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He looked away a moment and when he looked back at me he said, "Let’s put it this way: I know I have to live each day to the fullest, and I’ve known that for a long ti I’d never been able to fathom about him before He’d always been completely unfazed by folks like Barrons and Ryodan, Christian, even the Fae, and I’d endlessly wondered why I’d admired him enormously for it, been quietly proud of hiround with such powerful immortals, because it had never been bluster, just confidence and laissez-faire equani with the threat of death most of his adult life "Caoimhe loves you," I told him, with absolutely no idea why I’d just said that

Apparently he liked hearing it, though, because his grin widened "I know"

His response leftunsatisfied and weirdly anxious I know? That was it? Did he love her? Were they boyfriend and girlfriend? On the verge of setting up house together? Did he bring her here? Cripes, ht his and candles!

I was out of here I couldn’t deal with this Any of it I turned away and began to push up then glanced back and said, "So, are you and Caoimhe…" I trailed off as I sank back down I was out of my depth I wanted to leave I couldn’t leave My butt was a spring that couldn’te that the hands of ti in my life Clocks Of course Kill the clocks, those ti ave me the poem and the bracelet, that time was short and everythe last stanza It had been his wake-up call, the one he’d been trying to getto accept it and running away

Kill the clocks and live in the h with a, time stands still

In that moment, I’m perfect somehow

Being withunhunted, unhaunted by the ancient, eternal Foot his coat at the ready, any day, anyti to ask ain

He let the silence stretch, watching ht eye to a? What do you want to know?"

"Have you and Caoier it, Dancer, help me out here!"

"You want to knoe’re lovers," he said with such quiet maturity that I shifted uncomfortably

He hadn’t said boyfriend or date He’d used a word that hadbody stretched out on top of Caoiarded her with desire And it ht

"Why is that so hard to ask? You just have to say, ‘Dancer, are you Caoie of freeze-fra back

He leaned back, kicked his long legs up on the coffee table and spread his arot the distinct i off his pecs and those ar, arms that could wrap around me e rode the Ducati He flashed aped with disbelief "You are?"

"Hey, I’ht have, I mean, you knew that…" I trailed off

"I was born with a shorter fuse than most?" he finished for me evenly

I nodded

"So, what--I was supposed to juet my hands on while I had the chance? You know I’a On the contrary, it made me want to ensure that every experience I had really counted That it be the best it could be, or not happen at all I didn’t want to rack up bad rets"

I understood that We were so different yet so much the sa : super strong and s fast Man, I love that one I think your speed-demon power is the one I’d want the most And I was born super…well, not weak but with a flaw in ht years old and discovered rong with ht, too, when I’d prettydid the sa to me all your superpowers did to you Made me fearless"

"You do realize a lot of people wouldn’t have taken that lesson away from it They would have felt more vulnerable and beenthat day, Mega, during those three and a half minutes, and I know that there’sI’ adventure"

Yeah, well, that was a door I wasn’t letting open for hi time "I used to wonder if you had so down the street one day, and the ZEWs peeled away fro"