Page 129 of Shadow

“Roger and Destiny⁠—”

“Convenient.”

“Fair. But then it was late. You were asleep. I didn’t want to⁠—”

“You didn’t want to face the consequences,” Daphne said.

“No. I didn’t. Because I knew that…that you’d react like this.”

She blinked at him. “This is my fault?”

“No—but—Daphne, can’t see you, even for a moment, that maybe there is a little gray here? That maybe this world isn’t black and white⁠—”

“Oh no. You’re pulling a James Reece on me. You’re trying to justify⁠—”

“No.” But his hand went around the back of his neck. “Just…maybe, okay? Maybe you have to do bad things for the sake of good⁠—”

“No. No. Never.”

He flinched. Then nodded. “Okay. Yeah. I understand. Rules keep us safe.”

“Yes,” she said. “They do.”

“And that’s why I didn’t tell you. Because…I didn’t want to lose you.”

The words hung there. Raw. Honest. Too late.

“Yeah, well, you never had me,” Daphne said quietly. “Because I fell for a lie.”

He sighed. “Not a lie. Just…not the whole truth.”

She pursed her lips and nodded.

“Daphne. Everything else was real.” Asher’s voice was desperate now. Urgent. “The coffee. The mornings. The—everything except the cover story was real. I wasn’t lying about how I felt. About caring about you. About⁠—”

“Stop.” Daphne’s voice cracked. Shoot, she might be about to cry. “Just stop.”

She headed toward the door.

“Daphne, please⁠—”

She ignored him. Just headed for the stairs. Willed herself not to run.

But yeah, she took the steps two at a time. Bypassed the bedroom where Destiny slept and headed straight for the bathroom.

Nearly slammed the door, shaking.

Everything else was real.

She wanted to put her hands over her ears, like she might be twelve.

Instead, she picked up her phone, still shaking.

Three rings. Then, “Kumar.”

“He lied.”

“Daphne?”