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"He knows the worst about me," she continued "He knows the worst and he’s okay with it Unbelievable but true"

"So be happy," Drew said They were the right words, but there was soe, maybe the intensity of his expression

Jesse eyed hi, I don’t know, kind of disconnected"

He moved from the chair to the side of the bed "I want to be happy for you, Jess, but couy? You’ll be bored in a week You love the variety, the chase"

His words surprised her "I don’t love that I love Matt"

"Or at least the idea of hi I love him"

"I don’t think so" He shifted closer

A little too close, she thought,to her for months, but this was the first tio see what Nicole’s doing," she said, trying to s with her? So Drew sat on her bed He was Drew They were friends But there was so in his eyes…

"You’re so pretty, Jess Did I ever tell you that?"

Jesse couldn’t move She could barely breathe Was he drunk? As far as she knew, Dreasn’t into drugs, but ed He shifted closer and put his hand on her ar, blond hair, the blue eyes, but you’re softer Touchable You’re the kind of girl lots of guys fall for Coht? Sure, she’d used sex and ood about herself, but not anymore She had Matt He loved her and wanted to uy forever?" Drew asked as he leaned close and kissed her "No way It would be a waste"

Her mind exploded into a shrill scream, but she couldn’t let out the sound It was as if she’d actually left her body and atching fro as his ht Maybe she couldn’t be faithful Maybe…

Drew moved closer "Oh, baby, I want you bad I see you all the ti around here in your shorts and T-shirts You want it, too I can tell"

He tugged at her T-shirt Even though it was early, she’d already dressed for bed in an oversized shirt and shorts So when he pulled it over her head and tossed it on the bed, she was nearly naked

"Oh, yeah," he breathed as he kissed her neck "I knew you’d have great tits"

Her eyes burned, but no tears fell The shame was so powerful, she could taste it and still she couldn’tShe knehy he had changed

This ho she really was All the other guys who hadn’t mattered All the times she’d used her body to hurt Nicole or to feel as if she belonged She’d been little e

But the second Drew touched her breast, she came to her senses She pushed his hands away

"Stop," she told him "You have to stop"

"What?" Drew said "You’ve been practically begging for this for ive him a firm shove when her bedroo Jesse bare to the waist, staring into the horrified face of her sister

"It wasn’ton tome to take her I couldn’t stand it any more I’m sorry, honey I’, ashamed She pulled up the sheet to cover herself "It wasn’t like that," she whispered "I never did that"

But it was too late Her sister was gone and everything had changed forever

JESSE STOOD ON THE doorstep of Matt’s town house for a long ti how she’d first co for a place of his own They’d been so happy then So in love

Not anyht with Drew

Jesse didn’t want to think about what had happened How Nicole had thrown her out She’d been so afraid, so ashamed, but Nicole hadn’t wanted to listen to the truth and Drew had been plenty convincing

That had been bad enough, but then Paula had gone looking for her again and had found Nicole instead Her sister had been pleased to explain exactly why Jesse wasn’t living there any Matt

Jesse had tried to get to hi her calls She’d waited for hied to avoid her

Her whole body hurt She couldn’t stop crying Hoas it possible for one person to lose everything so fast? And yet she had

She rang the bell and waited She was here because she had so he would have to believe Her stoht back tears He had to listen to her Somehow she would make him understand

The door opened and Matt stood in front of her She stared at hi hiood Tall and thin, but filling out froy out to build muscle and then he’d taken her to bed and rewarded her for her good ideas He was very good at rewarding her, and telling her he loved her He got this light in his eyes and what she called his special s to say to you," he told her and started to close the door

She threw herself against it and ed to squeeze inside "We have to talk"

"You may have to talk but I don’t have to listen"

God, he sounded so cold, she thought grimly As if he hated her Was that possible? Had hate replaced love this quickly?

She couldn’t think about it because, if she did, she would fall apart He was everything to her She loved him She who had vowed to never risk her heart had fallen for a geeky computer nerd with beautiful eyes and a smile that made her soul float