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“Wait a minute. You’re telling me that you friend-zoned me because you were afraid you’d—”
“Yes. I was afraid I’d fall for you. And it wasn’t until Cinnamon threw me that I realized I was afraid of something that might never happen.”
“What does this have to do with Cinnamon?” He looked totally lost.
“She shied at something that wasn’t there. I mean, it might have been a snake but I never saw one and she calmed down immediately after she threw me, so I don’t think it was. She was terrified of what might have been. So was I.” She sighed. “And that was why I kept pushing you to date other women. Not consciously. But subconsciously I was waiting for you to prove me right. That I couldn’t trust myself to choose the right man for me.”
“So…you lied.” His lips curved into a grin. “Well, well, look who’s lying now.” He sang the words to the tune of the Journey song.
“Hate to tell you but the title of that song is ‘Who’s Crying Now.’”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. And I’m not lying now. That’s the point.”
“I’m a little lost. What is the point?”
“I made a mistake. I should never have broken up with you. When I finally figured out that your lie of omission wasn’t any worse than my lie of omission, I knew I’d used it as an excuse. Because I was scared. Which, let me tell you, infuriated me. I hate feeling like a coward.”
“I’m still lost.”
“I love you, damn it!”
Instead of sweeping her into his arms and telling her he loved her too, he crossed his arms over his chest and smiled, that wicked curve of his lips that always turned her on. “Say it again.”
She rolled her eyes. “I love you. I have for a long time. Not at first, of course. But the longer we knew each other the more I wondered why I was so set on you being only a friend. Whenever I sent you out on a date with another woman I prayed you wouldn’t get along. Or that you’d find something about her that turned you off. Or that she’d decide she wasn’t interested, but that never happened, damn it.”
“Not true. There were some who blew me off. Nicely, but still.”
“Some?”
“A few. Hard to believe, I know, but I’m apparently not irresistible to all women.” He wore his most modest expression.
“You’re making this as hard as possible for me.”
“Seems only fair. The past few weeks since we broke up have been hard as hell for me.”
“There’s the small matter of your wreck. That also had something to do with how you’ve been.”
“True, but you breaking us up was worse.”
“I’m sorry. I told you, I made a mistake.” She drew in a deep breath. “I was a chicken. An emotional chicken. I was so afraid I would do the wrong thing that I turned my back on you. I wouldn’t let myself trust you, no matter how many times you proved to me that you were trustworthy. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Nate. I love you and I want us to get back together.”
He didn’t say anything, he just stood there looking at her. She had no idea what he was thinking.
“How much does your foot hurt?”
Confused she asked, “My foot?”
“Yeah, your sprained ankle. How much does it hurt?”
She shrugged. “It’s not excruciating. It’s okay as long as I don’t put weight on it or jar it.”
“Good.” He scooped her up off the couch and started for the bedroom.
“You’re going to hurt your arm. What are you doing?”
“My arm is fine. I’m taking most of the weight on my right arm. As for what I’m doing,” he stopped and kissed her. “I’m taking you to my bedroom where I plan to make mad, passionate love to you for two or three days, or until we get hungry. Whichever comes first.”
