QUOTE : Um, Carrie? About Brandon.” I gulped down an imaginary lump in my throat, “Why are you being so nice to me? I thought you would hate me.” She seemed to think about her next words for a minute, her smile now warm and her eyes bright, “Honestly, I was really hurt for my son when he told us what happened, but even then, I couldn’t hate you. You’d made a mistake, and you were trying to deal with the consequences.” Carrie glanced over her shoulder to where Brandon had left a few minutes ago, “One way or another, you and Brandon will always be in each other’s lives. The way he looks at you is the same way Liam looked at me for fifteen years. You still look at my son that same way, even after all that has happened. How could I ever hate someone who loves my son and holds his heart?” “But we aren’t together.” I whispered, it almost sounded like a question. “Maybe it’ll stay that way,” she shrugged, “and maybe it won’t.” I should have told her that we had to remain just friends, so she wouldn’t continue to think that someday he and I might be together again, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you didn’t deny being in love with him.