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Bryce took a deep breath before answering. “No. She isn’t always like this. I’m sure she’s just nervous thinking you invited her over to keep an eye on her, or to kick her ass.”
Samantha chuckled at the last part. “Yeah, I’m such a fighter.”
“Seriously, though,” he continued. “I’m sure it’s just nerves. Let’s go eat. Your cooking will put everyone in a better mood.”
Samantha chuckled as she followed him out of the kitchen carrying two large serving dishes. One more trip and everything was out of the kitchen. Lizzy smiled in appreciation when the chicken parmesan was unveiled. Once their plates were served, Samanth made another attempt at small talk to bring Lizzy out of her shell. Bryce never would stop appreciating how genuinely kind Samantha was.
“So do you like working for your dad?” Samantha asked.
“Yeah, but it’s not as nice as you might think,” Lizzy answered with a small laugh. “You can’t go home and talk shit about your boss when he’s related.”
“What about your other job?” Bryce asked. “I never did ask what it is.”
Color drained from her face. He had a feeling whatever was causing her to have little miniature breakdowns was about to become common knowledge. Lizzy looked at him, her eyes pleading, but he had no idea what she was silently begging for.
After a long silence, she finally answered the question. “I work in New York.”
Samantha’s face lit up with excitement. “I live in New York. I assumed you were from here. Where in New York do you work?”
Lizzy swallowed hard. “I actually work for the fire department.”
Bryce broke out into a cold sweat as he feared he may have begun to connect the dots. His theory would explain Lizzy’s reaction when she saw Samantha. It would explain why she was slow to answer the question. But there was no way. The world wasn’t that small.
Samantha grew still as she appeared to connect the same dots he had. “My husband was on the department. Did you know him?”
Lizzy stared at her like a deer caught in the headlights. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it as she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Whatever she was trying to avoid speaking about clearly made her just as uncomfortable as it was making Samantha.
“I knew him,” she breathed in a voice so soft it could barely be heard above the quiet hum of appliances.
Samantha stared at her in silence while Bryce sat frozen in his seat. He wasn’t sure he was ready to hear whatever it was, but he had to end Samantha’s suspense. Whatever it was needed to be put out there.
“How did you know my brother?”
Lizzy whipped her head to him in surprise. “Your what?”
“My brother.” Bryce stood from his chair and moved to stand directly behind Samantha. “How did you know my brother?”
With her eyes wide, she uttered words that Bryce had a hard time understanding without context. “No one at the firehouse calls me by my nickname. They call me Lissandra.”
Bryce felt Samantha’s shoulders stiffen under his grasp. He wasn’t sure why that name carried importance, but it was obvious that it did. He waited patiently for one of the women to elaborate, but Samantha was taking deep uneven breaths while Lizzy looked down at the table. Without warning, Samantha stood from her chair and backed away.
“How could you come here?” Samantha demanded. “How could you? He died while on his way to spend the evening with you! Was that not enough? You need to have his brother too?”
Samantha didn’t wait for a response. She stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Chapter 17
Samantha sat on the bathroom floor and tried to control her breathing. No way had she cooked dinner for the woman Brandon was on his way to see when he died. How could she come over to dinner like nothing was wrong? And how could Bryce have invited that woman over?
Her stomach roiled as she leaned her head back against the wall. No amount of deep breathing could keep her from depositing her dinner into the toilet. She made her way to the toilet, opened the lid, and vomited. Repeatedly. Tears streamed down her face as she continued to heave the entire contents of her stomach. She didn’t stop even after her stomach was empty and she began dry heaving.
As she hugged the bowl, she heard a quiet knock on the door. Ignoring it, she continued to kneel on the bathroom floor. The vomiting had stopped for the time being, but she didn’t feel well enough to move too far away. She had so many questions yet she didn’t know if she wanted the answers. Did Lissandra know Brandon and Bryce were brothers? It seemed like way too big of a coincidence for her to date both without knowing.
“Samantha? Are you okay?” Bryce asked from the other side of the door.
She ignored him. The dry heaves had finally stopped so she sat against the bathroom wall, allowing herself to be soothed by the cool tile as she tried to process what was going on. Lizzy was Lissandra. Lissandra was the woman who Brandon had decided to take to the benefit in her place. Lissandra very well could have been the last person to speak to her husband.
“Samantha?” she heard following another quiet knock at the door.
