Page 90 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

Absolutely nothing.

There was nothing there. I'd never tried to flirt with her, never insulted her, her sisters, or her parents.

I'd never done a damn thing to the Stratton family, so why all the hate?

"I think..." Nana interrupted my whirling thoughts. "I think you should ask her about it in the morning, in private, and see what her reaction is, what she says about it all."

"That's a good idea."

"It's the only way to know for sure."

I nodded, shocked numbness settling in. "Okay."

"And you should probably tell her about yourself while you're at it." She laughed. "It's kind of funny really."

"Funny?"

"Yes. Funny. When you get to be my age, you better find the humor in everything or else you just turn bitter, mean, and angry. I've seen it time and time again. Sadly, most of my friends went the bitter route, and I'm determined not to."

Once again, she'd hit me with her wisdom.

Her feather soft hand touched my arm again, drawing my attention to her face. "Do you like her?" she asked.

"That's a tough question because Idid. I really, really liked Cordelia. But I don't know Annalise. And I'm not sure I care to."

"Why not?"

"Because she hates me. Or Dee does. Or..." I ran a hand over my face. "God. I don't even know what I'm saying. It's all such a fu—" I stopped myself just in time. "Mess. A huge, gigantic, stupid, idiotic mess. And I'm not sure the way out."

"Well, that's because you're in it now. You're down in the well."

"Deep down in it," I agreed.

"But I know you'll find your way out. And even better, you'll find your way out with this young lady. Together. The way it's meant to be."

"Maybe. We'll see."

"Ifit's meant to be," she amended, "you will. If not? Well, you'll find another way."

I still couldn't wrap my head around this idea, this insanity that Dee and I had both presented false identities to each other. How was such a thing even possible?

Nina from HR. She was another person I needed to speak to immediately tomorrow, the only employee at Insight Ink who knew my real identity. Did she know about Dee/Annalise aswell? Or had Annalise completely fooled her along with every other person in the office?

A sick feeling spread in my gut as I thought about the day ahead of me. Everything I'd built with Dee was on the verge of crumbling, and it made me ill to think about it all falling apart. I didn't want to lose her. But maybe I already had.

Twenty-Three

Annalise

I hadn't been able to eat anything this morning. No coffee. No tea. And certainly no food. Only a few sips of water, and that was it. And of course, I'd tossed and turned the entire night, my mind going a mile a minute and refusing to shut off.

So after not eating and not sleeping, I was already off to a great start, or in other words, cranky as hell.

Jared, orMaxrather, was going to see the full force of my wrath.

And he had the nerve to be late too. The fucking jerk.

Mona and a few others said hi, and it was an incredible effort just to engage, all of my thoughts onhimand when he'd arrive, and how exactly I might play this, which I still hadn't figured out despite the fact that it'd kept me up all night.

---