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‘Lettingto meet Rico Bavasso, for one’

‘But, if you hadn’t, you would never have ain’

She smiled, but it wavered on her face, as uncertain as a shadow slipping away ‘You don’t regret ency than he meant to reveal or even feel ‘Do you?’

‘No’ Still she sounded uncertain, and that hurt him more than he expected

‘Why? Why would you?’ Of course he knew the reasons, yet still he asked Torturing himself because he couldn’t help it

‘It’s not as if this is going to last,’ Laurel said after a moment, her voice so quiet Cristiano strained to hear it, even though he was standing right next to her ‘You don’t have a monopoly on pain, Cristiano’ She spoke without rancour, et hurt, either’

‘I don’t want to hurt you’ He ht possible

She gave him a sad, wistful ss’

‘But if you’re pregnant…’ It was a possibility he’d considered unfortunate o, but now it opened up a whole new realnant, I will marry you’ He didn’t knohether it was a threat or promise Both, perhaps

‘And if I’ht fro The choice was his, to stay or to go, to risk or to hide To love or to leave

Cristiano’saway in bed, alone after soout in a fearsoo to her death, and for what? For what? ‘We don’t have to ht away,’ he said, and disappointment flickered across Laurel’s face before she nodded