Page 172 of Just One Little Bargain

“What exactly do you want from me?” My patience thins.

“The truth would be nice.”

I laugh once, without humor. “You don’t even know what you’re asking for.”

“Then tell me.”

“Drop it.”

Daisy stares at me for a second, hurt flashing across her face before frustration overtakes it. “Fine. But don’t stand there pretending everything’s normal when it clearly isn’t.”

I turn back to the table. “I never said it was.”

“No, you just do that thing where you keep moving until everyone gets tired of trying.”

My hand stills around the napkin I’m folding.

She sees it and presses on. “You’ve been different since Milo showed up. Not in some ridiculous he-fixed-your-life way. You were just . . . less clenched all the time.”

“He’s leaving, okay? So stop asking me about him.”

Daisy blinks. “Is he dumping you?”

“No.”

“Then what happened?”

“He has to go back, and that’s that.”

Her frustration spikes. “This makes no sense. That man turned your whole cottage into a spa for you because he wanted to take care of you. People like that don’t leave.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Stop saying that!” she snaps. “You always hide behind it’s complicated instead of being honest about what you’re feeling.”

“Because my feelings are none of your business!”

“They are when you’re clearly miserable and trying to pretend you’re not!”

“Daisy.”

“No, seriously. He was perfect for you.” She hesitates, but only briefly. “Either something terrible happened that you won’t tell me about, or you sabotaged it. And based on how you’re acting right now, I’m guessing it’s the second one.”

I stare at her. “Wow.”

“Evie, that’s not—”

“No, go ahead. Apparently you’ve figured me out.”

Daisy exhales hard through her nose. “You want me to pretend I haven’t watched you do this for years? The second something matters enough to hurt you, you pull everything inward. You stop asking for help and decide you’ll deal with it yourself.”

The truth in it is what makes me angry.

“It’s not true.”

“Isn’t it?”

“No.”