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"Do you think so?"

Belle took John's hand and rose "You should take it as a compliment It means Emma likes you"

"And do you likepause, followed by a decisive, "No"

"I suppose that I deserve no better" He allowed her hand to drop back to her side

She whirled around "No, you don't I cannot believe you even had the nerve to coht"

"I was invited, if you recall"

"You should have declined You should have sent word that you were ill, or that yourto avoid accepting the invitation"

He had nothing to say other than, "You are, of course, correct"

"You just don't-You don't kiss someone and then speak to her the way you did to me It isn't polite It isn't nice, and-"

"And you are always nice?"

His voice wasn't the least bit , which confused her "I try to be Lord knows I tried to be nice to you"

He inclined his head "You certainly did"

"I-" She broke off and looked up at hiue with esture "What would be the point? You are obviously in the right, and I, as usual, a"

Belle stared at him incomprehensibly, her lips parted in amazement "I don't understand you"

"It is ize, of course, forIt was unpardonable"

"The kiss or your horrid words afterward?" The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop they for your insults"

"And the kiss?"