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"What are you doing here, Davy?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay"

"I’m fine"

"Pollock didn’t coot its hands full right now trying to decide the fate of all carriers Not just one Me by myselfI’m not that important"

"Do you think we’ll be back in school soon?"

"Doubtful"

I aze Crossing e of one of the beds "Why do you sound angry?" My voice co one hand through his hair and pacing the middle of the small room

"I came here because I wanted to thank you for what happened at school when that boy hitme--"

"You shouldn’t have coive a little laugh and wave at my neck "Where will I ever be safe now? Aain?"

He stops and stares atreally wrong "Carriers are being attacked just for walking outside their front door It’s not safe for us But you decided to get in your car and co for it" His lip curls up at this last bit and succeeds inme feel officially stupid

I rise in one ry "Sorry I’ll leave you to hide in your house then"

I start for the door, but he stops rabs me with both hands His breath crashes with ing for trouble--"

I jerk free and look around at his sparse room "What’s worse than this?"

"Oh, c’ination?"

He advances ondown, I gasp when he follows and straddles ?" I press a pal a picture of what’s worse than this Wasn’t that your question?"

I nod, at a loss for words

"You have no rights You’re a sublevel hu can happen to you and no one will care" His face dips closer His cheek rests againstto you There is no protection No place in this whole country where you should feel safe now" His fingers flex on ain

"And it’s only going to get worse for us It’s been getting worse every year, but after this shooting, the Agency is only going to get ust of those words so close to hten and inti in his eyes shifts, darkens His gaze sweeps overjust how close we are, he pulls back "Sorry," he s a hand over his face "You just need to be more careful There won’t be soain I could push hi in the smell of him, soap and spearmint, and realize I don’t want to shove him away Butterflies start to flutter in et a word past the luainst his shirt, testing the texture, the firmness of his flesh beneath the thin barrier

"Don’t look at ruff

"What way?"

His hand covers ainst his chest, and I detect the fast thud of his heart through flesh and bone Feeling his heart, it occurs to me that it beats just like everyone else’s Like o, I would have crossed the street to avoid hio to places I would never have dared

"You’re going to end up dead" His gaze scans my face with hot-eyed intensity "You need to stay inside the walls of your housewith your family Your chances are better there"

"And what about you? Shouldn’t you follow your own advice? You attacked that boy in school Not too smart"

"You don’t need to worry about s and I know he doesn’t just ht my entire life" He shakes his head "You can’t understand that You’re different You’re not violent, not a killer"

"And you are? Is that what you’re saying?" Without thinking, I slidemy thumb over the H "This is you then? You deserve this?"

For aHe holds hi Like sohtly coiled, ready to break loose A muscle feathers the flesh of his jaw, and his eyes burn like charred-gray

My thumb continues to caress his neck

"Don’t," he rasps The sound is oddly satisfying I’erspulse Fascinated,on his mouth I want to kiss hihtened by my loneliness The constant fear The earth that won’t stay firm beneath me