“He let go and stood back,eyeing me.I could tell he didn't want to say anything to destroy my confidence,but he was afraid he'd created a monster."Don't worry.I'm ready to play the game." I nodded solemnly."One more thing," he said. "If you do fall-"I cringed. Some pep talk!"-If something terrible happens,you still won't lose everything.Now you have good friends,and nothing will ever change that.You're not that girl.""Oh,Nick." I threw myself at him,literally. He wrapped me in his arms and brushed my hair aside to kiss my forehead again.I squeezed him hard,then drew away and punched him on his padded arm. "Go ahead,and don't break a leg.”

“Go to sleep," he says softly. His hand brushes the lose strands of my hair off my forehead. Unlike the staged kisses and caresses so far, this gesture seems natural and comforting. I don't want him to stop and he doesn't. He's still stroking my hair when I fall asleep.”

“I’d rather spend the rest of my life without ever seeing you again,” he says, “than watch them destroy you because of me.” His hand slips to the back of my neck, skimming over my Mark, and stops in my hair. He leans down and kisses my forehead. I long to reach up, close my fingers over his arm, keep him here. He pulls away but not by much. His mouth lingers on my forehead and then, as if with an effort, he straightens.“Want him,” he says, his face hidden in shadow, “not me. He’d love you more than I could.”Then he leaves me alone.”

“Good dog," Nick said. "That's one of the tricks I've taught him, shaking water on girls so they back into my arms.""Really! How smart of Rocky - and you, of course.""That's another thing I've been wanting to tell you," he said, turning me to face him. "I'm tired of getting jealous of my dog. I mean, he has nice eyes, but so do I."I looked from Rocky's golden eyes to Nick's laughing green ones."I didn't enjoy the way Rocky got to stick close to you while I played Holly's boyfriend. He's going to have some competition from now on." "Oh, yeah? Are you good at retrieving sticks?""I'm good at stealing kisses," Nick said, then proved it.”

“Finally, he pushed back the chair and exhaled."He's alive," I said. "Your dad's alive."He loooked up at me and, I couldn't help it-- I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. Then I realized what I was doing. I let go, backing away, tripping over my feet, stammering. "I-I'm sorry. I'm just--I'm happy for you.""I know."Still sitting, he reached out and pulled me toward him. We stayed there, looking at each other, his hand still wrapped around my shirt hem, my heart hammering so hard I wash sure he could hear it."There's more," I said after a few seconds. "More emails, Tori said."He nodded and swiveled back to the computer, making room for me. When I inched closer, not wanting to intrude, he tugged me in front of him and I stumbled, half falling onto his lap. I tried to scramble up, cheeks burning, but he pulled me down onto his knee, one arm going around my waist, tentative, as if to say Is this okay? It was, even if my blood pounded in my ears so hard I couldn't think.”

“Ian stood above me, his chest heaving with exertion and fury. For a second he turned away and put the door back in place with one swift wrench. And then he was glowering again.I took a deep breath and rolled up onto my knees, holding my hands out, palms up, wishing that some magic would appear in them. Something I could give him, something I could say. But my hands were empty."You. Are. Not. Leaving. Me." His eyes blazed - burning brighter than I had ever seen them, blue fires."Ian," I whispered. "You have to see that... that I can't stay. You must se that.""No!" he shouted at me.I cringed back, and, abruptly, Ian crumpled forward, falling to his knees, falling into me. He buried his head in my stomach, and his arms locked around my waist. He was shaking, shaking hard, and loud, desperate sobs were breaking out of his chest."No, Ian, no," I begged. This was so much worse than his anger. "Don't, please. Please, don't.""Wanda," he moaned."Ian, please. Don't feel this way. Don't. I'm so sorry. Please."I was crying too, shaking too, though that might have been him shaking me."You can't leave.""I have to, I have to," I sobbed.And then we cried wordlessly for a long time.”