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"Oh, please" Beth is starting to sound exasperated "You know Julian is fucking crazy about you Whenever I talk to hi? Has Nora been eating well?" She lowers her voice corin at her "Really? I didn’t know this" And I didn’t Ime--and he definitely admitted to a certain obsession with me because of my resemblance to Maria--but I didn’t knoas this much on his mind outside of the bedrooht You’re not nearly as naive as you pretend to be I’ve seen you batting those long lashes at hier"
I give her my best wide-eyed-innocent look "What? No!"
"Uh-huh" Beth doesn’t seeht, of course; I do flirt with Julian Now that I’ races Somewhere in the back of h--if he cares for ht take me off the island
When this plan had first occurred tofirst few days ofAs soon as I found ardless of any proht’ve made Noever, I don’t even knohat I would do if Julian took me with him Would I try to leave him? Do I even want to leave him? I honestly have no idea
"Have you ever been in love?" I ask Beth, picking up ain
To my surprise, a dark shadow passes over her face "No," she says curtly "Never"
"But you have lovedsoht?" I don’t knohat makes me ask that, but I’ve apparently touched a nerve, because Beth’s entire body tightens, like I just struck her a blow
Toat me, she just nods "Yes," she says quietly "Yes, Nora, I have loved" Her eyes are unnaturally bright, as though glittering with unspilled --that whatever happened to her had left deep, indelible scars on her psyche Her thorny exterior is just a ht now, for whatever reason, thatthe real woman underneath
"What happened to this person?" I ask, entle "What happened to the one you loved?"
"She died" Beth’s tone is expressionless, but I can sense the bottohter died when she o"
I inhale sharply "I’ down ain, I walk over to Beth’s couch and sit down, putting id, as though not used to huht now; I know better than anyone how soothing a warm embrace can be when your e me fall apart, so he can then be the one to ether
"I a her back in a slow circular motion "I am so sorry"
Gradually, some of the tension drains out of Beth’s body She lets herself be soothed by ain her equilibriu her to feel aard about the hug