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"I… No…" I shake my head quickly, but his sweetness onlyso nice towith his buddies back in the city, cursing the day we uilty "After everything I said to you I figured you’d hate me by now"

He stands firm "I had to know you’re OK"

"Well, what does it look like?" I try to crack a joke, but he doesn’t smile

"It look like you need so I want to burst into tears all over again Instead, I pull together my last ounce of self-control "You want to come in?" I offer "I could make us some coffee"

Daniel nods "And then ot back"

Daniel waves away allthe percolator and cups out of an already-packed box He sitsroom, and I curl up under a blanket,

E

I try to skate around the details of ether, but I can tell, Daniel understands When I’ his face for the terrible judgment I know I deserve

Daniel takes a deep breath, and when he exhales, it’s like he’s letting go of so he’s held on to all this time

"You love him" he says quietly

I nod

Daniel looks over atover to grab his hand "Daniel, I swear You were the best thing that could have happened for me You saved me I loved you, I did"

"But not like him" Daniel answers for the both of us

He looks at ently, and places it back down on the arers through his hair with a look of rueful resignation "I never stood a chance, did I?"

I pause, but he deserves the truth "No"

He’s right No htful and sweet he is, it’s no contest when it comes to Emerson

Because I realize now, that’s the way it works That if you’re lucky, you es you That love seeps its way into every ato, so that even if it’s over, or the two of you are forced apart, you’ll always carry the imprint of their soul with you, steady as a heartbeat Forever