“There was an extensive collection of cookbooks in the well-stocked library, and he took to pouring over these in the evenings.”

“Well, now that you set him on fire, I'm sure we're well on the path to reconciliation.”

“He smiled and scrawled something at the bottom of the answer sheet. The solution now read: Find X if (X)=2sin3X, over the domain -2πX= Beth Stop goofing around! I said.I'm not I'm stating a truth your my solution to everything. Xavier replied. The end result is always you. X always equals Beth.”

“Even though Xavier was only human, it seemed he could protect me from anything and everything. I wouldn't have been worried if a fire-breathing dragon had torn of the roof, because I knew that Xavier was there. I wondered fleetingly if I was expecting to much og him, but dismissed the idea.”

“You've written three lines" "Three carefully considered lines,"Xavier objected. "Quality over quantity, remember”

“Actually Gabriel’s an archangel,” I corrected. “But otherwise, yes.”“Well, that explains why he’s so hard to impress,” said Xavier flippantly”

“The water was lapping around my waist by the time Ivy and Gabriel found me. I was shivering, but I hardly noticed. I didn't move or speak, not even when Gabriel lifted me out of the water and carried me back to our house. Ivy helped me into the shower, and came to help me out half an hour later when I'd forgotten where I was and just stood under the pounding water. Gabriel bought me some dinner, but I couldn't eat it. I sat on my bed, staring into space and doing nothing but thinking of Xavier and trying not to think of him at the same time. The separation made me realize just how safe I felt with him. I craved his touch, his smell, even the awareness that he was nearby. But now he felt miles away, and I couldn't reach him, and that knowledge made me feel ready to crumble, to cease to exist.”