“You ever see anything like that before?” I asked Rex as we walked.“Those old fairy dudes? Nuh-uh. And now that I think about it, I’ve never seen a Pig-Pen do that much damage.”I meant the creature.What creature?What do you mean, what creature? The one that came out of the wind. The one that went through me. The reason I was out cold on the dance floor.”I thought you just couldn’t handle the Donna Summer remix.”

“It wasn't until after we were pulling into the back lot of Station One that I remembered asking Hank if he wanted to have coffee and talk.Crap.I slid a quick glance his way to find him staring out the window. His expression reminded me of a conversation I had with Emma when she was six years old and I found her sitting with her knees drawn up on the back of the couch, staring out the window."Hey, kiddo, what's wrong?""I'm looking out the window.""Why?""Because that's what people do when they're sad. They stare out the window.”

“I relaxed back into the mattress as other elements in the room began to filter though my senses, namely the extraordinary warmth at my back. The air was filled with the smell of masculine skin and hints of cologne, soap, and dryer sheets.Hank was back. And his scent wasn't the only thing surrounding me; his arm was thrown over my hip and my back was tucked nicely against his front. ...It was nice. Good. Right, even. And then another feeling struck me in a novel way. Protected. I felt protected. A disbelieving laugh bubbled in my throat as I lay there, a small smile parked on my face.I was always the one out there protecting people. And after Will and I had split, I'd had no one to go to for comfort, to let all my guards down, to take a rest from being the caregiver, provider, guard, and detective. To let someone else be tough for a while. Had to admit, I liked it. And I never thought in a gazillion years I'd find this feeling with an off-worlder. I liked Hank's strength, his power, his quirky humor, even the badass attitude he caught sometimes.I was in so much trouble.”

“Bryn’s back was to me, auburn hair pulled up in the usual sloppy-romantic twist. Soft murmurs came from her as she gently pruned dead leaves from a strange green plant.“They’re never going to talk back. You know that, right?”She turned, suppressing her smile. “Shows how little you know about earth crafting. They always talk back.”

“Because I kissed you? Seriously? You only like me because I’m a good kisser? That’s it. We’re not doing this. I’m not letting you risk your life justbecause you can’t think with your upstairs brain.”“No, you twit.” Ryan laughed. “Because you kissed me that day. I expected the ice queen and got a funny, go-with-the-flow girl that didn’t care whatanyone thought about her. A girl willing to stir up gossip just so that I could win a date with someone else.“You didn’t have to help me. In fact, you probably should have been insulted, but you weren’t.You kissed me, you smiled, and then you wished me good luck. No one’s ever surprised me like that. I couldn’t figure out why you did it, and I justhad to get to know you after that.” I had no idea that stupid kiss had that kind of effect on him. Charged him up like a battery, sure, but do all that? Allthis time I really thought it was just the superkissing that kept him coming back. I looked down at my lunch, feeling a little ashamed of my lack of faithin him, but Ryan couldn’t stop there.Oh, no, not Ryan Miller.“After that day, every time I was with you I got brief glimpses of the real Jamie, the one who is dying to break out, and she was this fun, relaxed,smart, funny, caring girl. Finding out the truth about you only made you that much more incredible. You’re so strong. You’ve gone through so much,you’re going through so much, but you never stop trying. You’re amazing.” I was surprised when I felt Ryan’s hand lift my chin up. I didn’t want to lookat him, I knew what would happen to my heart if I did, but I couldn’t stop myself. I craved him too much.When we made eye contact, his face lit up and he whispered, “I love you, Jamie Baker.” It came out of nowhere, and it stole the breath from me,leaving me speechless. Ryan stared at me, just waiting for some kind of reaction, and then I was the one who broke the no-kissing rule.It wasn’t my fault. He totally cheated! Like anyone could resist Ryan Miller when he’s touching your face and saying he loves you?I threw myself at him so fast that I startled him for a change, and he was the one who had to pull me off him when his hair started to stick up.“Sorry,” I breathed as he pulled away.“Don’t be sorry,” he teased. “Just stop.”“Sorry,” I said again when I noticed that his leg was now bouncing under the table.“Yeah. Looks like I don’t get to sleep through economics today.”“On the bright side, Coach could make you run laps all practice long and you’d be fine.”

“It’s really better this way, Ryan,” Paige said with a sympathy that made me nauseous.“Better for who?” he asked her. “For Jamie? For me? Or maybe just better for you. I can’t believe you, Paige! You have no idea what she’s beenthrough! Pain like you could never imagine! And you’re throwing it in her face over and over again for what? Because I’d rather go out with her thanwith you?You call her the ice queen, but Jamie would never do something like that to anyone.”“But look at what she’s doing to you,” Paige said.“She’s done nothing but make me happy, and she’s had to turn her entire life around just to do it.You guys are the ones doing all the damage!”

“I thought you were supposed to teach me, not try to kill me," I forced out through my sore throat."Semantics." He flicked a glance at the clock and smirked, telling me with a look exactly how much damage he could do in the next four minutes.”