This was a touching sentiment from Ty, particularly following on the heels of all the little barbs laden throughout this conversation, but Ford didn't know how true it was. She certainly had enough cause to hate him, and there seemed to be very little chance of that changing between now and the wedding night. At any rate he was, at least at present, determined never to be happy with her. He could try to make her happy, someday down the line, because presumably she had done nothing to deserve a life of misery, but he had.

The offer to stay warmed him. Tycho always offered, any time they were together, and more often than not Ford said no — always running back home to his family, to his house, to his responsibilities. But Noble was the only person who knew where he was right now (and even he only in the vaguest sense). He could lie to them all tomorrow and say he'd come back late and they'd already been in bed. He could even lie and say he'd gone to Miss Farley's house, he thought with a sort of manic mischief. He could tell them her parents had asked him to dinner, to celebrate, and he'd stayed late. And what were they going to do, write Miss Farley to compare notes?

"I will," he said, closing the distance between them again and finding his way back into Tycho's arms. "I'll stay."

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