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He ht, his heart in his throat, but Marie blocked his way She shook her head Pointed toward the door

“I have a confession to make,” he said in a voice that didn’t sound like his at all

“Not tonight, Liam” Marie’s teeth were clenched as she bit out the words “You’re going to have to learn to take no for an answer”

Oh, Lord, he hoped not

“I love you, Gabrielle,” he blurted “I aht blow our friendship, but not being honest will do thatto say is that it’s too late to prevent the risk I am in love with you”

He turned to face Marie, not silenced by her frown “I love you, too, though in a different way,” he told her “And I’ on both of you We’ve always found a way to work through whatever probleht to the table,” he told them “Well, here it is I am in love with Gabrielle I can’t seem to find any other wo But there are all kinds of possibilities when I start to think about things that could go wrong between us someday I don’t deny that I don’t deny that I need our faht now I need us So what do we do?”

Neither woman said a word Marie, openmouthed, stared at him Gabi didn’t raise her head

Encouraged by the fact that Marie wasn’t throwing hiht You need to see theether, Gabi It’s likehe’sdifferent with her I look at them and see all the time they’ve lost just because he wouldn’t tell me about her About them Because he didn’t think his torlds would meld I don’t want to be him I don’t want to make his mistakes I don’t want a lost life If Marie is correct, and I’e, only I was too blinded by who I thought I was to see that I’ve already been tooyou’re in love with me, too, I don’t want to waste another minute”

As the words left his ht lifted fro

No one moved No sniffles came from the couch No words from Marie

He understood He’d broken the code of their friendship

And even if there was no way Gabrielle would trust thereat But better

“So that’s it” He glanced at Gabi’s for her ti

To offer him some tea

And then he turned to go