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Claire thought Jesse ry and stalk off, but instead she stayed in her seat

"I’ve tried," Jesse gruized to Nicole but she’s still mad athappened?"

Claire held in a sigh "Were you in bed with Drew?"

"Yes"

"Naked?"

"I had ? So what if there hadn’t been actual intercourse? They’d been on the verge That was enough "He was touching your breast"

Jesse tossed her burger on the tray "Okay, I get it I’ it seriously, Claire thought in annoyance "Guess what?" Claire snapped "You’re the one who screwed up She gets to beas she wants Just because you’re sorry doesn’tup until she knows that you’re serious Right now she thinks you’re just saying what she wants to hear and I kind of agree with her"

"Figures you’d take her side You’re just like her, you know Stupid twins"

Claire knew Jesse hadn’t meant the comment as a compliment, but that’s how she took it "I want to be like Nicole"

"You’reand successful"

"Bossy, annoying and a real pain in the ass"

"You , Claire, but it’s not like that with Nicole Once she gets ot over it withThere’s a difference"

Jesse slid out of the booth and grabbed her purse "I don’t need this crap Not fro that didn’t happen Go to hell"

With that she was gone

It was, Claire thought sadly, the Keyes sisters’ day for running away

WYATT KNOCKED ONCE, then let himself into Nicole’s house "It’son the sofa, her foot propped up on the coffee table

"How are you feeling?" he asked Nicole"Ready to take you on"

Her eyes were bright with annoyance and so else he couldn’t identify He didn’t need to ask if she knew about the pregnancy That was obvious She probably kne he’d reacted Even if Claire hadn’t told her, Nicole knew hiuess his reaction

"What did you expect er rise up in hi it all "This shouldn’t have happened"

"You’re right It shouldn’t have But it did And whose fault is that? What the hell were you thinking, Wyatt? You slept with my sister and didn’t use a condom? Who does that?"

He didn’t have an answer for that It had been the night, or , and the moment He’d been carried away by a wave of passion he’d never experienced before But there was no way he was going to say that to Nicole

"I thought she was covered"

"She was a virgin and the person supposed to be doing the covering is you What right do you have to take those kind of chances?"

"I don’t usually do that"

"So Claire just got lucky? This is all your fault and now you’re whining about taking responsibility"

"I’"

"Sure sounds like it to uy You wanted to play escaped convict and the warden’s wife Now you take responsibility for your actions"

Wait aher side?"

"Absolutely You couldn’t beDaet out"

He stared at her "You can’t mean that"

"More than you know"

He left the house, then stood by his car What was going on? The whole world was screwed up

He glared at the house If Nicole wanted hione He didn’t need her or Claire or any of the with an assortment of pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice creaaritas," Nicole told her "But in your present condition, that’s probably not a good idea We’re going to have to settle for ice cream"The sympathy in her sister’s voice told her she’d heard about her conversation with Wyatt

"How’d you find out?" Claire asked

"The bastard ca for a shoulder to cry on I told him that was reserved for you, then kicked him out" Nicole held open her ared Nicole held on tight, as if she would never let go

"I’ll find someone to beat the crap out of hiht tears "I love him too much to want him hurt How sick is that?"

"Pretty sick So I won’t tell you when it happens But I’htened "Thanks"

Nicole shrugged "What else can I do? For what it’s worth, I’ this badly"

"But not surprised?"

"No I’ll admit his fauy Still, he believes he can’t do relationships and Shanna’s pregnancy and subsequent disappearing act hardly "

"The virgin piano player?"

Nicole s like that He didn’t kno to handle you He still doesn’t It’s easier for hiry"

Claire tried to understand, but she couldn’t "He doesn’t care about the baby"

"You’ve spent a lot of your life looking for fale dad for eight years His dreams are different He’ll co responsibility I don’t want that"

"What do you want?"

To be swept away, she thought sadly She wanted Wyatt to realize he was madly in love with her, couldn’t live without her and desperately wanted their child She wanted everything he’d accused her of…love and e But the difference between her and Shanna was that she didn’t want to win hih to have him want her back, she would never leave