Page 13 (1/2)

She nodded "You don’t have to do that, Alec"

"Yes I do" Eed my throat, I so, so, so, do "So, ill it be?"

Her eyes darted around the roouess we could stay here"

"Good, because I already ordered pizza"

Her laugh was like a punch to the gut Good, she was laughing The tears were gone, for now

"When did you do that?"

"I have my ways Apparently, there’s an app for that" I teased

Nat giggled "Always is"

My s to be okay?"

"Of course" Nat looked down at the , her lower lip trembled At least when she lied she was really, really pretty

My eyes narrowed

She ain, "I’ll be fine I promise"

"Says the raccoon," I muttered under my breath as hed and playfully pushed me away from her "I knew I shouldn’t have worn mascara"

"It’s not like you need it anyways" I stared hard at those long lashes Damn, they were beautiful "You have the thickest dark eyelashes I’ve ever seen It’s like you’re waving every ti each ti It was probably the longest conversation we’d ever had and I’d osh! That’s kinda creepy, Alec, and I’ to blink even harder, because I’ll be thinking about it, and then people are going to think I have sorinned and ju a bit infor me"

"Yes, and it’s all about you," she joked

I turned and offered a warm smile "No It’s about you" It had always been about her How could she not see that? Everything that I did, everything that Demetri did, it revolved around her

Nat’s eyes widened, she chewed her lower lip and leaned towardsit But she was beggingabout the way her body leaned, her cheeks flushed, her eyes full of wonder and curiosity One look at one, that hero worship? Tarnished With a dark and sordid life

"So…" I tried to push down the need to touch her "Until the pizza gets here, what do you say we play some cards?"

"Cards? You play cards?" Her eyebrows shot up in surprise What? Did she think I just wrote music and stared at ?

"Um, yeah? What else do you think there is to do on tour busses?"