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"Bella," he whispered "I’h with this"

"What?" I beca me in the eye Whatever the problem was, it was so bad he couldn’t even face me

"I want to," he said quickly "But it can’t be like this"

I began to panic "God, why not?"

He turned his chin to finally look at ret there "Like I said I don’t do casual"

"What does that evenmade any sense

"It means…" He winced "I don’t do casual, because I don’t want to feel like the hborhood"

Oh, crap Me andwith oing to cry, though This was already e myself froan fu for my book

"Bella," he said softly "Nobody teain I knoould But then I’ll feel shitty afterwards, just like last time And I like you too much for that"

"You likemy book under the sofa I was suddenly furious with ical"

He sighed "Don’t be dense I care about you A lot, okay? You are soht after a guy rejects htly, and I could not wait to get out of his roo my book under the stupid couch, I stood and went for the door

"Bella! Don’t do a runner," Rafe argued "That isn’t like you"

"Thought you were trying to teach ht I was irl But I needed a tilance at hied down the stairs

It felt good to be ed across the courtyard But I had to stop at the gate because Bickley was stretching in front of it "Excuseto shaga nervous talker, but he was also annoying as fuck "Sorry to dash your hopes But the shagging only happened that once"