“No. I don’t feel things. Remember? I don’t date. I don’t get involved with people. I don’t feel things. I don’t…”

“You don’t love?”

Nic met her gaze without flinching. “Right. I don’t love. I’m not capable of it. I told you, I have nothing to give you. Nothing.”

Abby tilted her head. “Yes. You told me. You warned me about all of that. I fell in love with you anyway, Nicky.”

Nic felt her breath choking her, felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest. “No. No, Abby.”

“Yes, Nic. Surely you can see that—feel that—when we make love.”

“No,” she said forcefully. She stared at Abby, then shook her head before bolting for the door. She was only dimly aware that she was wearing Abby’s sweats and not her jeans. She didn’t care. She had to get away.

The rain was falling outside as she stood beside her truck. Her keys, her wallet, her phone…all in her jeans. She felt small pebbles dig into her feet. Her shoes were up in Abby’s apartment too.

God, what was she doing? She looked up into the sky and, as if triggered by her doing so, the rain fell harder, soaking her.

In love? Was it true? No. They had sex. That’s all. They weren’t involved. They weren’t dating. They were just…what? What were they doing?

She stared straight ahead, seeing nothing. No. In her mind, she saw them together, talking, laughing, being together. She saw them making love. She saw the way Abby looked at her. She saw—

“Nic?”

She turned slowly. Abby was there, out in the rain. Her feet bare. She stared at her, seeing the concern in her eyes, seeing…yes, love. She swallowed, trying to find her voice.

“My…my mother, my parents…they never once told me they loved me. Not even once.” She felt tears well in her eyes and she tried to blink them away. “No one has ever said those words to me. And in turn, I’ve never said them to anyone else.” She put a hand to her chest. “I…I don’t know how to love, Abby. I don’t know how to trust.”

Abby moved closer, still holding tight to her eyes. “Just because you’ve not said the words doesn’t mean I haven’t seen it, Nic.”

“I don’t know what love is.”

“I think you do. I think you feel it with me and you’re afraid.” Abby came closer still, pulling her into a hug. She didn’t resist. “I love you, Nicky. I feel that. I don’t want to hide from it even though I’m scared too.”

“Why are you scared?”