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"No," she choked out "No, you didn't You told ht as well have beenAna's s It wasn't your fault"

He let go of her with a chilling abruptness and strode over to the"I could have gone up to that room a thousand times before I finally did"

Belle's hand crept up to cover her horrified mouth "Oh, John, what has this done to you?" she whispered

"Has it made me less of a man? Yes Has it blackened my soul? Yes Has it-"

"Stop!" She covered her ears, unable to bear his words "I don't want to hear it"

He whirled around "You're da to hear it" When she didn't move, he stalked back to her and wrenched her hands from her ears "This is the man you married, Belle For better or for worse Don't say I didn't warn you"

"When will you understand that I don't care what happened in Spain? I'irl's soul, but beyond that, I don't care! It hasn't made you an evil person, and it doesn't make me love you any less!"

"Belle," he said flatly "I don't want your love I can't accept it"

Before she even realized what she was about, her hand flew up, and she slapped him across the face "How dare you?" she breathed, her entire body shaking with rage "How dare you belittleabout?"

"I have never, not even once in iven my love to another man And you throw it back in my face like a trifle"

His hand closed around her wrist "You hly that I do not accept it"

"You don't accept it because you don't want to accept it You're uilt and self-pity How am I meant to build a life with a s?"

He dropped her hand, feeling like the lowliest of bastards si her

"How can I possibly let myself continue to love a man who can never loverather queer "But Belle," he whispered "I do love you"

John wasn't certain how he expected her to respond, but it was certainly not in the manner she did She stepped back as if hit, and for a er out, jabbing it in his direction while her throat worked violently "No," she finally gasped "No Don't say that Don't tell me that"

He merely looked at her, every emotion he had ever felt for her clearly written on his face Love, guilt, hope, longing, fear… They were all there