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She inclined her head, feeling the guilt Sam had spoken of earlier She didn't want to cause Ryan to feel bad "You're right"

His gaze bore into hers "And I'm serious about you"

She sed hard "Ryan"

"Zoe," heto say what you want to hear I can't make it that easy on you"

She wondered if he could hear her heart pounding in her chest, wanting to leap out and— she didn't knohat her heart wanted Nor did she knohat he desired from her

"What is it you want from me? From us?" she asked hih his His touch arm, their connection solid, yet she couldn't discount what separated theht

"I'll take an open ?"

"Meaning I agree that we have our own individual lives and we need to go live them"

She blinked, unsure she'd heard hiree hat you've been saying, that we need to get back to our daily routine and the things that define our lives"

She nodded slowly "Okay, then" She could zip her suitcase and hop on a plane He wasn't stopping her Just the opposite, in fact He was giving her what she wanted, so why did she feel so bad?

Like her heart had been sliced open and would never heal?

"I'd just like to know that while we're apart, you'll keep an open ood times we shared Can you do that?" he asked

His voice soothed her emotions like wars he inspired He was giving her tis and, as a result, she respected hiood times" It was probably all she would think about "Besides, we'll keep in touch through Sa to think about how difficult a mere friendship with him would be

"Definitely," he said easily

Too easily

"Speaking of Saested, and you were right about that, too You should take her hoet tis around here"

Zoe waved her ars like that?"