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"Except we both know what our religious beliefs are

and how divorce is not an acceptable option,

especially to his family. Besides, I can't imagine

Gisselle being cooperative, can you?"

"Hardly," Paul said.

"Just the opposite would happen. She would

feed on the scandal. She would help write the

headline: One Twin Steals the Other's Husband. You

can just imagine what it would do to Beau and his

family in New Orleans, and . . . it wouldn't be fair to

you, Paul. These people here . ."

"Really?" he said with a smirk.

"Paul, please. I feel dreadful about this. There's

no one I want to hurt less than you."

He looked away so I wouldn't see the tears and

anger in his face. "It's nothing I haven't brought on

myself," he muttered. "Mother said it would happen

eventually." He was silent.

"Don't just sit there like that, Paul. Scream at

me. Throw me out."

He turned slowly. The pain in his face was like

a sword in my heart. "You know I won't do that,

Ruby. I can't stop myself from loving you."

"I know," I said sadly. "I wish you didn't. I wish

you could hate me," I said.

He smiled. "You might as well wish for the

earth to stop spinning, the sun to stop coming up in

the morning and going down at night."

We gazed at each other and I thought how cruel

it was for Fate to cause him to have such unrequited