"How could I ask you to stay when you left without a word?" she cried out, twisting around to face him. "You can't keep... Acting like I am attacking you for trying to get you to see that you're being an idiot. It's not so much about you needing an ear, I've always given you an ear! But you keep doing it over and over again, always angry because you say you care about her. I am not blaming you at ALL for her leaving, but you have to let her choose for herself how to live! Just like you need to make choices for YOU." She paused and moved to sit furiously next to him, "Do you really want clarity? Hmm? How is this for clarity! It's you I thought of when the new madame of this place asked me to become one of the new girls that work upstairs. I thought of how you might react, how disappointed you would be. I've brought you up every day you were gone, bothering anyone and everyone with wondering where you were, how you were, if you were hurt or fine or who knows what? And yes, the neighbors HAVE talked. You're an unmarried man sleeping in the yard of an unmarried woman and you spent plenty of time in my presence that there was already speculation I lay with you. I didn't care because it wasn't true! I was just happy you gave me the time of day!! And how on earth do you want me to tell you I've already BEEN in love with you this whole... blasted..." and then she shut up and clapped her hand over her mouth, realizing what she blurted out.