Hello everyone. I am reading a novel, and I came across this expression. Could you please let me know its meaning?
[The protagonist speaking] “Where do they make people like you, Clara?”
[Clara speaking] At first she did not answer. “Where?” she asked, as though she didn’t understand the question. “Why do you ask?”
[The protagonist speaking] “Because it’s so hard to figure you out.”
[Clara speaking] “I have no secrets. I lay my cards out. I have with you.”
[The protagonist speaking] “It’s not secrets I’m thinking of. It’s how you get me to say things I’d never tell anyone.”
- André Aciman, Eight White Nights, Third Night
This is a novel published in the United States of America in 2010. This novel is narrated by the nameless male protagonist who meets Clara at a Christmas party in Manhattan. Two days after the party, Clara came to the protagonist's house in the morning and is now driving him to her best friend's house.
In this part, I wonder what the underlined expression means.
I vaguely guess that it might mean that she shows her card to the protagonist so that what she has is the same as what he has... though I am not sure what exactly she means.
Thank you very much for your help.
Curious ReaderI lay my cards out. I have with you.
I lay my cards out. I have (laid my cards out) with you.
Sometimes the auxiliary verb is enough to suggest an echo of the whole verb phrase that occurred earlier.
CJ
,
Thank you very much for the explanation.
Oh! So the verb "have" was a echo of what was previously said.
It means that she have laid the cards with respect to you ("with you"), rather than she have something along with you.
I sincerely appreciate your help, for letting me understand.
Yes, or "with" in the sense of "while speaking with you (earlier)".
CJ