I’ve been wanting is someone to believe in me.”

“Oh, honey, I believe in you.” She flung her arms wide, and I fell into her hug.

Sobs wracked my body as she rocked me like a baby. When the sobbing stopped producing actual tears, I coughed and straightened up, blinking at Cora’s smiling face.

“Tissues,” I said through my stuffy nose.

She reached over and snatched some from the arm of the couch. I didn’t ask why they were there, just yanked out a handful and blew my nose while she waited.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I said.

“Same,” she answered. “How are you feeling?”

How was I feeling? Thoroughly fucked in more ways than one.

“Like I should take a break from Austin Cooper.” I straightened my spine. “I got too invested. I need to focus on my work and look at the last twenty-four hours the same way Austin obviously is—like nothing more than a little fun and a way to get what I want.”

Cora sighed as I finished standing.

“Why are you so determined to match me up with Austin anyway? I thought you just wanted me to loosen up and have some fun. Well, I did. So be happy and let it go.”

“I’m not trying to force you into anything,” she said, palms out. “And for the record, I’m glad you had fun. I’m sorry that he hurt you, but I also think everything happens for a reason, and maybe, just maybe, you figuring something out about yourself was exactly that.”

I pursed my lips to prevent myself from responding in anger. She was trying to help. I stole a page from Austin’s book and took a deep breath.

“Okay, fine. It wasn’t pleasant, but you’re right. I did learn something,” I said, moving to the kitchen to order some coffee. And as I sipped, an idea popped in my head. “Get your cards out, chica, I have some questions.”