Natalie Niles pressed her ear against his chest for a while, then lightly laughed, "You like me? Your heart is about to jump out."
"I'd have to be crazy to like you. With all your scheming, who in the world would like you? Even if every woman on earth were gone, I wouldn't like you!"
"Oh."
Natalie Niles's voice quickly deflated.
The bedroom sank into dead silence in the darkness, as if a difficult-to-define sadness filled the air.
She didn't speak for a long time, but Connor knew she wasn't asleep.
Were his earlier words too harsh?
"Natalie Niles?"
No response.
"I...I didn't mean to say it that way; it was just a joke."
No response.
"I'm sorry, Natalie."
Connor hugged her tightly, his voice slightly hoarse, "Someone will like you, you're exceptional."
Natalie Niles's voice was even more hoarse than his, "No one would like me."
Even she didn't like herself, did she?
She was dark, despicable, shameless, scheming.
