Page 66 of The Amendment

“And how does Annie react to that?”

“At first, I didn’t know she knew what I was doing. I kept it hidden.”

“But when she found out?”

“She was…well, she wanted to be involved.”

“Why do you think that was?”

I shrugged. “You tell me. You’re the expert.” I locked eyes with her, lingering in the moment as her cheeks flushed pink. She recovered quickly, but not before I’d mentally saved the image.

I could use that later.

“Well, we know Annie isn’t the type of person who actually enjoys fencing…”

Annie doesn’t belong here, Joanna. It’s just you and me.

Soon enough, I’d convince her to talk about us instead.

For now, I shook my head. “Not particularly.”

She smiled as if we’d just had a breakthrough, though I wasn’t sure I understood it. “So maybe you actually enjoy having more control than you think, and maybe Annie enjoys seeing yououtof her control more than she thinks. The two of you are fighting against your inner nature and trying to achieve opposite things, when you really want the same thing—you’re trying to let her control you and she’s trying to control you, all the while, you’re happiest when you have a bit of that control back and she’s happiest when you take it back. Do you see what I’m saying?”

I nodded, though she’d completely lost me.

“So, you’re saying I should put my foot down about fencing?”

“I’m saying you should do what feels right to you, and I think Annie will appreciate you being honest with her. But you can’t push her out. You have to tell her why it’s important to you. Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and just accept who you are.” She saw me for me. I knew that. Joanna had always seen me for who I was. She understood me like no one else. “Communication is where you’re lacking. Both of you.”

“Communication,” I repeated. She wore a satisfied grin that had my mind spinning. “You’re a genius.”

“I don’t know about that,” she said with a laugh. “You’re doing all the work. I’m just helping you connect the pieces.” She liked helping me just about as much as I liked having her help me.

She glanced at the clock, and I felt a dull ache in my core. It meant it was almost time to leave her. For another week. I wasn’t sure if I could do it.

Seven days felt like torture when all I wanted to do was see her again. Through the open window to our left, I could see the parking lot where my car was waiting. It would be painful to walk back to it without her.

“One more thing,” she said, interrupting my thoughts and leaning forward over her knees.

I leaned forward, too, as close as I could get to her. I could smell her scent again. I needed to find out what soap it was and stock up on it. How could I ask her without coming off creepy?

“Fencing,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “It’s not reallyfencing,is it?”

My blood ran cold.

Well, shit.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

AINSLEY

Isat across from Joanna with a mug of tea in my hand. I was restless that day.

I couldn’t put Peter off much longer.

He hadn’t brought it up in a few days, but I knew he wanted to go back to see her. To kill her. After our couple’s session, he kept saying we needed to put an end to her before she went to the police.

I had no idea how to explain to him why I couldn’t. I couldn’t tell him the truth. That she was me. That we were the same.

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