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But to Nick, she wasso more What exactly that was, she wasn't sure Nobody else in the fa on in his head Courtney reanalyzed that thought, and although she wasn't entirely certain, she figured Damian had to have a clue about how Nick treated her, and if he didn't, she had no idea how he'd missed it

It had certainly taken Courtney awhile to figure Nick out--and she still didn't have all the puzzle pieces in place just yet But it was co in such close proxi, it had to

As she shook out another blouse and placed it on a hanger, she figured it was probably only her i in the apart in his ho her legs to tremble

Damn him

He'd always caused her legs to tre

With her, it had always been about Nick Always But her thought process had been so clouded by grief that it had taken her years to figure out that sheto Nick as well

At first, she'd thought her feelings were one-sided Sure, there had been that crazy kiss on her eighteenth birthday, but at the time, she hadn't had a clue what had prompted it Maybe it had been mere sy of so she'd understood at the time was that he cared for her soure out, but she kneasn't the sa to care for him

After her birthday was over, he'd gone back to ignoring her as a member of the fe her in a sened to notice her at all So she'd done her best to put hi her life as she'd been trying to do since she'd arrived in St Louis

Her last year of high school had been nothing but a test of perseverance After her parents had died in the car wreck, Mrs Rule had transferred Courtney froirls school in Florida to an even ious one in the suburbs of St Louis

Once she'd graduated froh school, Courtney couldn't find the desire or fortitude to go away to college It was in the back of her mind to return to Florida and rejoin her friends there, but she'd felt aain So her first two years after high school were spent in a se on the outskirts of St Louis, both to get her feet wet academically, and so she wouldn't have to leave Justine, who'd becoate mother to her

Nick had all but ignored Courtney during the tie and her pride had denore him as well It had been extreh she tried to e it as well as she could But so hurt He'd sht past her, as if she were a nuisance he had to put up with

It had been impossible, even back then, not to realize that Nick treated her differently than the rest of the faun to understand that it was because he was attracted to her and that he was trying to keep hie in Florida for a while; after a tis But looking back, she realized there had been clues even before she'd left St Louis, although she hadn't recognized thean to wash over her

Acadee had been a piece of cake Luckily,those two years, when the war a lot of tilow of a tan on her skin, and lying for an hour or so on a float here and there was incredibly peaceful to her

By this ti for a place to live, he'd temporarily moved back into his old bedrooet to know hih to even scratch the surface of his personality Even though he was only a year or so younger than Nick, Courtney found him to be more approachable than either of his brothers Maybe that was because he was younger than Darabbed her and kissed her as Nick had done But because she did feel est Rule brother, a deep cainning to experience with Erin