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He shrugged "It doesn’t matter I’m concerned with you, not other people"

"I’m confused You didn’t betray e had, but you’re with Nao that fact from me?"

"Do you think I am?"

"Of course I do You told me in front of her that you didn’t want me Why would you say that if it wasn’t true? Why were you with Naomi if you really want ainst mine "I can’t tell you why"

"What?" I jerked back "What sort of an answer is that?"

"The secrets I keep from you are not mine, Francesca I can’t tell the permission to do so"

I putto push hi his skin, I could feel to the tiniest iota the depths of his euish a thousand times more horrible than what I had felt at his betrayal His pain was so deep it seared through his being, from which he had no escape He was tormented and tortured, his heart empty, his future bleak, and all because the one woman who could save him had abandoned him, left himy face as I bit back a sob For the first tihts and e He hadn’t moved on with his life He was the one as betrayed, the one as left to live in perpetual tor he’d be just fine on his own

"Oh, Ben," I said on another sob, and he was there, surroundingI wanted in the world "I’m so sorry I’ve been wholly selfish But no one see it was to be told I had to accept you, had to redeem your soul, had to spend the rest of ht want Not even you understood"

"No," he agreed "I didn’t until that last call Then I knew that you truly felt trapped by our bond So I gave you what you wanted--time by yourself, without restrictions I knew that in your frame ofyou’d felt unable to do before And you did--you changed your hair, you left school and ot a job that was a far cry fro You didn’t In fact, it seemed to my friend that you al even what must be commonplace associations with them That surprised and pleased me It led me to believe that the situation wasn’t as hopeless as I first thought"

I looked up into the eyes that I kneell, noar his eyes shine Why, Ben, why?

He knew exactly what I was asking I sensed his withdrawal, the secrets he kept from me I can’t tell you I wish I could

You toldyour Beloved, I held so power over you You said you’d let me kill you, if that’s what I truly wanted

And so I would, but I have oaths I must honor, Fran I don’t like it any more than you do, and I assumed that since you weren’t ready to talk to me, that I would have tiin broaching the subject of courting you A tiny little frown appeared between his brows, and without thinking, I sht Loki had kidnapped my mother, but Absinthe says she’s in love, and just off on a love spree I don’t knohat to think, but I’ as dull as my words sounded "How can I trust you if you can’t be honest with me, Ben?"

"You knohat is in my heart You’ve felt it," he pointed out "Can you not trust me to do what I must?"

I pulled ether, but aching and bruised still "I think it’s possible for a man to want to be with more than one woman at a time"

"A man, perhaps But I am not a mortal man There is only one woman for me, and you are that woman"

Part of me wanted to hear that, but the other part wondered if it was his heart speaking, or the Dark One who sinized his salvation "Ben--"

"I know You’re not ready to hear that I apologize I just don’t want you thinking that I am indifferent to you"

"And Naomi?" I couldn’t help but ask