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"Not so great" He didn’t even glance my way as alked to the car It was ten o’clock and visiting hours were long over My dad had left at eight to take Rio to a friend’s house, and I had stayed as long as they would letto fly under the radar It had worked for a while, but eventually Moku’s nurse toldin the visitor’s lounge Silent, unco That had to count for soot to the car, and after he’d slid behind the wheel, I said, "Sorry it tookto come out It’s just hard to leave hi under his breath

"I can’t hear you," I told him

He didn’t answer

"Kona?" I pro it--whatever he’d said obviously hadn’t been good--but then again, I deserved it And if we didn’t talk about his suspicions, if we just slipped therow until everything turned ugly

"I said, it doesn’t look like Moku is the only one you’re having trouble leaving"

And there it was The sore that was festering between us "We were just talking, Kona Nothing happened"

"If by talking, youlove for you, then yes, you were just talking"

"It wasn’t like that--" I stopped, because I didn’t knohat to say to make this okay, for either of us

"He told you he loved you and called you his girl, like you were some kind of property for him to own It was exactly like that" He slaear, took a corner much faster than the speed limit allowed

"And you just stood there and let him talk," Kona continued "You didn’t even bother to tell hiether! He knew you aiting for me--or didn’t you hear that part of the conversation?"

"Oh, I heard it I heard everything and I didn’t once hear you telling hilanced at me as he took another turn too quickly

"I’d already told him that I couldn’t be with him--before we came inside"

"Is that what you said? That you couldn’t be with him--not that you didn’t want to be with him? No wonder he didn’t back off I wouldn’t either, not when it seems obvious that you don’t knohat you want"

"I love you, Kona!" I reached for him, tried to hold his hand as we zipped onto the freeway

"Maybe you do--"

"Maybe? You know I do!" Dread crawled throughout of my control

He screeched to a stop in my driveway, slammed out of the car, and headed toward the beach without a backward glance

"Where are you going?" I de after hioing?" I grabbed on to his arm, but he shook me off

"I need to be alone for a while, Tempest"

"We can work this out--"

He whirled to face me, even as he whipped his shirt over his head "How can ork it out?" he demanded furiously "You’re in love with someone else!"