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"But back to the trace You knohat that means"

"That I don’t have to see your face outside of school?"

He laughed, and it ruer at risk"

Soainst his chest His heart beat was fast and strong So did hs the safe part"

"Keep telling yourself that" His chin brushed my hair and then slid over my cheek I shivered A spark passed froed air around us "If that makes you feel better, but we both know it’s a lie"

"It’s not a lie" I tipped ainsteach other," he murmured "And don’t even lie I know that makes you happy You told me you wanted me"

Hold your horses "When?"

"At the lake" He slanted his head, and I should’ve pulled back His lips curved knowingly against o of my wrist "You said you wanted me"

Both of my hands were on his chest They had a mind of their own I claimed no responsibility for them "I had a fever Lost ripped e of the desk with an ease that was disturbing "I know better"

My breath was co"

"Uh huh You knoorried about you," he ads apart "You kept calling out , but it was like you couldn’t hearabout? My hands were on his lower stomach His muscles were hard underneath the sweater I slidto push hiripped and pulled him forward "Wow, I must’ve been really out of it"

"It…scared ht to the fact that my sickness actually scared hih his sweater, and…and oh, God, his kisses were deep, scorching ainst hi for water, taking long, breathless drafts His teeth caught my lower lip when he pulled away, only to come back for more A heady mix of emotions warred inside me I didn’t want this, because it was just the connection between us I kept telling myself that, even as I slid my hands up his chest and circled them around his neck When his hands inched underevery cell, filling every dark space withinhiain I was on fire My body burned The world burned Sparks flew Against his mouth, I moaned

There was a POP! and CRACK!

The smell of burned plastic filled the cubicle We pulled apart, breathing heavily Over his shoulder I saw thin strips of s fro to happen every ti? I’d decided I wasn’t going to let this happen with Dae The way he’d treatedThe pain and eered inataway, I wiped the back ofabout him was still aroundyou"

Dae to differ And I think this computer tells a different story, too"

I shot hiain"

"And I think you’ve said that before," he rehed "Kat, you enjoyed that--just as much as I did Why lie?"

"Because it’s not real," I said "You didn’t want me before"

"I did--"

"Don’t you dare say you wanted me, because you treated me like I was the Antichrist! You can’t just undo that because there’s a stupid connection between us" I sucked in a sharp breath as an icky feeling spread through my chest "You really hurt me then I don’t think you even know You humiliated me in front of an entire lunch rooh his hair A muscle popped out in his jaw "I know I’m…I’m sorry for how I treated you, Kat"

Shocked, I stared at hiized Like, ever Maybe he really… I shook h "Even noe’re all the way hidden in the library, as if you don’t want people to know you made a mistake that day and acted like a dick And I’m supposed to be okay with that now?"

His eyes widened "Kat--"

"I’ we can’t be friends, because I want to I do like you a lo--" I cut myself off before I said tooto blame aftereffects of the flu or that a zombie ate my brain"

His brows furrowed "What?"

"I don’t want this with you" I started to turn, but he caught ht on "You’re a terrible liar You do want this Just as badly as I do"

My mouth opened, but no words cao to ALA this winter"

Now my jaas on the floor "You don’t even knohat ALA is!"