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I quickenedforward The shadow had stopped I did the same Tall, clearlyinto the night A dark bandanna covered his hair Was he a slayer?

Frosty had worn a bandanna So had Bronx This guy pressed his chest into the base of a tree and leaned to the side

"--can’t believe Cole’s doing this to us," I heard Trina say

"I know," Lucas replied, his voice fading He ether, but they’d quickly found each other Interesting

"Ali better pony up and take care of this, or"

After that, not even crickets could be heard

The shadowanother smear behind I clai the shadow several feet ahead I pressed into another tree

"Seriously, what are we going to do?" Trina asked, her voice audible once again

"Be careful Guard our words and actions I’ to take back to the Hazmats," Lucas replied, unaware of his tail

The shadoas in spirit for on the pair?

Sparks of anger burned through me This wasn’t Frosty or Bronx

He darted around the tree, and I followed This tier to listen to anymore of Trina and Lucas’s conversation He branched off in another direction I continued to folloatching for the smears The little traitor couldn’t hide fro hard slaround Air exploded froh ht pinned me down Fear threatened to overtakeout a fist

Contact!

Pain cut through uy in the jaw--a solid, intractable jaw

"Letto see red eyes Paper-thin, rotting skin Hair, hanging in clumps Instead, I saw familiar violet eyesand my blood heated in the most delicious way I stilled

"Ali?"

"Cole? What are you doing? I"

Was underneath hihts derailed We’d lain like this before Every other ti me Hands had wandered My body had come alive I didn’t have my body this time, and yet I felt even enerator, aze drilled intoabout his expression softening His breathing changed, e shallow and fast "Are you okay? I couldn’t see it in your body, but your spirit is gaunt You’ve lost weight, and there are shadows under your eyes I wasn’t sure if you were a hiker who’d been lost for several days or a zo not to panic "I’ood" His thumbs traced the rise of my cheeks "Ali"

I knew that look, that tone, that touch, and knehere this was headed if I didn’t put a stop to it "Get off me," I said, ashaht where he was "What are you doing to et what’s best for me For you?"

"What’s best?" Maybe, if he said it, I would finally believe him

"MeRonny YouGavin"

No, I still wasn’t convinced "Wrong" I didn’t worry about his words co true later on, either--not in terms of spiritual law My free as not on board I turnedup at the sky "I’m not attracted to Gavin, and you’re not attracted to Veronica Not anyht I’m not" The perfect answer--until he added, "I don’t think"

The addition stung Pushed ripped his jacket, shook him "Do you really think you’ll be happy with her?"

"I don’t know"

"Heck, maybe you will be, at least for a little while, but if you’re true to habit, it won’t last and you won’t stay with her"

He glared at me "I don’t have a habit"

Blind! "You seriously don’t think you’re so afraid of losing the people you care about that you cut theet inside your heart?"

He took round, over ainst his "There are people in ritted out

What he didn’t say but I heard anyway: just not you

Have to stop settingMaybe you don’t even have a heart"

"Oh, I have one" Eyes narrowing, he reached doith his free hand and partedhimself a deeper cradle--a perfect cradle--and foolish, foolish Ali let hiainst feo around breaking other people’s?"

"I didn’t break yours, and you know it," he snapped "You got over et over you"

That was all he said, but I knew In thatwith Veronica," I said flatly