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The look he gave her was sad and hopeless “I can’t take care of her, Annie Haven’t you figured that out? Christ, I can’t take care of anyone ” In an aard, jerking o hohtat her, he tossed a twenty-dollar bill on the table and walked out of the bar

She rushed after hiure out what to say to him At the curb outside, he finally stopped and looked at her “Will you do me one more favor?”

“Anything ”

A quick frown darted across his face, made Annie wonder why he’d expected to be let down Why was it so hard for him to believe that she wanted to help him?

“Drive me home?”

She smiled “Of course ”

The next , Annie arrived at Nick’s house an hour early She slipped through the unlocked door and crept up the stairs She checked on Izzy, found her sleeping peacefully, then went to Nick’s bedroouest room and pushed the door open

The curtains were drawn, and no sunlight caainst one as an old-fashioned four-poster bed She could just make out Nick’s form beneath a mound of red wool blankets

She should have known that he didn’t sleep in the master bedroom anymore

Annie kneas dangerous to enter his roo, but she couldn’t help herself She went to his bed and stood beside hi and innocent; o than the man she’d recently met

It ca on the even, quiet sound of his breathing, how much she had once loved him

Until the night she saw him kiss Kathy

She needs me, Annie, don’t you see that? he’d said afterward We fit

I can fit with you, Nicky, she’d pleaded softly

No He’d touched her cheek, and the gentleness of his touch had made her cry You don’t need someone like oing to set the world on fire