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I shook ?"

He tipped his chin doard his chest but kept eye contact as he sentyou home"

Immediately, I started to shake my head "But you can’t do that What if Noel sees your truck pulling into our driveway andout of it, and he kills you?"

He stepped closer "And what if sohteen-block jaunt and rapes you and kills you?" With a snort, he added, "I’d rather face your brother"

A, he really was so concerned aboutto take on Noel to keep me safe That was just incredibly sweet I was about to tell him how considerate he hen he said, "Besides, we’ll just borrow Blondie’s car She leaves the key to it hanging right by the front door If he happens to be looking out his hen you get ho you off Problem solved"

My lips parted as a bit of disappointment filled me "Oh," I said "Good idea Are you sure she won’t mind?"

He snorted "Blondie? Of course not She loves me"

Ten minutes later, we approached my place, only two blocks ahen I shifted uncomfortably inI’d ever ridden in, but it felt different in here tonight, with Oren behind the wheel Plus there was the fact that nothing between us was even remotely resolved

"You can pull over here," I said quietly

Oren sent lance "I don’t think so We stole Blondie’s ride so I can see you right to your front door"

"Yeah" I shrugged "But if you stop here, I can give you a proper goodbye, and Noel wouldn’t have to wonder why Zoey’s s stea on the brake, Oren veered the car toward the curb and jerked us to a halt But he didn’t reach for me He didn’t even look atwheel and stared out the frontHis jaw looked hard in the glowing reflection frohts, and his expression was tense

I pushed my hair behind my ear and lickedto touch ain, are you?"

He let out a breath and quietly said, "I don’t know" Then he groaned and let go of the steering wheel to clutch his head "I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know"

I hugged h this "I’

I shook my head, defeated "I knohat kind of position I put you in With Noel With yourself And I’h this I’ But ret it" I winced "I know that’s really awful and selfish of ret it I loved it I loved every moment, and I just…it was the best time of my life So, thank you--"

"Co his hand my way

I went to him, and he pulled ling in azed into my eyes a moment, the temptation on his face so acute that it filled me with a need to soothe hiainst his heartbeat and his arht?" he said softly "When I blew up earlier, I wasn’t even reallya freak-out uess I shouldn’t have directed it at you, though"

I sniffed and wiped athi away from his waro"

But he said, "No," and kissed me His hands heldhis tongue between ripped the front of his shirt and pulled hi hiroaned into ht there in the driver’s seat of Zoey’s car, two blocks away fro

He pressed his forehead to mine "One week"