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"I know--it’s got to be weird, but we try I’m sorry we don’t do better"

Verlaine was certain that Nadia was completely sincere, but at the ive to have anybody feel about me the way Mateo feels about you? Anybody in the world?"

Nadia’s face flushed "Are you telling me you’re in love with Mateo, too?"

"No! Of course not!" Sure, Mateo was handsome, but he didn’t do it for her Unfortunately her type seemed to be limited to either jerks in her class or demons from hell Mateo ay too nice to qualify, not to mention undamned "But if somebody ever loved me--if they even could love me--I don’t even knohat that wouldin the world"

Nobody spoke for a while Aard, Verlaine thought, and she wondered if she should put on the radio or so Then, very quietly, Nadia said, "I see you sometimes I mean, the real you"

"Huh?"

"When I cast a really powerful spell, or other high-levelaround us" Her words came in a rush, but Nadia kept on, determined "It’s like--like just for a second, it blocks out whatever else is keeping us fro you for who you really are The last tie, just after it collapsed Obviously I couldn’t say anything, because ere all swi for our lives, and now it’s hard for ht But I know it happened For one second, I loved you so much--"

Hot tears blurred Verlaine’s vision; her hands felt war wheel "So it’s true What Asa said is true" There really is so in me to love It’s in here It always has been Sometimes I didn’t believe it but it’s true, and it’s been there all along

"What?"

"Nothing Nothing" Verlaine shook her head as she wiped at her cheeks "I’m okay"

Nadia wasn’t deceived "Ito tear up herself "I shouldn’t have said anything"

"No I’ht now, okay? I can’t"

Instead of replying, Nadia just burst into tears

For a few minutes they just sat there in the car and cried, no sound in the car except their sobs and the wheeze of half-warlove compartment Nadia jumped back, but Verlaine shook her head "You have to hit it to rabbed the packet of Kleenex frolove co herself up When Verlaine had pulled herself together enough to see, she realized that mascara had run all the way down Nadia’s cheeks "You look like crap, by the way"