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Nicole didn’t know if she should be ihts or totally pissed off

"It’s kind of cool that we’re all pregnant," Claire said "The three Keyes sisters The ti"

"So’s the fact that none of us are nant and gone "Although you’re engaged, so you’re al a baby Aren’t you excited?"

Despite everything, Nicole s What if I don’t kno?"

"You know You lead with your heart So"

"You know, too You’ve had practice"

"I didn’t do a great job with Jesse"

"You did She created a lot of the problems herself Plus, you were just a kid"

Nicole nodded slowly "I o find her"

"And then what?"

Nicole didn’t have an answer for that "My head tells o My heart says she’ll never ht"

Claire squeezed her arure it out"

"I hope so"

RAOUL ARRIVED a few ed hiain You scared me"

"I know I’m sorry"

"Sheila missed you I had to explain to the puppies where you were I won’t cover for you again"

"You won’t have to"

They stood sht had been lifted from her shoulders

"Go unpack," she said "If you’re lucky, I’ll cook dinner later"

"I’d like that"

He carried his duffel bag upstairs

She watched hi Brittany, but she doubted her luck was that good She would guess it was just a ht as well cook enough for three

She headed into the kitchen, thenShe half expected to see Brittany on her doorstep, but instead found herself staring at Drew

This was so not how she wanted to spend her evening

"Hi, Nicole," he said "May I please come in for a few minutes?"

Her instinct was to say no She wasn’t in the ht now But it would probably be faster to let hiet him the hell out of here

She stepped back to let hiave her a tentative sood," he said as he shoved his hands into his pockets, then pulled thereat"

"Is this about money?" she asked "Do you need a loan?"

"No It’s not about money It’s about…" He looked into her eyes "I’ about, you know, everything I hurt you You were great to me, Nicole I never appreciated you the way I should have I’m sorry about what happened with Jesse I take full responsibility for that"

Her first thought was that he was on drugs Her second was that he’d had his body hijacked by some kind of space alien

"I don’t knohat to say," she admitted

"Then letyou I know co I was messed up in the head But I’m clear now and I knohat I want I want you I want us back together, the way it used to be"

An apology at last He was taking responsibility While she appreciated it, she kneas too little too late

"The divorce will be final in a couple of weeks," she said

"We can get reat"

She studied hihtly lopsided At one time she’d done her best to convince herself he was the one

"Why?" she asked, curious rather than angry "Why do you want to be with me?"

He frowned "Because I love you"

"Do you like me?"

"Sure"

"What do you like about ed "We don’t have veryYou enjoy going out every night and I like staying in I’ht owl You never liked that I work at the bakery, I don’t really like your friends We don’t have very much in common, Drew"

He looked at the floor, then back at her "I’m at my best when I’m with you"

Which was kind of sweet and still all about hi your best on your own"

"But…"

"Drew, you don’t really love me I’m not sure you like me all that much You weren’t happy married to me Were you? Really?"

He slowly shook his head

"We’re not in love," she told hio find souess" He looked at her "But you loved ht about how she felt about Hawk It was so different, so powerful, so unlike anything she’d felt before That was love Really deep, lasting love But there was no win in hurting Drew and that’s all the truth would do

"I loved you," she lied

"Well that’s soo"

She moved around him and opened the door "Goodbye, Drew"