Twenty minutes later, Dawson was sitting on the couch thinking. His confidence to Joey had been something of an act, more to encourage her to realise how she was feeling than because he believed totally in Pacey's love for her. But that, that was the crux of the matter. He knew Joey too well, even now. The girl who had taken refuge in his house was not one who was angry at Pacey for having 'taken advantage' of her. She was angry at herself, predominantly, he suspected, for having taken out her panic on Pacey, when he was sure she knew, deep down, how he felt. When the doorbell rang, he knew who it would be.

'Pacey?'

'Yeah, man – the fool he arriveth.'

'Are you ok?'

'Let me guess – she's been here, right?'

'Uh-huh.' With a sympathetic look Dawson ushered him in to the house. 'How did you know?'

'Well it wasn't hard. I mean I would have come here, anyway, but I went to her room first. Audrey told me she came. She also asked me if I was planning on further research into the Worthington female student and if so, whether she could 'assist' me. I told her I'd think about it. That girl has no shame.' To Dawson, his tangential comments were as obvious a sign of his distraction as Joey's forced confidence had been earlier.

'No, she's nothing like our Joey' said Dawson, pointedly.

'Oh thanks man. It's not enough for me to be yelled at and humiliated by Joey? You don't need to tell me she's ashamed of me, I got quite enough of that this morning. I tell you, that girl has real issues with intimacy, you know. Real issues. Lots of issues. A whole damn bunch of 'em,' he began to raise his voice as he moved about the room, raising his hands to his head in his frustration. 'You know, Dawson? For a smart girl she can be so damn, so – just so –'

'Adorable?' Dawson suggested, bemused.

'Yes. Yes. That's exactly it.' Pacey dropped his hands and pointed at him agitatedly. 'Why is she so adorable, so cute, so beautiful and oh, so desirable, and yet so stupid? I mean, it is a fundamental flaw with the world that a smart, gorgeous girl can be as blindly stubborn as a mule!' He sat down hard on the couch by way of punctuating this.

'You love her, don't you.'

'Of course I do. Isn't it obvious? I haven't ever stopped loving her, Dawson, I realised that this morning. She is in my head all the time, every bit of her. I even love the bad bits. And it was all fine – if it rose to the surface, I controlled it. We were friends again, really good friends. Now it's all ruined.' He stared vacantly in front of him.

Dawson sighed. 'It's no wonder the two of you get on so well. Has it occurred to you she might love you too?'

Pacey responded automatically, 'She doesn't. She couldn't possibly, not after the way I finished it last time, she couldn't trust – why?' he asked, suddenly frowning, 'has she said something to you?'

'Not a thing. But I know she loves you. I know that might sound hard to believe, but trust me, the one thing she was worried about when she came here was what she said to you this morning. She loves you all right, I'm just not sure whether she's ready to admit it to herself yet. I did my best, though, and you might just be surprised.'

Pacey looked like a drowning man who had just been thrown a lifeline. 'You mean that? You really think she loves me?'

'Pace, you know her as well as I do, better in many ways. Do you honestly think she would have done anything last night if she wasn't head over heels crazy for you? She just needs a little help.' Dawson looked at his friend, who was suddenly deep in thought. 'Go after her. Go after her, and tell her how you feel. You honestly have nothing to lose. But her bus leaves at six - '

He was already gone.