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"I’ve really

He let out a long breath of air "Believe ie, I don’t knohat’s wrong withyou feel Even when you aren’t beside me Even when I’m asleep" For the first time I noticed how tired he looked--how miserable Black half-moons darkened the skin beneath his eyes and his cheeks were alelene all the way to Deet you out of , all I could feel wasat Wal-Mart, it was all I could do not to fall to the floor and cry, your e" He reached his hand across the table and took ht you were at the mine …" A shiver racked his body "What happened? Why were you there?"

"You were there, too," I accused

"Of course I was there! Your fear--it was just like tonight! I thought you were going to be killed! But I couldn’t find you! What happened?"

"I killed threefor his look of revulsion, waiting for him to yank his warm hand away from mine But he didn’t--just waited patiently forto kill uilt that left htened on ht if Iof protection around her, she’d be safe, but I rong"

"Did they hurt her? The house blessing It should have kept her safe"

"They didn’t hurt her She fell and broke her hip But Duke …" Tears started pooling inthe tears into staying put "And no uilt and your sorrow! It has been so hard to get out of bed every day, Maggie, knowing I have to feel what you are feeling and knowing I couldn’t be there to help you through it!"

"Why couldn’t you? I really needed a friend!"

"Reht with my father? It was because of you I made a deal with him I promised to stay away froain, unable to hide the hurt in my voice

"Because I ah me as his words worked their way into ?"

"It has to do with everything! Once I fall in love, I can’t fall out of love unless you die or I die I am bound To you"

I didn’t knohether to jump for joy or slap him across the face Honestly, was I the worst person in the world to fall in love with? "Well, is that such a bad thing, falling in love with your best friend?" I finally asked

For a moment he stared atrabbed my face in his hands and kissed me There was no hesitation in his lips this tiainst mine I breathed in his breath and wrapped my ar hi before I’d had enough

"Maggie, I have missed you so much There is no person on this planet I would rather love"

I was speechless, in corin flickered on his lips an instant before they touched mine He kissed me slowly this tihly than any words could have And then it ended, withme by the hand to the room at the front of the house He paused in front of a sleek leather sofa and stuck his hand into his pocket When he pulled his hand out, it was filled with turquoise

"What is that?" I asked He didn’t answer Instead, he wrapped the turquoise around his neck "Is that a heishe choker?" I asked, trying to stifle the warning bell that was dinging in my brain

"Yeah How do you know about these?"

"Yana She said bad oodthis so you know that every word that comes out of my mouth is the truth If I lie, my heishe beads will chokean arainst his shoulder This close to hiotten, Iable to touch you for so long, this feels so good," he said, pressing his cheek against ain?"

"Because it fit old You have theeyes I have ever seen"