Page 76 of V is for Valentine
Her gaze flashed up. “When have I ever not given you the real answer?”
“When you told me you couldn’t fall in love with me.”
“Okay. How’s this? I can’taffordto fall in love with you.”
“Why?”
“Do you want the reasons alphabetically or in order of importance?”
“You’d better not say one word about retirement funds,” he warned.
Her voice rose as she said, “I don’t want to lose your friendship.”
He drew back his head as he frowned at her. “One more time?”
She took a step forward and took hold of his jacket front, just as she had when she’d mangled his shirt. “Friends who become lovers risk losing everything.Everything, Danny. We’re at a point where we can still be friends. No bridges have been burned. Lines have been crossed, but none that time won’t mend.”
“Do you love me?”
She let go of his coat and stepped back abruptly. “I’m not going to answer that,” she said, knowing full well that she just had. “This is what happened with Sean.”
“What’s that?”
“He wouldn’t take no for an answer. He kept pushing and challenging me, and in the beginning it felt good to answer those challenges. It felt like…you and me.”
“And you met his challenge by giving up everything?”
“It was my choice. I thought it was the right one.”
“What did he give up?”
“Yeah,” she said darkly. “I already figured that part out.”
He gave her a long look, then let out a low breath, looking past her to his parents’ house, where the kitchen light burned. When he looked back, she was rocked by the fierceness of his expression. “Don’t compare me to this guy, Felicity. And while it’s good to think a few steps ahead, can you tell me why you have us breaking up forever before we’ve even tried to build something? Why you expect the worst?”
“Because I’m really afraid of the worst.”
“Doesn’t that tell you something?”
It told her so much, but the fear was there, like a physical thing that she couldn’t work her way around. She tilted up her chin. “It tells me that I’m not ready for the same thing you are.”
It told her that she still had an issue with loss.
“Have you ever tried to be just friends with someone you were in love with?”
She hadn’t, but she knew what he was getting at.
“So it’s all or nothing?” A shaft of fear went through her, because again, this felt like the Sean situation.
“It’s not an ultimatum, Felicity. It’s a statement of fact. Friendships change, too.”
“I think my head is going to explode,” Felicity said. “Why is nothing easy with you?”
“Or you.”
“Felicity!” They looked toward the house, where the wind had blown open the door she hadn’t quite closed. Felicity let out a defeated sigh.
“Out here, Dad. I’ll be right in.”
