Howl had been dreading this moment. How could he expect Natalie to understand? She had never known him as anything more than a child. He couldn't expect her to understand; certainly not that he had been married in a previous life and still felt devoted to his wife. How could he expect her to believe that he had thought he'd loved her--which wasn't exactly true. Howl was known for stealing hearts of young, beautiful girls, and Natalie was no exception. Still, the wizard felt a connection to the girl he had never experienced before.
He didn't want to break her heart. He didn't want this to end up like all the other relationships that had ended in the girls' relatives coming after him with insults and rolling pins. He didn't want this to end with Natalie crying over Calcifer. Of course he wouldn't admit that he was absolutely terrified of Natalie's father. He really didn't want to see what Luke could do to his face. He did love Natalie, in a non-literal way, seeing as he had no heart. He did love her. She was his best friend.
How to tell her, though? He dialed Natalie's phone number with a sigh and a shake of the head. "She'll never believe me," he said. He waited for someone to pick up. "Could Natalie meet me in the park?"
