Page 68 (2/2)

"Because I don’t want you to know me, Violet"

Violet stopped dead in her tracks and stared at hi eyes

He’d called her Violet Rafe didn’t call her that; he called her "V," his own personal nickna it was kind of endearing

It hadn’t dawned on her before what it really was: his way of keeping her away

Violet wanted to close the distance, to reach out to him

Instead, she said, "I won’t hurt you, Rafe"

His lashes looked iainst his pale skin, and suddenly he looked ined possible

Her chest ached and she blinked hard She tried to find her voice, tried to think of so Just silence And need

"A soh the still that hung between them, and Violet couldn’t believe that neither of theaping at the a horrific car wreck "I can come back later if you two lovebirds need some time alone"

Violet blinked as she re of death, and she wondered if Ge else she sensed on her Soed to collect himself before Violet did, and he rubbed the back of his neck "What are you doing here, Gemma?" He left the kitchen and went to stand next to Violet

"Um, believe it or not, Rafe, I still live here And last I heard, you haven’t had any luck getting noring the static charge that jolted their skin the moment they touched "Coed Violet away fro behind the out her words The bitter tone, however, was un her hand fro else, she’d looked past him, and she covered herunco alone with hi up in her throat The last thing she’d expected was this kind of neat-freak orderliness Not from Rafe, with his unkempt hair, ripped jeans, and threadbare T-shirts It was almost stark it was so tidy

But it was his bookshelves that really captured Violet’s interest They were tall, every shelf overflowing, with books stacked in front of books There were knickknacks too, all perfectly arranged, an old metal lunch box, ht pink hair