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"I'm here," he encouraged her. "You can tell me, Abby."

"Do you remember that night," she asked in a hesitant voice, "when you got drunk during the dinner party?"

"Not exactly," smiled Jake, "but go on."

"Well," paused Abby, "when we got home..."

"What?" he asked, with raised eyebrows.

"You kissed me in the kitchen," she replied. At once, Jake's face fell. "I pulled free, and you went to your room where you passed out," continued Abby. "But, later that night, you came to my room..." she stopped short of finishing her sentence. The young man's frame began to tremble. "You closed the door," said Abby, "undressed in the dark, and got into bed with me."

Jake quickly fumbled in his pocket for some cigarettes and lit one up.

"It couldn't have been me," he denied, his hand shaking as he drew the cigarette to his lips.

"After we had sex," she continued, "I fell asleep, and the next thing I remember is waking up and finding that you had already gone back to your room."

At this, Jake's legs gave out from beneath him, and he sank to the ground.

"What have I done?!" he cried in horror.

"Jake, you have to listen to me," said Abby, her voice on the brink of tears, "it wasn't your fault. You must believe that! You didn't do anything wrong." Abby sat down on the beach across from him, careful not to get too close.

"Please, tell me I didn't force you," he begged, still in a pale of horror.

"You didn't," she comforted him. "You could never hurt me."

"Abby, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed. "We had a deal, and I went back on it!"

"It wasn't your fault, Jake," repeated Abby, once more. "You were drunk-- I wasn't."

"Then, why did you let me?!" cried the young man.

"I've been dreading that question more than anything else you could ask me," she replied, taking a deep breath. "I don't know whether it was love or lust, but I remember reminding myself that we were married. You came to my bed, and you were so gentle, that I couldn't turn you away. I kept thinking, 'He's my husband.' I had no idea you weren't aware of your actions, Jake-- I swear I didn't!"

"I don't know what to say," replied the ex-convict, stunned with shock. "You let me lay with you out of pity. I don't know why that should surprise me, though. You've let me take advantage of you in every other way, so why not that as well? I'm sorry it happened, Abby. I really am. You know that I can't ever again be with you-- not like that."

"I know," she replied, quietly.

"I never wanted to hurt you," continued Jake, as his heart ached with grief. "It'll be harder for you now. Even though you don't love me, your body won't understand why I don't come to you again."

"Don't worry too much about it, Jake," replied Abby. "I take rejection well."

"That's good to hear," he muttered, disbelievingly. "Maybe, I should leave. I figured it might come one day, but I was just hoping that it wouldn't be so soon."

"Are you trying to walk out on me?!" she cried. "I thought we were partners-- Murphy and Murphy, remember?"

"You don't know what you're letting yourself in for, Abby," he resisted. "You'd come to resent me, and I don't think I could bear to let that happen."

"Jake," said Abby soberly, "there's more I have to tell you."

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