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He smoothes ret it, do you?"

I shakeat my lips "No"

"Good," he says and I hear the set soh it "I’ll stay with you until you do"

"You don’t have to worry about ainst his chest and his heart skips against it "Asher, why did you take off the other day? After you got Garrick away from me?"

"That’s another question you may really want to think about and make sure you want me to answer"

I deliberate his response,from where he touched me "I want to know"

He lets out an uneven exhale "Because if I didn’t leave I would have chased Garrick down and killed hiot up and ran, but the silence of his body is my sanctuary "Why would you have killed him?"

"For a few reasons," he whispers and kisses the top ofthat he tried to hurt you" He pauses "Does that scare you?"

"Do you think it scares ht"

Stillness takes over, along with the sound of the lyrics flowing through the speakers Mohts of my existence

Chapter 12

I open my eyes to the warraces lad he fell asleep and never left like he said

The scent of freshly fallen rain and a bird’s h my open bedroomas I sit up I spot a raven suspended on a tree branch with its black eyes fastened onto coax it closer

"Hello, little minion of death," I whisper with my eyes narrowed "Why won’t you leaveabout my death? Because I’m sorry to break it to you, but I already died and now it looks like there is no death in my future"

That’s when I notice Cameron’s Jeep parked in front of lance down at Asher fast asleep inthat I’ on a date with Cameron I carefully slip out fro the door behind me, and then I tread to the top of the stairway

Ca hiht in Jackson with excitement in his voice

Cameron’s ash black eyes instantly find , princess"

Princess? I smoothhere?"

Carey Henley, and black boots, and he has an array of leather bands on his wrist But with his blonde hair and tan skin, he looks othic "I came to see you"

Ian’s head is covered with a beanie and his eyebrows and his jeans are s next to Cameron, who’s about six inches taller than him "Well, I’ll let you two chat or whatever" He raises his eyebrows at me and wariness flashes in his eyes He doesn’t like Cameron and I find it odd because Ian usually is "all about the love"

"If you need anything, just holler," Ian says and heads upstairs Seconds later the door to his studio sla out until later," I say quickly and coled hair and then cross my arms over oing to call you So to be able to ht"

"Are you blowing me off?" His tone is clipped and his jaw is taut

"No" I’ co"

"That’s funny, because your brother just told me your mom’s out of town" He sounds irritated

"Did he…" I rack my brain for another excuse

"Does this have anything to do with the owner of the GTO in your driveway?" he asks bluntly,closer to me and I can see just how dark his eyes are, like black ink

"Um…" I don’t knohat to say

Thankfully, the front door swings open and Raven pops her head in Her pink hair is fluffed up in the front and pulled up into a ponytail Bright pink eyeliner fra a black dress trimmed with crimson leather

"Hey, chica," she chirps "Thanks for letting Asher and I meet at your house It totally sucks that ives rabs otta borrow her for just a second"

Cao ahead I can wait"

"Thank you, gorgeous" Raven drags me up the stairs and stops once we’re in the hall out of Caht, then she slaps my arm "You slut Please tell me he’s still naked in your bed"

"What are you talking about?" I play duuy who had his car parked in your driveway all night"