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time fighting, my whole life fighting, for nothing.
Dani hated her thoughts. She hated that they were a crack in
her armor, a weakness she didn’t like to admit to. Growing up,
she’d learned fast that weaknesses were always exploited. She
had to be tough if she wanted to survive. She’d survived
alright, but barely. This store, this was her everything. The one
thing no one could take from her. The one good thing she had
going for her.
“I’m just going to go finish dusting,” Andi said softly. Even
though she knew Dani was pricklier than any porcupine in
existence, she took a chance and set her hand on her shoulder,
patting gently before she moved off to give Dani space to
process and think.
The first thing she thought about was how odd the timing
was. What a strange coincidence it was that Summer—Emily
—had come into her store and asked her to be a fake wife.
She’d been willing to pay.
Growing up the way she had, in a system that was as brutal
as it was hopeless, Dani had never been a big believer in fate.
Survival. That’s what her life had been about. She didn’t have
things like dreams and hopes. She wasn’t like other people.
That had been trained out of her, and when the training didn’t
work, it had been b
eaten out of her, starved out of her, drained
away with cold indifference and calculated cruelty.
“Andi?”
“Hmm?” Andi stopped dusting and turned. She looked like
she was almost afraid of whatever it was that Dani would say
next.
“You’re studying politics or some such nonsense, aren’t
