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She told herself lots of things

And then she tried not to think about it

"The treads on the stairs are narrow," she said to Edward as they approached the stairs, "and the risers are steep"

He grunted his thanks for the warning, and with her hand supporting his arine what this did to him, to be so dependent on others She had never seen him in full health, but he was tall, probably almost a full six feet, and his shoulders looked as if they would be broad and strong when he had a bithelp up a flight of stairs

"We’re just down the hall," she said, tipping her head to the left when they reached their floor "Number twelve"

He nodded, and when they approached their door, she let go of his arm and handed hi he could do for her, and she kneould make him feel a little better, even if he did not realize why

But then, in the last second before he slid the key into place, he said, "This is your last chance"

"I--I beg your pardon?"

The key turned in the lock, the click echoing loudly in the hall

"If you wish to annul our union," he said in a voice that did not waver, "you , truly she did, but her heart was slaers and toes al with nerves She did not think she had ever been so startled Or panicked

"I will say this only once," Edward said, his steadiness a clear contrast to the pande inside her "Once you enter the rooh her throat "Don’t be silly You’re hardly going to ravish ht have just insulted his manhood "Er, at least not before your bath"

"You knoell as I that it does notdown on hers "Once we enter that rooether, as a married couple, you will be compromised"

"You can’t cole word erowl The blaspheh to startle Cecilia into taking a step back

"This is nothing tohimself scrupulously still, but this ti furiously in his throat "I a you the opportunity to leave"

She felt her head shaking "But why?"

He looked up and down the hall before hissing, "Because I’ed"

It would have been a shout if they were not in so public a place, of that Cecilia was sure The intensity of his voice would be seared on her mind for an eternity

And it broke her heart

"No, Edward," she tried to reassure hi a piece of my mind," he cut in

"No No" It was all she could see her skin "You need to understand this, Cecilia I am not whole"

She shook her head She wanted to tell him that he was perfect, and that she was a fraud And that she was so so sorry for taking advantage of his condition

She would never be able to o of her abruptly "I am not the man you married"

"I’m probably not the woman you married either," shethat her skin began to tingle "But I think" she whispered, only just figuring it out as the words left her lips "I think you ht need ht in the middle of the corridor, he hauled her into his arms and kissed her

He hadn’t planned to do it For Christ’s sake, he’d been trying to do the right thing But she’d been staring up at him with those seafoam eyes, and when she’d whispered that he needed her