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“You want me to believe you love me?” she asked softly

“Is that not obvious?”

“Maybe it should be, but no…it’s not really”

“It is as Flavia said…you are so unused to receiving love, you do not recognize it when it is around you”

“I want to be loved,” she admitted with a vulnerability she would never have shown him before the watershed of events in the past teeks

“I do love you, Therese, and one day you will know it”

No, it wasn’t possible, but as he saying it? Guilt could pros, but not a false confession of love fro you loveto ?”

“No” That was all A siet all offended, or cranky, or try to convince her withabout that simplicity

“I…”

“You are unsure I understand this I did not realize I loved you when Iaware of it as well Flavia noticed, but she also saw that I was fighting it Porca miseria…I was so foolish, I did not even see your love for one”

“Gone?” she asked faintly, tipping her head back so she could see his face

Or at least the shadow of it in the darkness of the rooh he could not see her any better in the dark than she could see hione Did you think I would not notice? I assure you, I am not quite that unobservant The way you used to look at me as if I was all you could ever want…the way you lit up when I caone” His voice was laced with a pain she understood only too well “I only pray that with God’s help and the advice of ain”

“You’ve asked your fa h neither seems particularly sruntled by that truth

“What did they say?”

“Toested I woo you in bed, but that is not an option and I do not want to wait until it is to convince you”