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"You’re sorry? Do you really think sorry is going to cut it?"

She hung her head "I guess it isn’t"

"You want to apologize, then start with your aunt and every other life you decided to butt into"

Beth continued to sit for several seconds before she asked, "What does this mean for us?"

"Funny you should ask" Sam tried to calm himself "I need to think I love you, Beth God help me, it’s true But I don’t know that I can be with solad you’re leaving That will give "

She gasped "Please, Sah I couldn’t bear that"

He kept his hands tightened around the steering wheel and found he couldn’t answer for several ry with me now, I understand that I’m sorry, so sorry If you--"

"I don’t want to hear it, Beth Please, don’t say anything more"

"I love you"

He refused to look at her for fear of ould happen if he did If he saw the pain in her eyes he’d never be able to let her go

"I thought you’d want to know about Luci"

Sahter’s name It felt as if Beth had reached out and struck hi only made what she’d done worse

"I do ive up on us, Saive it the teeks I’et back then we can talk again Okay?"

The plea in her voice nearly broke his resolve At this point he wasn’t willing to agree to anything Tightening his jaw, he held fir him and Nichole for dinner"

"If that’s what you want," she whispered, tears in her voice

"It would be best if you went inside now" He gripped on the steering wheel so tight his knuckles hite

She opened the car door then "I don’t believe you ry withto purposely hurt you"

"I don’t knohat you were thinking, Beth It’s hard to believe you could be this insensitive"

Once outside his truck, she looked back, her eyes pleading with his

He felt it best to leave it at that "Good-bye, Beth"

She closed the door and stepped back, and Sam drove off

Chapter 36

Beth