Page 144 of A Dangerous Kind of Love

She purses her lips. “Right.”

“I’m telling you. I’ve binge-watched Gilmore Girls with the man, let him paint my toenails, and he carried my purse in public.”

She squints at me.

“So what you’re saying is, he looks like he would ruin everyone else’s life, but with you he turns into a massive, tattooed golden retriever?”

“Exactly.”

“I just don’t want my best friend getting involved with a guy who’s going to take away all of her autonomy.”

I stop walking.

“Seriously, Sarah?”

“What? He already got you to quit the bar. What else is he going to take from you?”

The anger comes fast.

“You know what? You’re right. He did take it away from me,” I say. “And I’m glad he did. Because he also took the thirty thousand dollars a year I was paying for my mom’s care.”

Her expression drops.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You’re right. You shouldn’t have, and you’re the one who told me to go for him in the first place.”

“I didn’t know it was going to turn into this,” she says. “I thought you might flirt with him a little. Not turn your whole life upside down for him.”

The lump in my throat builds fast.

“I’m falling in love with him,” I say. “I thought you’d be happy.”

She softens.

“Katie—“

“It’s fine,” I say quickly. “Let’s just get food.”

I walk off without her, but she rushes to catch up with me. I make it to the food table and grab a plate. She comes up right next to me, leaning in.

“Katie, please don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you,” I lie.

I grab a plate and start loading it up—watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe, then carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, anything to keep my hands busy. I don’t look at her. A little girl in front of me turns and smiles at me. I force a smile back and look away.

“Hey, Sarah,” a voice says from across the table.

I look up. A woman I don’t recognize is watching us.

“Oh, hey, Carmela.”

I glance at Sarah. She’s smiling at her.

“Carmela, this is Katie.”

“Oh, wow. You’re Michael’s girlfriend,” she says.