Page 57 of The Devil She Knows
“Like that,” Sam said, pointing, just shy of jabbing her finger into Daphne’s chest. “Right there. You are using humor as a shield. Everything you just said about letting your freak flag fly? And that wholeif they can’t stand the heat, they better get out of the kitchen? That is a defense mechanism if I’ve ever heard one. Pushing people away, leaving before you get left, it’s all—”
“Better than pretending to be someone you aren’t so you won’t be alone.”
The remaining words died on Sam’s tongue, and she slumped back in her seat, the fight draining from her.
Sam wasn’t pretending to be anything. She had wanted to be the woman of Hannah’s dreams and now she was.
Shewas.
Wasn’t she?
“So, Hannah.” Daphne smiled like she’d won. Like she couldn’t see that even if she had, which she hadn’t, the victory was Pyrrhic at best. She was still a demon, and she was still alone. She would always be alone. “Tell me about Lake Como.”
12
HANNAH PATTED HER face dry with a hand towel, watching Sam from the doorway of the bathroom. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” Sam punched her pillow and settled onto her side. “Just tired.”
Tired thanks to this real-life choose your own adventure, where every move she made and word that came out of her mouth could make or break her hard-fought happily ever after.
How long until she didn’t have to overthink? How long until she was fully caught up to speed on the changes in her life? How long until she went full method and trulybecamethe woman of Hannah’s dreams instead of just living in her skin?
Hannah leaned against the doorjamb and folded her arms. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that upset.”
“I know, and … look, I’m sorry for kind of flying off the handle. It’s just—”
“Kind of?” Hannah huffed a laugh. “Sam, you sat there and told a total stranger that she has attachment issues.”
“Because she does!”
Hannah sighed and pushed off the doorframe, disappearing into the bathroom. “Again, total stranger!”
“Oh, come on! It was obvious. Anybody who heard even half the things she said could tell you that.”
“Maybe,” Hannah said, returning a moment later, rubbing a cotton pad soaked in toner on her skin. “But why do you care? You don’t know her, and chances are, you’re never going to see her again.”
Sam wouldn’t be so sure. “Who said anything about caring? I don’t care.”
“Mm-hmm. Sure.”
“Idon’t. Da—Cassandragot under my skin. That’s all.”
Hannah leveled her with a look. “You don’t say.”
Sam sat up, propping herself on her elbow. “It’s just that she was acting so … so holier than thou.” The irony was not lost on her. “All that crap she was on about marriage being antiquated and feeding the wedding industrial complex and love at first sight being horseshit.” She scoffed. “I bet she doesn’t believe in soulmates, either.”
Because you’d have tohavea soul to have one of those.
“Was she kind of a bitch about it?” Hannah tossed the cotton pad in the trash. “Yeah, she was a little intense, but I can’t say I disagree with her.”
“Intense is bit of an—” Wait. Had her ears deceived her or had Hannah just said she agreed with Daphne? “What did you say?”
Hannah padded over and sat on the edge of the bed, leg tucked under her. “I had no idea you believed in that stuff.”
“Stuff,” she repeated flatly. “Exactly whatstuffare we talking about here?”
Because she knew Hannah, with her Pinterest boards and bridal magazines stacked around the apartment, wasn’t talking about the wedding industrial complex.
