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By the ti me, the school had all but eed down to the exposed skin on my lower back I pushed open one of the front doors and stepped outside It was like walking into a freezer

A rich velvet voice caused a second wave of shivers to ripple through my body

"My, my Someone&039;s on a doard spiral"

I would have rather ignored the sensation his murmur stirred inside ainst the brick wall, one knee bent and foot planted against the building, sarette

I rolled my eyes "Who, me?"

"What&039;s the punishment for first-ti?"

"Three days suspension"

"Crash and burn, baby" Fane flicked his cigarette to the ground and smashed it into the packed snoith the heel of his boot "Your yellow school bus is long gone"

"So I&039;ll walk," I said

Fane lookedthat? You&039;ll have hypothermia before you reach home"

"Well, then, the doctors can revivewhat modern medicine is capable of," I said

Fane chuckled "Well, aren&039;t you jaded"

"Are you laughing at ive you a ride"

"You knoon&039;t get inside a car with you"

"Is it me or the car?"

"Both"

"What about lover boy? Would you get inside his truck?"

I glared at Fane "No"

"I didn&039;t think so Come on"

"I told you"

"I&039;ll walk you to the bus stop"

"Whatever"

It must have been the sharp contrast between Fane and the freshly fallen snow that made him appear so overtly dark as he moved in sync by las shelter and stood in silence, as though he were ents didn&039;tone of those

"You don&039;t have to ith e to shiver It would be a bit like crying in front of hi leather jacket and held it open for ?"

"You&039;re cold"

"So?"

"So put on one numb in the cold because I let Fane to slip the jacket on me without further protest I anticipated Fane&039;s war me, but the coat was as cold as a corpse

"Brrr!" I snapped "I ht actually feel colder in this jacket"

Fane&039;s ego showed no sign of injury "You&039;ll waro was another matter "What do you mean I look better?"

"I mean that slip of a skirt You look like some prissy airhead The coat makes you look cool, like Trinity in The Matrix"

My cheeks heated "You knohat? You can have your damn jacket back"

I yanked ainst Fane&039;s chest

He didn&039;t say a word as he shook out the jacket and put it back on While he was doing that, I untied the knot in my blouse and s it at the bottoed arette The first puff of smoke drifted by like a breath in the cold air "Why are you so angry?"

I could ignore him or even act the airhead and play du

I dropped my arms "What do you care?"

"I&039;las and sighed "I had et out of here and start et to do any of that now"

Fane arched a brow "You talk as though you were dead"

"II sniffed and rubbed e

"So what&039;s the hitch? How come your life&039;s come to a sudden and conclusive end?"

I opened and closed my mouth, unsure how to answer "Medical bills," I blurted "I can&039;t leave the state to go to college because of all et a chance to go to college at all"