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"I didn’t want to make you worry! I never expected you would have toFinally, the truth He simply hoped he wouldn’t have to deal "You think that makes it okay? That you lied about her by omission? That because I would neverhis head "That isn’t what Ibetween us frantically and closing his eyes as he struggles to find words Even now my heart twists for hilish fluently when he’s upset He takes a deep breath, and when he opens his eyes and speaks again, his voice comes out steadier: "You and I were in a precarious place when you first came here It was ihtht now, but I wanted tomore than fun and adventure with us It was"--he pauses and his voice catches the tiniest bit--"it was real We neededinto this flat with us, especially not her"

As soon as he says it, the words seem to echo back to him and his face falls a little

"She lived here," I remind him "Even when you told ether, that you were engaged, that you’d been together for so many years That you had sex in that bed If you had told ot here--the full story--it wouldn’t even have been a probleht, the only person in that apart on wasto crawl into bed before rearound and walking right into Ansel’s broad chest

When I try to push past hi hands "Please don’t walk away"

I feel like a tornado is crashing around in h I’m so mad at him I could screa up , it starts to make order out of the chaos His eyes soften and he blinks down toabout this"

But when I try to speak, the words coain "Y-y-y-y-you--"

Fuck!

I open my eyes, not sure what reaction I’ll see in his face because he’s really never heard me stutter and it hardly ever happens anymore

His eyes are wide and his face contorted in pain as if he’s broken roans, pressing his face toother than his syer makes my words coue relaxes "Y-you ith her so long I justtonight I felt like the other woman, you know? For the first tiht I felt like I’d stolen you fro over his expression as he pushes my hair off my face so he can kiss my cheek "Of course we broke up before Ibefore you left?"

His face falls and I feel like I can hear every second tick past as he hesitates to answer

"Ansel"