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"Would you rather be a cold son of a bitch likehe noticed, her lashes were long, spiky, and wet The second, she was a damn pretty crier No swollen eyes or red, splotchy skin for this one Just vulnerability and angel-soft loveliness

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked in that soft tone "You hate ered for her ered for another? But then, he done everything in his power to shove her out of his life, hadn’t he? And he needed to keep shoving

If he stopped, gave in to her, the consequences would be everlasting

Yeah He should leave Now Should walk away He was good at that, as he’d already proven Instead, he gave her the words thatcrave you"

Seventeen

SHOCK BOMBARDED NOELLE AS Hector’s confession rang in her ears He was breathing heavily, soh his skin So badly she wanted to believe him

Crave her? Please

She studied his tortured expression Pushing for answers here, noasn’t wise anyway you sliced it Public place, possible public humiliation Did that stop her? Hell, no "You can’t--what you said can’t be true You wouldn’t ignore ht for control He rubbed a hand down his face, the skin on his palm normal, the ink dark "I don’t want to talk about this"

Too bad "You brought it up Also, you made me talk about my problems when I didn’t want to" And he’d helped her in a way she could hardly believe She felt lighter, o, you stomped all over me, told me never to speak to--"

"I knohat I told you," he snapped, interrupting again "I don’t need a retelling"

"So why are you withme that you …"--her voice lowered to a barely audible rasp--"crave ered her

Howof hi, in a roundabout way of course, that he had done the sah?

He looked over his shoulder, at his car, as if he longed to bolt

"Oh, no, you don’t" Scowling, she cupped his cheeks and forced his attention back to her "You’re staying right here and confessing"

His eyes narrowed to tiny slits, a glare that usually preceded multiple dark curses Instead, he said, "I’ll stay" Harsh, broken "If we talk about sorated, big time In fact, she would have left hiest thing He leaned into her touch, rubbing his stubbled jaw against her pal like a contented kitten

Maybe he did crave her But … but …

When he realized what he was doing, he went ht and paled He shook out of her hold, his eyes glazing fearfully, guiltily, then angrily

He had liked the connection, but hadn’t wanted to like it Why? The question of the day, it seemed Hell, the question of the year

Whatever the answer, though, he wasn’t yet ready to spill all and really would bail if she re thing For now But, oh, God, hope swirled through her, a bright light in an endlessly dark void

"So, uh, how have you been?" she asked, hands tingling where they’d touched hier in a single instant Relief descended "Since yesterday?"

"No, smartass Since …" Our last kiss "All year"

"Good You?"

"Same"

Aard silence

O-kay Was this hoould always be between the at each other, on the road to kissing, or struggling for so to say? A fraction of the hope withered

"How’s our suspect, the van’s driver?" she asked, deciding to talk shop rather than separating and ending on a bad note There had to be ht? He craved her

A little color drained fro to tell you until after the wedding, but …"

"What?"

"He killed himself"

"What! How? When?"

"At the hospital Cyanide pill Had one in a hidden pocket"

"Why would so "Fear You re hiet any useful info out of hi to his cheeks and deepening with … shame? Probably Hector took his job more seriously than most, and took his cases personally