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He ss hard and his knuckles whiten as he picks up his cell phone and checks the screen "I’ve got a signal now if you want to call your friend"

I don’t press the subject If anyone can understand the need for secrecy it’s ive him the directions to s, it sendsif you were okay, since you bailed out on ht and lost et ho up and hand Asher his phone

"Okay, so I have to ask and please don’t take it the wrong way, but how did you two end up being friends?" Asher asks, licking his lips "You seem like opposites"

"We are, but she’smy nail "My only friend, really"

His eyebrows knit "Your only friend? That’s pretty hard to believe"

My tone drips with sarcasht, he turns down my street and then smiles at me "Why does that surprise you? You’re easy to talk to, beautiful, and you like cars"

I bite et points docked foryou jump into a lake to rescue me?" I eye his crinkled clothes flaked with dried dirt "And ruining your clothes"

He parks in front of my house, a narroo-story townhoa hero" He winks at me

"Yeah, yeah, we’ll see" I open the door, stifling a set about little old rin

"See, you’ve already forgotten," I joke and swing s over the seat to climb out

"Wait" He leans over the console, his fingers enfoldingin the freedom of his silent touch "Yes"

He wets his lips with his tongue "Make sure you at least go get checked out by a doctor, just to ether, I nod "Okay"

"And no one could ever forget about you, Ember Trust me" His eyes sparkle with a look that ently kisses the corner of my mouth My blood and adrenaline soar as his hands slide down hs

When he pulls away, he looks atno idea how to react, I get out of the car and shut the door, waving as he drives off

"Yeah, we’ll see if you feel the saain," I h as I touch ers to my lips

"Yo, where the hell have you been?" Ian hollers fro a bowl of Fruit Loops and watching apeople who have thick French accents

"I told you before I left that I was going to a party" I slip lances over his shoulder and hisin a lake with your clothes on?"

"Haven’t you heard? It’s what all the cool kids are doing" I drag my ass up the stairs

"Since when have you been cool?" He yells as I reach my bedroom door

I slaed boots I groan with each"Those were e to the closet to put the they’ll dry out and won’t be ruined

Suddenly, the sound of sobs drifts from the back of the closet I freeze "Hello?" I pull back the curtain "Who’s in there?"

Raven rushes out and throws her arms around my neck "Oh my God! Where were you?"

Rain, water, blood She can’t breathe I pat her back, but I’ where the hell were you You just left uy who I had a death omen about"

"I know" Her tears soak the shoulder of ht… Well, I don’t knohat I was thinking It’s hard to re"

I draay from her and frown "Raven, you didn’t drink from a cup someone offered you, did you?"

She bites on her lip, looking guilty "I needed another drink and you duuy offered me Well, except for this weird X tattoo across his eye"

"Raven" I take a frustrated breath, re, but sometimes, you’re an idiot Howfrom cups from people we don’t know? Especially ones like what you just described Because I think I uy and he wasn’t cute--he was a creep But you were too drunk to notice it"

"I know," she wails "And I’m so sorry"