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“Yeah, maybe.”

“I guess I won’t have to worry about her so much now. She’s got what she wanted.” The empty cavity in my chest seemed to ache as I uttered the words. I could only imagine how happy Veronica would be when she heard the news about Noah and me.

Wes hesitated but, sensing I might be getting closer to revealing the source of my tears, he continued. “Do you want to talk about what happened tonight?”

“Not really.” I glanced away from him, struggling to stop the tears from welling in my eyes again. Just the thought of Noah had me turning into a pathetic mess, and I didn’t want Wes to see me that way. But as the silence between us grew once more, I wondered if it would really be so bad to talk to Wes about what happened. He was going to find out eventually, and I hated trying to keep these feelings all bottled up inside of me. If there was one thing my first heartbreak with Levi had taught me, it was that sometimes sharing the burden with someone else lessened the load. My mom wasn’t here to help me this time, so maybe it would be good to open up to Wes.

I let out a breath and the words tumbled from my lips. “Noah broke up with me.”

“What?” From the shock lighting Wes’s eyes, it was clear this wasn’t what he expected. “Why?”

“Because his grandfather asked him to.”

Wes’s mouth dropped open, and it took him a moment to recover from his surprise. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish I was.”

He was quiet for a moment before he continued. “Do you have any idea why his grandfather would want that?”

“I think it’s because of Matthew. There was definitely some hostility between my father and Noah’s grandfather, and I got the feeling this wasn’t the first time they’d clashed. William Hastings told Noah to end things with me, so he did.”

Wes shook his head. “I get that they run competing companies, but that’s ridiculous. Why do you think they don’t get along?”

I hesitated. Noah had been seething when he discovered Matthew was my father. He was convinced Matthew was the reason behind his family’s ruin—whatever that meant. He had stormed off without giving me a proper explanation. All I knew was that, whatever the rift, it was enough for Noah to break up with me, no questions asked.

“I’m not sure,” I said. “Our breakup was hardly a discussion.”

“I’m sorry, that really sucks.”

“Tell me about it.”

Wes shook his head again and sat up, bracing his arms against his legs. “I kind of want to pummel Noah’s face right now.”

“Easy there, tiger.” I gave him a soft smile and sat up beside him. I felt somewhat better sitting upright so I didn’t have to keep looking up at the mocking night sky.

“I’m serious. Who breaks up with a girl because his grandfather asked him to?”

“Noah, apparently.” The more I thought about it, the more heated I began to feel. Noah had dumped me and not even given me a good reason why. Did he really think he could just walk away from our relationship, leaving me heartbroken, and expect me to just accept that? I deserved better. I deserved answers.

My phone lit up, the screen almost blinding in the darkness of the field. It was another message from Cress asking where I was. The ball had finished an hour ago, and everyone had moved on to the after-party at Luther’s house.

Wes’s phone brightened at almost the same time, and he let out a deep sigh. “Sawyer’s hounding me.”

“Yeah, I’ve got Cress harassing me too.” I bit my lip as I considered her text. “Do you think we should go to Luther’s party?”

“We don’t have to,” Wes said. “I’ll happily stay here all night if that’s what you want.”

I took a moment to think it over. I was so glad Wes had brought me here. It was exactly the escape I’d needed after everything that had happened at the ball. I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t shown up. I’d probably have still been crying in a heap outside the ballroom doors as the guests started to trickle out at the end of the evening.

I didn’t know if I could face the party, especially if Noah was there. I felt like I’d only just managed to get control of my emotions amid the soothing calm that currently surrounded us. I was worried seeing Noah again so soon would only bring the pain, shock, and anger rushing back to the surface.

But, lying here staring up at the stars only had my mind replaying the events of the evening, recalling Noah’s shock when he found out who my father was. The anger in his grandfather’s eyes when he glared at Matthew and then at me. Most of all, I couldn’t stop picturing the look of resigned certainty on Noah’s face as he told me we could never be together.

No matter how many times I went over his words and his reasons in my head, I couldn’t understand or believe what had happened. Gazing up at the stars certainly wasn’t going to give me the clarity or closure I needed. As much as it terrified me to admit, Noah was the only person who could provide that.

“We should go,” I said.

“Really?”