Deep down, she did like Ford—she acknowledged him as a man. Otherwise, she wouldn't have introduced him to Catherine in the first place. She had always believed that his feelings toward her were purely brotherly, never once daring to expect anything romantic between them.
Who could have known that fate would twist so unexpectedly, that he would one day tell her the person he liked was her?
Caught completely off guard, all her insecurity, anxiety, and lack of confidence surged at once. Instinctively, she began to reject him—pushing him away, resisting him at every turn, constantly clashing with him.
She thought that if she kept this up, he would eventually give up.
But instead, he only pursued her more relentlessly.
She might be carefree and seemingly thick-skinned, but that didn't mean she had no heart. She was still a girl—what girl didn't long to be cherished, doted on, treated with tenderness and devotion?
