Capture

ASeasidePicturesNovel

byRachelVanDyken

Thisisaworkoffiction.Names,places,characters,andeventsarefictitiousineveryregard.Any

similaritiestoactualeventsandpersons,livingordead,arepurelycoincidental.Anytrademarks,

servicemarks,productnames,ornamedfeaturesareassumedtobethepropertyoftheirrespective

owners,andareusedonlyforreference.Thereisnoimpliedendorsementifanyofthesetermsare

used.Exceptforreviewpurposes,thereproductionofthisbookinwholeorpart,electronicallyor

mechanically,constitutesacopyrightviolation.

CAPTURE

ISBN:978-19422464-59

CoverArtbyP.S.CoverDesign

CHAPTERONE

Dani

HEELEVATORJOLTEDTOASTOP.

Withsweatyfingers,Ipoundedthebuttontothepenthousefloor.

Agroaningnoisefilteredinfromsomewhereoutsidetheelevator.Igrippedthesiderailing,

thenslowlysunkdownuntilIwasonmyhaunches,breathinginandoutandtellingmyselfitwasn'ta
big deal. Elevators stall all the time, right? In a few seconds, everything would be fine, and I'd be
tellingthestorytomysisterPrisandhermoviestarhusband.

They'dlaugh.
I'dpretendtolaugh.
Andwe'dforgetaboutit.
Or they'd forget about it, and I'd have nightmares later that night about being stuck in an

elevatorwhileitplummetedtwelvestories.

Two minutes went by, maybe three, and the elevator still wasn't moving. I'd never gone to

Disneyland,neverriddenonanyoftheirrides,butIimaginedthattheTowerofTerrorfeltexactly
likethismoment…purehorrorandthensuddenlyweightlessness.

Pleaselettherebenoweightlessness.
Logically,IknewIwasfine.KnewIwouldbefine.
But logic had taken a long vacation from my brain — and had yet to return ever since my

parents'deathayearago.

Becauselogicwasthatthingthatkeptmesane,thevoiceinthebackofmyheadthatsaid,"Hey,

it'sfine.Whataretheoddsthatoutofalltheelevatorsintheworld,yoursistheonetocrapoutand
plummetyoutoyouruntimelydeathatseventeen?"

LogicwouldhaveaskedabouttheoddsthatIgotinacaraccident?Furthermore,whatwere

theoddsthatI'dbetheonlysurvivor?Apparently,myoddswereprettydamnhigh.Inaweakmoment,
I'doncetypedthequestionintoasearchengine.

JustlikeI'ddonewitheveryotherparanoiaIhad.
Anaphylacticshockviabeesting?Fortypercent.
Gettingtrampledbyahippo?Higherthangettingeatenbyashark.Yeah,let'sjustsayI'mnot

goingtobegoingonanAfricansafarianytimesoon,nomatterwhatmysister'shusbandthought.

And that was another thing. What were the odds, out of all the people for my straight-laced

sister to marry, she'd fall for action hero Jamie Jaymeson? One of People Magazine's sexiest men
alive,whoalsohappenedtobebestfriendswithrockduo,AD2?

Yeah,youcouldn'tGooglethatcrap.
Notthatitwouldmatter.
Theoddsofthatwerenexttooneinabillion.
Soitmadesensethatmyparentsweredead,right?
Imeanlogically?
Ihatedlogic.
I shivered as the elevator made another weird warning alarm. The lights were still on, so at

leastwehadn'tlostpower—yet.

Anotherjolt,liketheelevatorwascaughtonsomething,andthenitmovedfast,toofastformy

comfort,nearlysendingmetopplingforwardintothedoors.

Itmadeadingingnoise,thenstoppedatthetopfloor.
Withastrangledcry,Ileaptmindlesslyfromtheelevator.
Andmadecontactwithwarm,muscledflesh.

Thedoorsclosedswiftlybehindme,theairticklingthebackofmybarelegs.
EmbarrassedthatIwasstillclingingtosomepoorindividual,whoprobablywasn'tplanning

on getting accosted by a seventeen-year-old paranoid freak who's idea of fun was looking up a
symptomcheckerattwointhemorning,Ijerkedback,readytoapologize.

But,ofcourse,thewordsdiedonmylips.
Because in a world full of odds, mathematics, calculations, and logic, I'd just managed to

accostHollywood'snewestheartthrob.

LincolnGreene.
Smolderinggrayeyes,wildreddish-brownhairthatremindedmeofthatOutlanderguy,anda

bodythatyoucouldsharpenkniveswith,allmatchedtogethermakingtheperfectmalespecimen.

And…Iwasstillclinging.
Withjerkymovements,Ireleasedmyhandsandtuckedmylongblondehairbehindmyears.
Hetoweredoverme.
Itookanothercautiousstepback.Atthisrate,Iwasgoingtoendupbackontheelevatorfrom

hell.

His smile was wide, friendly, totally unaffected by my clammy fingers and trembling body.

"Dani,right?Yoursister'sbeenlookingforyou."

Ha,soshesentamoviegodafterme?
Thanks,Pris.Really.It'snotlikeI'vebeenhavingtroublehavingcompleteconversationswitha

shrinkorevenourmailman.Youhadtosendhim?

MytonguefeltthickinmymouthasImanagedaweakwhimperandanod.Hisattractiveness

had nothing to do with my inability to speak. It was me. I was at fault. Speaking meant attention,
attentionmeantpeoplewouldaskmeaboutmyfeelings,askwhyIdidn'tsmile,orwhyIlookedtired
allthetime.Speakinghadofficiallyturnedintooneofthosethingsthatterrifiedme.

Pris had sent me to so many shrinks I was starting to feel like nobody could help. It wasn't

normalforagirlatseventeentosuddenlystoptalking.

ButIhad.
Awomanwalkedupbehindhimandwrappedapossessivearmaroundhischest."Ohgood,

baby,youfoundher!"

Myeyeshonedinonaperfectlysculpted,model-thinBarbiedollwithbrightblondehairand

hypnotic green eyes. Red nails tapped against her chin as she tilted her head in mock amusement. I
mightnottalk,butIwasn'tstupid.Shewasstakingherclaim.

IfIdidtalk,Iwouldhavetoldhernottowasteherenergyorwhatevertinybrainpowershe

hadleft.

Iwasn'tathreat.
MaybeayearagoIwouldhavebeen.
Thenagain,ayearago,Iwasthemostpopulargirlinschool,cheerleadingcaptain,datingthe

quarterback, and my biggest complaint was that my best friend spilled chocolate milk all over my
new,whiteCoachpurse.

"Doesitspeak?"Shegiggled.
Lincolncontinuedtostareatme."Whydon'tyougiveusaminute,Jo-Jo?"
WhattheheckkindofnamewasJo-Jo?AndwhydidIsuddenlywantpotatoes?
Withranch.
Jo-Jo huffed out a breath that made her hair scatter around her face before she pounded the

elevatorbutton,sashayedin,blewhimakiss,anddisappeared.

Maybewe'dallgetluckyandthatwouldbethetimetheelevatorreallywouldplummet.
Iinwardlywinced.WhenhadIbecomesuchabitch?

"So…"Lincoln'svoicejarredmyattentionawayfromtheelevatordoors.
Slowly,Imethisgaze,myeyesblinkingslowenoughtotakeinhisgorgeoussmile.Itwasone

ofthosesmilesthatshowedbothrowsofteeth—asmilethatbyallintentsandpurposesshouldhave
actuallylookedfrighteningbutwasendearinginstead,likehiswholefacelitupwiththatonesimple
gesture.Hiseyescrinkled.

Hewashappy.
AndimmediatelyIwasstabbedinthechestwithjealousybecausehehadwhatIhadsomehow

lost.

Andhadneverbeenabletogetback.NomatterhowhardItried.
Ididn'tspeak.HeprobablythoughtIwasafreak.Butembarrassmenthadgoneoutthewindow

longagowhenitcametomyspeech.Thewordsformed;Icouldfeelthemrollingaroundmytongue,
but it was impossible to blurt them out. An invisible wall kept me from saying hi. Shame was my
constantcompanionalongwithhurt…regret.

Iblinkedtwice.
"Whydon'tIwalkyoubackintothesuite?Sincethisinvolvesmetoo?"
Curiosity piqued, I frowned and walked with him to the door. He didn't knock, simply let

himselfin.

Ifollowed.
We'dbeeninPortlandfortheweekendwhilePrisandJaymesondidpublicityoverthesecond

movieinhislatestblockbusterseries—onethatalsostarredmysister.

YoucanimaginehowhappythepresswastodiscoverthatnotonlyhadtheCasanovasettled

downandgottenmarriedtoapastor'sdaughter,butshewasadebutactress,amazingreally,andthey
wereexpectingtheirfirstchild.

ItwasasifChristmashadthrownuponthemandmissedmecompletely.Jaymesonhadhelped

Prisgetoverourparents'death.

Andhe'dtriedtohelpme.
Along with Demetri and Alec, the rock duo of AD2. Honestly, if there was any hope of me

coming out of this, my money was on Demetri saying something ridiculously out of line and me
responding.

TheywerealsoinPortlandshootingthemusicvideothatwentalongwiththethemesongfor

themovie.

"DannaeGarcia!"Prischargedtowardme,herhandsonherhips.Shelookedlikemymomso

muchithurt.

PainwashedovermebrandnewasIbracedmyselfagainstthegranitecounterandhungmy

head.

"Iwasworriedsickaboutyou!Yousaidyouweregoingtogoforawalkfourhoursago!"
Iwincedthenofferedashrug.
"Dani…"Shelickedherlipsandtouchedhersoftlyroundedstomach."…youhaveaphone.

Useit."

Guilty,Ireachedformyphoneandquicklytypedinamessage.

Dani:Sorry?I'llbuyyouicecreamandtryreallyhardtofindarealliveunicornformynew

niece.

Iaddedasmileywithahaloforgoodmeasure.
Withalaugh,sheliftedherhead."Yeah?Wellyoubetter."
Jaymesonsaunteredoutofoneofthebackrooms,hiscellpressedagainsthisearashemade

sweepinggestureswithhishands."Justgetitdone!"

Dani:What'sthatabout?

Pris eyed Lincoln, who I'd conveniently ignored but hadn't forgotten about. "Directing your

ownmovieisharderthanheoriginallythought."

Lincolnsnorted.
PrissmirkedasJaymesonmadehiswayovertomeslowly,thenpickedupspeed.
Ibackedup,holdingmyhandsinsurrenderandshakingmyheadviolentlyasanobuiltupin

mychest.

Hesaidhe'dchargemelikeabulluntilIwasmanenoughtoyellstop.
AndsinceIstillwasn'tspeaking…
"Ahhh."
Ilaughedasheliftedmeintotheairandtwirledmearound.AtleastIstillhadthat,mylaugh.

Notthatitcouldconveymuch,butthesoundwascomforting,likeanotherreminderthatmaybeone
daythiswouldn'tbemyreality.

"How'smyfavoritesister-in-law?"Jaysetmebackontomyfeet.
Ilickedmylipsandshrugged,thenheldupmyfingerandtypedoutamessagetohim.
Hewasalreadyreachingforhisphonebeforeanythinghadbeensent.

Dani:Gettingintrouble.Prisisgoingtobeagreatmom,hasthatmomlookdownscarygood.

TheemojithatfollowedwasapictureofPrisdoingtheexactfaceI'dbeentalkingabout.
Jaymesonburstoutlaughing.I'dalwayslovedhissenseofhumor,andhisslightBritishaccent

pairedwithhisnewlyshavedhairjustmadehimlooktooattractiveforhisowngood.

"Shegivesittomeallthetime."HewinkedthennoddedoncetowardLincoln."Youtellher

yet?"

Myskinstartedtingling.
"Nochance,"Lincolnsaidsmoothlyashecrossedhislargearmsandleanedagainstthewall.

"NotwithPrisscoldingandyouattacking."

Jaymesonrubbedhishandstogether."Ohgood,becauseIwanttoseeherface."
Iitchedtoaskwhattheyweretalkingabout.Iwasjustabouttosendatexttooneofthemwhen

Jaymesonwrappedanarmaroundme,causingmetoemitagroansincehe'dbulkedupsomuchand
hadyettoadapttohisownstrength.

"Dani,meetyournewjob."
I felt my eyes go wide as Lincoln took a step forward. "I don't think we've been properly

introduced.I'mLincolnGreene,andJaymesonofferedmeyourservicesduringfilming."

Ishookmyheadafewtimes.Services?
"Words,"Jaymesonchallenged.
Jerkingawayfromhim,Itypedvigorouslyonmyphone,makingsurethatthesmileyIsent

alsohadamiddle-fingersalute.

Dani:WTH?

"See, that's just it." Jaymeson shrugged. "You can't hole up in the house forever, especially

since Pris and I are going to be on set so much. It's not healthy. You finished your GED, and you
refuse to do anything but work out, watch Bravo, cook, and stare at the ocean like it's going to eat
you.Therefore,Igotyouajob."

Ithrewmyhandsintotheairandtyped.

Dani:Idon'tneedadamnjob!

"Oooo."JaymesonshowedhisphonetoLincoln,"You'regoingtolovehercolorfullanguage.

Shealsohasanaffinityforeveryemojiontheplanet,thoughnoneofthemmakesensewithwhatever
shetypes.Shejustlikessendingthem.Hernumbershouldalreadybeinyourphone.I'llsendherto
yourtrailertomorrowmorningatsix."

IstompedmyfoottogainJaymeson'sattention.
Hedidn'tlook.
Istompedagain.
Thentexted.

Dani:Sixa.m.?Areyououtofyourfreakingmind?

"NeverdropstheF-bombthough."JaymesonshowedLincolnmynexttext."Pastor'sdaughter

and all that." He hesitated, then seemed compelled to add, "You'll know when she wants to say it
though.Trustme."

Igroaned.
"So, I think this is going to go really well." Jaymeson let out a breath and eyed Pris. "Don't

you,love?"

Shegrinned."Iftheydon'tkilleachotherfirst."
Iraisedmyhand.
Jaymeson'seyebrowsroseasIquicklyfiredoffanothertext.

Dani:DoInotgetavote?

"Nope."Hewassmiling,butitwasoneofthosesmilesthatwaslacedwithconcern…pity.
Ihatedthem.
"Butifitmakesyoufeelbetter,neitherdoesLincoln.Hislastassistantwascaughttryingtosell

autographed shit on eBay, and for someone who claims he's really independent, he still can't do
laundry."

Dani:Ican'tdolaundry!

"Shecandolaundry,right?"Lincolnasked.
"Couldhaveoperatedherowndrycleanersinanotherlife."Jaymesonnoddedencouragingly.
"Great."Lincolnlookedrelieved."Andshecankeephercoolonset?"

Dani:Dude.LasttimeyouweretalkingtoNFLstarWesMichelsIpassedout,intothepool—

neededtoberevived.

Iaddedadoctorsign.
"Ah…" Jaymeson waved in my direction. "She's used to being around celebrities. Hell, she

putsupwithme.She'llbefineonset."

Lincolnrubbedhishandstogether."Well,great!"
No.Notgreat!Notgreatatall!
"I'lljusttextyoulaterthen."
I stared down at the counter, trying to figure out how to actually maneuver time, space, and

mattersothatIcouldjumpintothesmallcrevicesandmakemyselfonewiththegranite.

"Dani?"Jaymesonrepeated.
Myheadjerkedup.
"Lincolnwastalkingtoyou,notme."
Mymouthdroppedopen.ImanagedatightnodinLincoln'sdirection,thenheldupmyphone

asiftosay,"Yeah,textme.I'llanswerandtrynottorunintoyou,staretoohard,sweattooprofusely,
orstumbleovermylegsinyourpresence."

Imusthavelookedconvincingbecausethatdevastatingsmilewasback,andthenhewasgone.
"This will be good for you," Pris whispered in my ear, giving my body a tight squeeze.

"Promise."

That'swhatshehadsaidaboutcheerleading.
Andlookhowthathadended?
Ourparents'death—allbecauseI'dwantedtocompete.

CHAPTERTWO

Lincoln

HE HAD TO BE THE MOST

awkward person I'd ever encountered in my entire life. Granted, I was only

twenty-two,hadhardlylived,butIwasHollywoodthroughandthrough.

Iknewweird.
Iwassurroundedbyitonadailybasis.
Andthatgirl?Itwasn'tthefactthatshedidn'ttalkbecauseshewasnervousorjustdidn'tgivea

flyingrat'sassaboutme—Icouldgetpastthat.Itwasthesimpleodditythatshewantedto.

Butchosenotto.
AndbecauseIwasrunningontwohourssleep,I'dspentthepastfewminutesfantasizingwhat

hervoicewouldsoundlike.

Jo-JowaswaitingformeinthelobbywhenIjumpedofftheelevator.
"There you are!" she screeched loudly, enough so that my ears rang a bit while my skin

crawledlikeIwashavinganallergicreactiontosomething."Wherehaveyoubeen?"

UnlikeDani,Jo-Jotalked.Alot.Andhervoice?Well,theonlywayIcouldrelatethesoundher

lipsemittedwastothinkofthenearestbutcherknifingapig.

Shelaughed.
Maybetwopigs.
Anotherlaugh.
Orfive.
Whywasshehereagain?
"So…" Her nails dug into my forearm. "… my agent says we just need a few pictures to

circulate.ThenI'llbeoutofyourhair,baby."

Oh,andshecalledeverythingandeveryonebaby.
Itwasn'tcute.
Orendearing.
Orevenslightlyfunny.
It was irritating, like her voice, and there I was again wondering about Dani. The girl with

brighteyesandsoftlips.

Thegirlwhowasmute.
"I hate the ocean, fish, crowds of people, and coffee shops that try too hard to be local and

quaint."Iwasgettingjerkedtowardthedoor,andwhythehellwasshelistingthingsshehated?

"Oh…"Anothertugonmyarmasmyarmhairrebelledandpulledbackasifrepelledbyher

touch."…andIhateanyrestaurantthatclaimstobeorganicyetstillcookswithnon-organicoils."

Iwasgoingtospeak—wouldhave,butshejustkepttalking.
"AndIthinkitwouldbeextremelyoff-puttingforustotakeafewpicturesatthemall.Imean,

whataboutthepoorpeople?"

Becausepoorpeoplehadnoneedforfoodorclothing?Whereelsedidshethinktheybought

andpaidfortheirdailyneeds?

"Listen…"Ipriedmyselffree."…IthinkIforgotsomethingbackinJaymeson'sroom.Why

don'tyoutextmewhereyouwanttogo,andI'llmeetyouthere."

Shebegantopoutagain,herBotoxedlipspressingtogetherinonegiant,swollenblur.
"Besides…"Icoughedintomyhand."…mytruckstillhasallmyshitinitso—"
"Truck?"Shespatthewordloudenoughforthebellhop'sheadtoturninourdirection.
Hiseyebrowsroseandhetookafewstepsback,outofthelineoffire.Smartman.

"Youdriveatruck?"
"Yes." I nodded slowly. "I mean it's only twenty years old, hardly ancient, and sure, it has a

missingwindshieldwiperandsometimessputtersoutlargeplumesofexhaustatthestoplightbutIgot
agreatdealonherdownattheJalopyJungleand—"

Jo-Joheldupherhand."Youknowwhat?IthinkIwillmeetyou,latertoday,maybetomorrow

even,Ihaveareallybusyscheduleoverthenextfewdays,andsinceyou'llbeshootingsomeofyour
first scenes on Friday…" She kept walking backward, shoving her large Prada sunglasses onto her
face."Beintouch."

Iwaiteduntilshedisappeared,thennoddedtothevalet.
Afewminuteslater,hepulledupinmytruck.
Notanoldjalopyjunker.
But a brand new, fully loaded Ford with enough bells and whistles that I actually preferred

sleepinginitovermytrailer.

"Willthatbeall,sir?"thevaletasked.
"Yup."Ihandedhimatwentyandgotinthetruckbutdidn'ttakeoffbecauseIsawaflashof

blondehair.

Dani was walking out of the hotel lobby. Her white Converses were clean — too clean —

givingofftheideathatshedidn'tdoanythingoutside.Eitherthat,orshewasoneofthosepeoplewho
wipedoffhershoesbeforetheyputthembackintothecloset.

Her skinny jeans were ripped at the knees — not in a fashionable way, but almost like she'd

takenscissorsinanattempttomakeshorts,thendecidedagainstit.

Shouldersslumped,herblackT-shirthunglooselyagainstherbody.Didthegirleat?Didshe

doanythingatall?Andwhythehellwasitsuddenlybotheringmethatshelookedtooskinny?That
blackcirclesmarredtheskinbeneathhereyes.Yeah,Ireallyneededtosleepmore,becausethelast
timeI'dobsessedaboutagirlthismuchwasinthefourthgradewhenI'dpulledMaryBailey'spigtails
andaskedifshewantedmyCoolRanchDoritos.

Ididn'tobsessoverwomen.
Becausewomensurroundedme.Constantly.IfIwantedone,allIneededtodowasspeakup

andtakemypick—itwasn'tarrogancespeaking,justasimplefactoflife—whichiswhyIstayed
blessedlysingleandkeptanyrelationshipIhadonatwenty-four-hourbasis.Funwasshared,andthen
thesharedfunended.Bothsidessatisfied.Storyover.

Ifrownedandlookedatmywatch.Itwasnearingsixatnight.Technicallyshewasn'tsupposed

tostartuntiltomorrow,butmyschedulehadjustfreedup.

Iquicklysentoffatext.

Linc:Howgoodareyouwithpacking?

Danireachedforherphoneandstaredatit,thentextedback.

Dani:Whoisthis?
Linc:Yournewboss.Lookleft.

Sheglancedup.
Iwaved.
Slowly,shewalkedovertomyrunningtruck,hereyesonthetiresratherthanmyfaceasshe

methodicallytypedamessage.

Dani:Hmm,Iwastoldnevertogetintoacarwithstrangers.

Iburstoutlaughing."ThankGodyouhaveasenseofhumor."
Myphonebuzzed.Ilookeddown.

Dani:Iwasn'tkidding.

I slumped forward just as a smile teased her lips, transforming her face from sad to

triumphant.

"Alright…"Ilaughedsoftly."…getin.PromiseIwon'tbite,norwillItell."
Mytextalertwentoffassheclimbedintothepassengerseat.

Dani:Tell?

I tossed the phone into the cup holder and waited for her to buckle her seat belt before I

answered."Thatyouhaveareallyprettysmile."

Herhighcheekbonesflushedwithcolorasshequicklyavertedhergaze.
"What?"Ipulledoutofthehotelandintodowntowntraffic."Notext?"
Whenwewereatthestoplight,myphonebuzzed.

Dani:Don'ttextanddrive,asshole.Stopreading!Thelight'sgreen!

Naturally,thelighthadturnedgreen.Icursedanddroppedthephone,thenstoleaglanceather.

"You'regoingtobeahandful,aren'tyou?"

Sheshruggedinnocently.
"I'montoyou,youknow."
She didn't answer. I didn't expect her to, but the yearning was still there. Maybe because she

was a challenge. And God knew I hadn't had one of those in forever. Huh, maybe since the Doritos
incident?

"Justbecauseyouaren'ttalkingdoesn'tmeanyourbrainisn'tfiringonallcylinders.I'msure

youhavesomekillerconversationswithyourself,and,luckyforyou,I'manexpertatbodylanguage.
Soalthoughyoumaybequiet,Iknowyoursecrets."

Shefroze.
"Imadeyousmile,"Iannouncedwithacockygrin."Whichmeans,today?Iwin."

HEDRIVETOTHE

smallapartmentIwasrentingdowntownwassilentandawkward.I'dexpectedawkward.

WhatIhadn'texpectedwasthegirltoliterallypretendlikeIwasthemostboringpersonontheplanet.

"Doyoulikemusic?"Iblurted,turningupthevolume.
Sheshookherheadno.
Itappedmyfingersagainstthesteeringwheelasnervousenergyswirledaroundme.Silence

wasn'tsomethingIwasusedto.Whodidn'tlikemusic?

Imusthavesaidthataloudbecausesheshrugged.
Something about my driving was making her anxious — either that, or my one-sided

conversationskillsneededwork.EverytimeIlookedather,shehadherhandsclenchedinherlap,
drainingallthebloodfromherfingers.Ifshekeptclenching,shewasgoingtoloseathumb,andthat
thumbwouldbeonmyconscience.

"So…" I gripped the steering wheel with my fingers, sweat from my palms made a sliding

sound across the leather. I needed some sort of noise to keep me from going insane. "… you like
Jaymeson?"

Anod.
"Right."IhissedoutabreathofairbetweenmyteethjustasIpulleduptoaspotonthestreet

andturnedoffthetruck.

Dani'sseatbeltnearlysmackedherintheeyeasshehurriedlyhitthebuckleandjumpedoutof

thetruckasifitwasonfire.Whenherfeetlandedontheground,sheletoutafewdesperategaspsof
air.

AndIwasleftwonderingifitwasmytruck,thecompany,orboth.
"Can'tsayI'veeverhadthatkindofreactionbefore,"Iwhisperedundermybreath.
Myphonebuzzed.

Dani:I'mmute,notdeaf,youidiot,andIdon'tliketrucks.

"Why?"Ifrownedlookingupfrommyphone.
Handshaking,shetypedfastandstartedwalkingawayfrommetowardtheapartmentbuilding.

Dani:Becausethat'swhathitmyparents'carthenighttheydied.Atruck.Itwasred.

"Shit."Iglancedbackatmycherryredtruck,feelinglikeanassformakingherrideinit.But

itwasn'tlikeI'dknown.Damnit,Jaymeson!Heshouldhavesentthegirlwithamanualorsomething!

IjoggedafterDaniandopenedthedoortothebuildinglobby.Shewalkedthrough,hereyes

voidofemotion.

So, clearly she wasn't impressed that we were in one of the nicest apartment complexes in

Portland.

Thenagain,shewasprobablyusedtoit.
Theopulence.
ShewasJaymeson'ssister–in-law.TheguyonhiswaytoowningHollywood.
Werodetheelevatorinsilence.
Wewalkeddownthehall…insilence.
Iopenedmydoor—yup,youguessedit—insilence.
Thesilencewasgoingtokillme.
ThankGodI'dleftthesoundsystemon.WewalkedinonthenewestNe-Yorelease.
ItossedmykeysontothetableandnearlyswallowedmytonguewholeasDanistartedtapping

herfoot,andthenmovingherhipstotheleft,right,andbackagain.Itwascuteashell.

"So?"Iclearedmythroat.
Shestoppeddancing.
"Youhatemusic,huh?"
Blushing,sheloweredherheadandliftedoneshoulder.
"Onlycertaintypesofmusic?"
Aheadnod.
"Shit,"Imuttered,runningahandthroughmyshaggyhair."Wehavetodosomethingabout

thistalking.I'mnotoneofthoseguyswholikessilence,probablywhyJaymesonthoughtthiswould
beagoodidea.Hell,I'maheckler,Ihatelibraries,andifIhavetositandlistentomyselfswallow—
orbreatheforthatmatter—forfivemoreminutes,I'mgoingtolosemyshit.Sotypeoutwhatkind
ofmusicyouwantandatleastgruntwhenyounod."

Ireachedformyphone.

Dani:Likethis?

I glanced up as she grunted out loud, making a noise that sounded a hell of a lot like some

farmerafterheinspectedacowanddeemeditworthytobutcher.

"You'reashitgrunter.Tellmeyoucanatleastsigh?Ormoan?"
Sheflushed.
"Ah,sowhichoneisit?Orboth?"

Dani:You'llneverknow,Hollywood.

"Ha."Ibarkedoutalaughattherandomunicornemojithataccompaniedthetext."Fine,I'm

turningupthemusicsinceapparentlyNe-Yoisgood,butforsomereasonWiz-Khalifaisout."

Herrosycheekswentpale.
Iwrackedmybrainthencursedaloud."Itwasthenewsong,wasn'tit?"

Dani:Don'tworryaboutit.

"But…"Ileanedagainstthecounter."…yousee,that'sliketheoppositeofmypersonality—I

care,Iworry.I'mlikeagirl,onlyinthebodyofareallyhotguy."

Thathadhersmirking.
"I'm sorry…" At this rate, I was going to talk enough for the both of us and probably go

hoarse.WhenhadIevertriedthishardtocommunicatewithagirl?Never."…Iknowitmustbehard
to—"

Her head jerked up while she maniacally typed something in her phone, then slammed her

handagainstthecountertop.

Cheeksred,eyeswild,shestaredatmethenpointedtothephoneinmyhand.
Iglanceddown.

Dani: You don't know. You never will. Nobody does, yet everyone says it. I'm here to work.

You'remyboss,notmytherapist.

Swallowing,Iloweredmyphonetomyside,thenshoveditintothebackofmyjeans."Fine,

packingitis."

She exhaled, her body going from tight with rage to relaxed, while I was strung up like a

drum.

Iwasn'tusedtobeingreprimandedbyanyone.I'dliketothinkthat,consideringIgrewupina

housewithtwoveryemotionallydetachedparents,itwassayingalotthatIevenknewhowtopickup
on social cues, let alone care about another human being. Hell, my parents forgot my birthday, yet
threwafreakingpartyforthefamilyChihuahua.

ButI'dnevercomplained.
IfeltstupidhavingevenopenedmydamnmouthbecauseI'dcomefromfame,money.I'dbeen

bornprivileged.Lucky.Eventhoughmyparentssucked.

Mysisterhadn'tgottenoffaseasy.
Oneaddictionafteranotherhadfinallylandedherinrehab,thankstoAlecDaniels,oneofthe

guys from AD2. She still hadn't confided in me the details from a few years ago, but, considering
everyonewasongoodtermsagain,Icouldonlyassumehe'dbeentheonethathadgottenherthehelp
she'dneeded,whichiswhy,whenI'dreceivedtheauditionforthismovie,I'dknownIhadtotryout.

AD2wasdoingthesoundtrack,andJaymesonwassemi-relatedtotheguys.Iknew,withouta

shadow of a doubt, that it would be a blockbuster hit, and after all the drama and shit from my last
flick,spendingafewmonthsfilmingontheOregoncoastsoundedlikeafreakingvacation.

Athroatcleared.
Dani put her hands on her hips then held them wide as if to say, "So? Are you just going to

standtherelikeanidiotoractuallytellmewhattodo?"

ThevoiceIhadherusinginmyheadwasn'tnearassexyasitneededtobe,becausethegirl

wassexy,fromthatcuteblondeheadallthewaydowntoherankles.

Myeyeslowered.
Whatwasitaboutherankles?
Twoclapsinfrontofmyface.
Myeyebrowsshotup."Youcan'ttalk,butyoucanclapinfrontofmelikeI'mfive?"Islowly

pushedherhandsaway,thecontactbrief.

Shedidn'tanswer.
Ihatedit.
Ipointedtooneoftheboxes."So,Iguesswecanstartwiththelivingroom.Iwon'tbeherea

lotsincewe'redoingmostofthefilminginSeaside,butIfigureditwouldbenicetohaveaplaceto
comebackto,youknow?"

Noanswer.
"I move a lot…" I seriously couldn't stop myself from talking. It was a really unfortunate

nervoushabitwhileinthecompanyofsomeonewhosufferedfrommuteness.Mymoneywasonher
stabbingmebeforetheendofthenight."…youknow,becauseofthefilms."

Idiot.OfcourseImovedbecauseofthefilms.Iwasanactorforshit'ssake.MaybeIshould

takeacuefromherandjustnotspeak.Ever.

Danistartedpackingoneoftheboxes,thenheldupasmall,bluepigthatI'dgottenfrommy

veryfirstcommercialwhenIwasaboutten,forasavingsandloancompany.

"That'sWilbur."
Sheheldthepigoutasifitdisgustedher.Thenagain,ithadsomehowgonefromareallynice

aquatomoreofadingywhitewithweirdblackmarksthathadsuddenlyappeared.I'dcriedoverthat
whenIwaslittle.Mymom,bitchthatshewas,hadsaidmypigmusthavehadcancer—andthenhad
laughed.Ishookawaythememory,snatchedthepigfromDani,andsethiminthebox,carefultoput
severalpiecesofnewspaperaroundhim.

"Healwaysgetsprimerealestatewhiletraveling."
Myphonebuzzed.

Dani:Ilikepigs.

Iburstoutlaughing,notexpectingthat,andglancedupathershysmile."Isthereareason?"
Myphonevibratedwithatextandanemojipigsittinginmud.

Dani:Theyhavecutetails.

Inodded."Ithinkwe'regoingtogetalongjustfine,Dani."
She quickly turned around and continued packing the box — but not in complete silence.

BecauseifIlistenedreallycarefully,Icouldhearaslighthumcomingfromherlips.

ThankGodforcommonground.
ThankGodforpigs.

CHAPTERTHREE

Dani

INCOLN OFFERED TO DRIVE ME BACK

to the hotel once we finished packing. I'd agreed only because the only

thingmoreterrifyingthangettingintohistruck,wasridinginacarwithastranger,whoseonlygoal
inlifewastogetmefrompointAtopointBinaslittleastimeaspossible.

Thedrivebackwasn'tasawkwardasthedrivethere.
MainlybecauseIwasgettingusedtohim,sortof.Youknow,ifitwaspossibletogetusedto

good-lookingmenwhosmiled—alot.

Hewasasmiler.
Ihadn'texpectedthat.
MostofthepicturesI'dseenofhimwereshirtless-brooding-angsty—totaloppositesofthe

guysittingnexttome.Theguywhopackedapigwithhimeverywherehewent.

Apig.
IthadbeenonthetipofmytonguetotellhimaboutthepigmyparentshadgottenmewhenI

was little. I'd told them it was stupid to count sheep; ergo, Patsy the Pig had arrived and helped me
dreamonlygooddreams.

Istillhadher.
Itwasmorecommonground,somethingIfeltlikeweneeded,sinceImightaswellhavebeen

analientohim.

ButtheminuteI'dopenedmymouthtotry,toreallytry,theonlythingIcouldforceoutwasa

weaknoisethatsoundedlikeIwastryingtohum.

Totally embarrassed — that's what I did. I hummed because I didn't want him to think I had

Tourette's on top of everything else. That's exactly what he needed, someone who just blurted out
randomnoisesfornoreason.

Iheldmygroaninuntilhedroppedmeoff,makingmepromisetoshowupthenextmorning

brightandearly…

Iwaved.
Andhewavedback,somethingIwasn'tusedto.Typically,oncepeoplediscoveredIwasmute,

they stopped noticing me, almost like I didn't deserve the attention because I couldn't properly
contributetotheconversation.Itsucked.Sometimesmyownsisterevendidit,thoughIknewthatwas
onpurpose.

Itwasalsowhyoneofmybestfriends,Demetri,hadcomeupwiththewholetextingthing.
Ithadbasicallysavedmylife.
Thenagain,he'dbasicallysavedmylife,bothheandAlec,leadsingersforAD2.
It was strange, going from fan-girling over the guys to having them by my side after the

accident. They would have left — should have left Seaside, but they'd wanted to put down roots, so
whentheyweren'ttraveling,theylivedtherefull-time.

Demetrilivednextdoortome.
He'dbeentherethefirstnightthingshadgonedark.
Istilldon'tknowwhyithappened,orhow…

My leg was still healing from the accident, and I'd been told I had to exercise it as much as

possible.

Walkingatnightwasmymom'sandmyfavoritethingtodo,soIwentforwalksandtalkedto

thestarsandsometimes,Ireallybelievedtheytalkedback.

Ididn'thearthecarcoming.

AllIsawwerelights.
Andthenscreaming.
So much screaming I had to cover my ears because I thought my eardrums were going to

explode.

Demetriwaswithme,notthathecouldhavedoneanythingtopreventit,justlikeIcouldn'tdo

anythingtopreventthescreaming.

Myvoicewashoarse.
Completelygone.
Ontheoutside,Iwasfine.
Thecarhadmissedmejustintime.
Butontheinside?
Iwasabsolutelydestroyed.
Ihadnoideawhowasdrivingit,justthatitwasablackMercedesAMG.Theplateshadeven

beenablur.Notthatitmatteredsincethepersonhadn'tactuallyhurtme.

IthinkI'dbeenhurtbeforethatnight,myemotionshangingbyathread,andthenthecarhad

actedlikescissors,snappingthethreadinhalf,leavingmefallingintoapitofdespair.

Ihitthepenthouselevelagainandwaited,prayingtheelevatorwouldn'tdothecreepythingit

hadbefore.

AshortAsiangirlwithdarkhairrantowardtheelevator."Canyouholditplease?"
Inoddedandpressedthebutton,butthedoorswouldn'tre-open.Theyclosedwithheryelling

"Bitch"inmyface.

Thatwasanotherthingthatsuckedaboutbeingmute.
PeopleconstantlythoughtIwasstuckuporrude.
My own friends — friends I no longer had in my contact list — had told me I acted like a

bitch.

Ithadhurt.
Itstillhurt.AndsometimesIwonderedifthatwastrue,ormaybethiswasmypunishmentfor

notbeingthankfulenoughduringhighschool.

Theelevatordipped,thensoaredtothetopfloorandopened.
I quickly let myself into the large suite and quietly went into my room. Tomorrow we were

returningtoSeasidesincefilmingwouldbestarting.

Ishivered.
Seasideusedtobehome.
Now?Itheldjustabouteverybadmemoryitcould.
Because,everywhereIwalked,IsawmyparentsandeverytimeIclosedmyeyes,Iwokeup

thinkingtheywerestillalive.

Onlytorealizewithinafewsecondsthatitwasn'tjustabaddream—theyweredead.
IstuffedafewpillowsbehindmesoIwassittingupinbedandgrabbedmyphonetocheckmy

textmessages.Ineededagooddistraction.

Demetri:Iheardfromabird,alsoknownasmybrother,thatyou'rethenewassistanttoLincoln

Greene?Tellme;isheasscaryashissister?Thatbitchstillmakesmewanttoslapawoman,andyou
knowme,I'mallaboutlove—noviolence.It'sinthesongs…

Withalaugh,Iwrotehimbackandsentafewemojisofsmileyfaceswithheartsintheireyes.

Dani:Ican'timagineyouslappinganyone.Wouldn'tthatruinyourmanicure?

Demetri:Takeitback!

Hesentapictureofhisangryface.Theguywasseriouslyhot.Married,taken,andcompletely

happy—buthot.Nosanegirlcouldignorehiscrazydimples,blondhair,andcrystalblueeyes.He
waslikeayoungerversionofBradPittandPaulWalker'slovechild—itwasitsownhashtag.

Dani:Sorry.You'repretty?
Demetri:I'lltakeit.
Dani:HethinksI'mstupid.
Demetri:Impossible.Didthebastardactuallysaythat?
Dani:No,*I*saythat.
Demetri:DoweneedtohavethattalkagainwhereImakeyoulistallmyfavoritethingsabout

you,littlesis?

Ismiledthroughmytears.I'dneverhadbrothers;Ididn'tcountthetwoguysthatmyparents

usedtosupportdowninHaiti,eventhoughmysisteroftendid.DemetriandAlecwereascloseasI'd
evergotten.Iimaginedtheywereevenbetterthantherealthing.

Dani:No,weakmoment.Sorry.
Demetri:Tellyouwhat,whenyougetintotowntomorrowI'lltakeyououtforicecream,andwe

canthrowtaffyatAlecwhenhe'srehearsing.

Dani:Oneofmyfavoritethingsintheworld!
Demetri:Minetoo.Also,fairwarning,he'sbeengettingbasicallynosleepsincethebabywas

bornso,ifhesnapsatyou,it'snotyou,it'shim.

Dani:K
Demetri:Youswearhewasnicetoyou?
Dani:Who?
Demetri:Don'tplaydumb.Youknowwho.LincolnfreakingletmetakeoffmytopGreene.
Dani:Crap,doyouthinkIshouldhaveplayedhardertoget?
Demetri:WTH?!
Dani:Kidding.Joke.Haha?
Demetri:Dudewouldbeluckytostillbebreathing.Don'tscaremelikethat.I'mgettingold.I

haveaweakheart.

Dani:Aren'tyoutwenty-two?
Demetri:Holdon,letmegetmymagnifyingglasssoIcanseethistiny,tinytyping.
Dani:Gotobed.
Demetri:Onlyifyougotobedandpromisemeyou'lltrythissummer.
Dani:Try?
Demetri:Tohavefunlikeanormalteenager.I'mnotsuggestingdrugsandalcoholorallnight

orgies.Maybegoseeamovie,rememberwhatthoseare?Swimnakedintheoceanbutdon'ttellyour
sisterIencouragedsaidbehavior.Justlive,Dani.

Dani:It'slate.
Demetri:Don'tit'slateme!Justsayyes,Demetri.

Ismiledandtextedbackathumbsupwithagirlsleeping.

Dani:Yes,Demetri.
Demetri:Goodgirl.

Dani:Goodboy.
Demetri:Hilarious.
Dani:SayhitoLyssforme.
Demetri:Willdo.

I set my phone on the nightstand then stood up and paced my room. Maybe he was right. I

needed to do something fun this summer. After all, I was only going to be seventeen for another
month.AndthenI'dbeanadult.

WithoutanyclueaboutmyfutureorwhatIevenwantedtodo.
Every time I thought about moving away from Seaside, I started getting all panicky, yet

stayingtheredidthesamething.

ItwasasifnomatterwhatIdid—theanxietywouldstillbethere.
Shaking my morose thoughts, I stripped off every inch of clothing and crawled into bed…

anotherfunquirk.IfIworeclothestobed,IendedupsweatingsomuchIhadtochange.

Itwasthenightmares.
The therapist had said to make sure my room was always chilled. And she'd thought that

maybemyclothesbroughtonapanicattackbecauseoftherestriction,whichcausedmetosweat.

SoIstartedsleepingwithoutclothes.
And,thankGod,ithadactuallyworked.
Overonthenightstand,myphonebuzzedagain.Ismiled,readytotextbacktoDemetrithathe

needed to get some sleep since he had to record tomorrow. But it wasn't Demetri. My finger froze
overthelittlekeyboardasIquicklycollapsedontomybedandreadthetext.

Linc:Tellmesomethingfunny.
Dani:Wasthatinthejobdescription?Entertainingyou?
Linc:Itisnow.
Dani:Areyouthatbored?
Linc:Tryinsomnia,andWilburwenttobedhoursagoso…

Isnortedandsenthimtenpigemojis.

Dani:Andhenormallydoesthatjob?
Linc:Hellyes,hedoes.Clearly,youunderestimateourrelationship.

Linctextedbackafarmeremoji.

Dani:Ihavenojokes,butIcansendyouapictureofDemetriDanielsgettinglitonfire.Would

thathelp?

Linc:YoudorealizeIwastheonefilmingit,right?Theonefromthepre-productioncastparty?
Dani:Nope.Also.Stillfunny,regardlessofwhotookitorhowmanytimesyou'veseenit.
Linc:Watchingitrightnow.Youthinkhisarmhairgrewback?
Dani: Last time I asked him, there was a lot of inappropriate language and middle finger

flashing.

Linc:StillsensitiveItakeit.
Dani:He'safraidofbirds,whatdoyouthink?

IgiggledasIsentoverDemetri'sleastfavoriteemojiofacrowcirclingoverandoveragain.

Linc:You'rekidding.

Dani:Ihidoneunderhispillowthinkingitwouldbefunnyandcementourfriendship.Hehad

tohideitinmyhousebecauseeverytimehewokeup,hecursed,thinkingitwasreal.

Linc:Whynothideitoutsidehisroom?
Dani:Becausehecouldfeelit.Hiswordsnotmine.
Linc:Haha,thanksfortheammo.
Dani:Yeah,well,Idon'thavejokes,butatleastIcanthrowmybestfriendunderthebus.
Linc:Howdidheearnthatcovetedtitle?

IswallowedtheemotioninmythroatandwonderedifIshouldanswertruthfullyorjustjokeit

off.

Dani:Easy.HeunderstandsmyobsessionwithSourPatchKids.
Linc:SoifIwastogotoCostcoandbuyyouayear'ssupply…
Dani:DON'TKID!
Linc:Atwo-yearsupply?
Dani:Demetriwho?
Linc:IfeellikeIaccomplishedworlddominationjustnow.
Dani:Um,you'rewelcome?
Linc: I think I'll fall asleep with a smile on my face now… thanks for answering. One more

thing…

Dani:?
Linc:Howoldareyou?
Dani:HadIfilledoutanormaljobapplication,likeanormalperson,youwouldknowthat.
Linc:DoesthatmeanIneedtomakeupabogusapplicationjusttofindout?Orwillyoutake

pityonmeandjustsayit?

I don't know why I was embarrassed about my age. Maybe it was because he felt so much

older.Notthathewas.Withoutlosingmynerve,Iquicklytypedback.

Dani:Seventeen,turningeighteeninonemonth.

Hedidn'trespondrightaway.
Ifrownedatthescreen.What?HadIactedyounger?

Linc:Thankyou.
Dani:Sure.
Linc: Get some sleep, your boss is a real ass. Don't want him riding you tomorrow morning

becauseyoushowuplate.

Myfaceheated.

Dani:Goodnight.

CHAPTERFOUR

Lincoln

HIT.

WAS AN IDIOT.

IRST

I'daskedforherage.ThenI'dnearlyfallenoffmybedwhenshetextedback

seven—freaking—teenyearsold.I'dhadherpeggedatnineteen.Howolddidthatmakehersister?

Andwhydidheragematter?
Itwasn'tlikeIneededhertobeoflegalagetoworkforme.
Thecoolsheetsfeltitchyagainstmylegs.Kickingthemoff,Istaredatmyphoneagain.My

mindhadclearlybeenonvacation.HadIreallysaidherbosswouldrideherinthemorning?

Noidiot,youtypedit.
So if someone hacked either one of their phones I'd be going to prison for flirting with a

minor!

Great.Thatwasjustfreakinggreat.
Whydidshehavetobeseventeen?
Ineededtogetlaid.Plainandsimple.
Maybethatwashowyouknewyouwereborderingonexhaustion.
You start daydreaming about minors — or obsessing over something as silly as what your

namewouldsoundlikecomingacrossthoselushlips.

"Hellllll…"Ipoundedthepillowwithmyfist,thencoveredmyfacewiththesamepillow.It

smelledstale,asifithadbeensittinginthemovingtrucktoolong.

Ihadn'tbeenlyingaboutneedingsomethingtohelpmefallasleep.
Butfirstdaysonsetalwaysbroughtonalotofanxietyandnervousness.
Itwaslikegoingtothefirstdayofschoolalloveragain.Willtheylikeme?WillIcompletely

suck?WhodoIsitwithatlunch?

Groaning,Itossedthepillowtothefloorandgotuptopourmyselfaglassofwine.Atleast

thatwouldhelpmerelaxabit.

And,hopefully,takemymindoffthegirlwhohadnoproblemtextingherwords,butforthe

lifeofher,couldn'tspeakthem.

INCOLN:

ICKYOURPOISON.

ItextedherapictureofStarbucksandwaitedforhertoanswerback.

Dani:Sugarandcaffeine—surpriseme.

Iwasstillgrinningatmyphonewhenthebaristaaskedformyorder,and,becausemybrain

wasstillonthatsamevacationfromyesterday,mymindwentcompletelyblank.

"Uh."Greatstart.AndIhadtoactuallyspoutoutlinestodayabouttruelove?Killmenow.
"Lincoln?" Jo-Jo's voice was like nails on a chalkboard. "Lincoln, is that you?" Like five

hundred nails getting simultaneously dragged down the chalkboard. On repeat. "Lincoln?" Five
hundredtimes.

"Yup?"Iturnedaroundandforcedaneasysmile,eventhoughIreallywantedtojumpoverthe

counter,stealthebarista'sapronandvisor,andyell,"Doppelganger!"

With a very practiced pout, Jo-Jo pressed her lips together, then made a grand show of

swivelingherhipsasshewalkedtowardme."Youdidn'ttextlastnight."

"Fellasleep,"Ilied,backingtowardthecounter.Maybethebaristawouldtakepityonmeand

dumphotcoffeeonmyhandsoIhadanoutclause.

"Oh."Jo-Jofrowned."Well,Ihavesometimethismorningifyouwanttodosomething?"
"Can't."Igavehermyshoulder."I'mmeetingwithmynewassistantthendrivingdowntoset."
"Inyourtruck?"
Whatwaswithherandmytruck?
"Yes."Imouthed"Sorry"tothebarista,whilethelinetripledinsize.Imovedmylipstoorder,

butJo-Jointerruptedme.Again.

"Oh,well…"Sheranhernailsdownmyarm."…guesswecantakeaselfiehere.Itwon'thave

thedesiredeffectspendingthedaywithmewould,butit'sbetterthannothing."BeforeIcouldprotest,
sheliftedherphoneandpointeditatus,snappedapictureofherkissingmycheek,andthenslapped
myass."Great.We'llbeintouch."

Myasswastingling—andnotinagoodway.Morelikeawarningthatitmightactuallycease

toexistifshetriedtotouchitagain.

"Dude,yougonnaorderorwhat?"Thebaristatappedhismarkeragainstoneofthecupsand

narrowedhiseyesatme.

"Yeah."Ichoked."Twograndevanillalattes.Tripleshot."
I slipped him a hundred while he wrote down my order, and whispered, "For the customers

behindme."

Hestaredatthehundred-dollarbill,thennarrowedhiseyes.Ifumbledwithmysunglassesas

recognitiondawnedonhisface."Dude,you'reLincolnGreene!"

"Shh."Iwavedmyhandsinfrontofmeandpastedafakesmileonmyface."Let'skeepthat

betweenyouandme,man.Thatokay?"

"Sure." He licked his lips and slid the black marker toward me. "But can I have your

autograph?"

"Yeah."Iquicklyscribbledmynameonthecuphe'dhandedmeandwenttowaitforthedrinks.
Portland people didn't care about my celebrity status. I'd been asked for my autograph more

when I was in Hollywood. Maybe they didn't care, or maybe they really were high all the time as
Jaymesonbelieved.

HesaidfilmingbetweenPortlandandSeasidewouldbelikeavacation,andIwasstartingto

believeit.

Damn,Ineededoneofthose.
"Lincoln…"Thebaristanoddedtomeandcalledoutmydrinks."…you'reup,bro,andthanks

forbeingsocool."

"Sure, man." I grabbed my drinks and jogged out of the coffee shop to my waiting truck, a

littletooeagertomeetDaniandirritatedthatIwasexcitedtomeetmyassistant.Itookamisstepand
nearlydroppedthelattesalloverthepavement.

Myassistant.
Sheintriguedme.
And it wasn't because she hadn't thrown herself at me. Plenty of girls kept their distance. I

mean, granted most of them were usually blind or over the age of eighty, but still. It's not like I'd
neverbeenrejected.

Itjustdidn'thappenoften.
Istartedthequickdrivebacktomyapartment,tappingmyfingersagainstthewheel,nervous

energypouringoutofme.Itwasn'tDani.Itwasthemovie.

AndthestupidpartIhadtoplay.

Mystomachclenched.
Ha,wellatleastI'dfoundtheobjectofmynervousness.ThefactthatIhadtoplayabrooding

alphamalewhoviesforthegirl'sattention.Iwasthesecondhalfofthelovestory,theguyeverygirl
roots for even though she knows he's bad… the unredeemable. Hell, give me a motorcycle and a
leatherjacketandI'dbeallset.

I'dplayedthatcharacterbefore.
Butsomethingaboutthisspecificone,DeanElis,botheredme.Hewasso…passionate.About

everything.Notjustaboutthegirlbutaboutlifeingeneral.I'dneverexperiencedthattypeofpassion.
In fact, I was pretty sure experiencing that much passion in a lifetime was unhealthy. And I'd never
beeninlove,notthatithadeverbeenaproblemformetoplaytheshitoutofthepart.

Butsometimes,itmademefeellikeafraud.
Iburstoutlaughing.AndthiswaswhyIneededcoffee.
"Get your head out of your ass, Linc," I growled to myself as I braked, cut the engine, and

hoppedoutofmytruck,twocoffeesinhand."You'reearly,"Iblurtedtomynewassistant.

Dani was standing outside my building, and her phone was held to her ear. Her lips were

moving—fast.

Whatthehell?
What type of person faked a sickness like that? Rage boiled inside me as I stomped over to

her, ready to grab the phone out of her hands and toss it into the air, feeling a bit self-righteous,
becausehowcouldsomeonebesoselfish?Imean,herpoorfamily!Andshecouldactuallytalk?

"Imissyou."Herlowvoicewasbarelyaboveawhispermakingithardtohearwhathervoice

actually sounded like. "I start a new job today." She paused. "It's Jaymeson's fault." She twirled her
blondehairaroundherthumb."Iloveyousomuch.I'msosorry."

"Well…"Iclearedmythroat,notcaringthatIwasintrudingonherprivateconversation."…

whatareyou?Thegirlthatcallswolf?"

Slowly,Daniraisedhereyesandmetmygaze.Theharshglareofthemorningsunrevealed

herfacewaswhiteastheproverbialsheet.Hermouthopened,asmallsqueakemerged,andherlower
liptrembled.

"Oh,please,"Isneered."Iheardyoutalking,sodroptheact,Dani.GodknowsI'mnotthetype

togotattletoyoursisterandbrother-in-law.It'snotmybusinessthatyouliketolietofamily."

Withahoarsecry,shesmackedmeinthechest.Ibackedupassomeofthecoffeespilledout

ofthecups.

Shetuggedthephonefromherearandstartedtyping.
Myphonebuzzed.
Irolledmyeyes."Handsarekindoffull,darling.Whydon'tyoujustuseyourwords?"
Sheshookherheadandpointedtomyfrontpocket.
"Let'strythisagain."Icouldfeelmyirritationgrowing."Tellmewhatitisyouwanttosay.

Likeanadult."

Shestompedherfoot.
"Oh,great."Ihuffedoutabreath"Iloseacleptoassistantonlytogainanangryteenagerwho

thinkstheonlywayshecangetattentionistoactout,pretendsheactuallyhasadiseasethateffects
REALpeople,andstompstogetattention.TellmeI'mnotoffbase."

Tearsfilledthecornersofhereyes.
"Wow."Isighedheavily,tootiredtoputupwithherbullshit."Everthinkofgoingintoacting?

You'reprobablybetterthanyoursister,andshe'sthebestI'veseeninages."

Tearsspilledontohercheeks.Shejustkeptfuriouslypointingatmyphone.
I stared her down. "Sorry, sweetheart. Your family may enable you, but I'm not going to. In

fact,asofrightnow,consideryourselffired.Idon'tneeddramainmylife.Igetenoughofitasitis."

Sheletoutalittlecryandgrabbedmyarm.
"Letgo,"Isaidinachilledvoice.
Danishookherheadthenheldupherphone,thescreenpointedinmydirection.Itwasthetext

she'dsentme.

Dani:TheonlypersonIcantalktoismydad.Ilistentohislastvoicemessageeverymorning,

andwhenhe'sfinished,Italkback.

"Well… shit," I muttered dropping my gaze to the ground, where her knees damn near

knockedtogether,theyweretremblingsobad.

Iraisedmyhead.
Herchestheaved,cheeksstainedwithred.
Slowly,shetypedbackintoherphone.

Dani:You'reajackass.

"Shit,"Isaidagain,liftingbothcoffeesintotheairinfrustration."Iknow.Look,I'msorry,I

sawyoutalking,heardyoutalking,andjustassumedtheworst.Ididn'tknow."

Sheheldupherphoneagain.

Dani:Nowyoudo.

Shesnaggedoneofthecoffees,juttedoutherchin,andmarchedawayfromme.Feelinglike

oneofthebiggestpricksintheworld,Icalledafterher,and,whenshedidn'tstop,letoutacurse.

"Wait!"Isetmycoffeedownonthesidewalk,racedafterDani,andgrabbedher."Look,Isaid

I'msorry.Ijustassumed.Can'twestartover?"

Shejerkedawayfrommeandshookherheadno.
"Dani…"Shit,Ireallyneededanassistant,Jaymesonwasn'tjokingwhenhesaidmylifewas

chaotic.I'dhadanassistantsincemyfirstcommercial.Nothavingaright-handpersonwaslikenot
having my phone, or walking around naked on set, extremely uncomfortable and unnecessary. "…
wait,Ineedyou."

Shekeptwalking.
"Don'tmakemecallJaymeson!"Lowblow.Iknewit,butIwasdesperate.
Shefroze,hershoulderstensing.
"I'lldoit."Iheldupmyphone."Youdon'twanttolethimdown,doyou?"
Her fists clenched at her sides, and she glanced back at me out of the corner of her eyes,

nostrilsflaring.

"I'msorry,"Irepeated,onlyslightlydistractedbythewayherchestroseandfell.Minor,minor,

minor."Ineedhelp.Can'twejustcallitourfirstfightandmoveon?"

Shethrewherhandsupintheairthenpulledoutherphone.

Dani:Howmuchareyoupayingme?

"Clearlynotenoughsinceyouhavetoputupwithmeyellingatyou,"Ijoked.
Shedidn'tlaugh.Well,atleastI'dtried.

Dani:IwantdoublewhatJaymesonasked.

"Wow,toughbargain."
Sheturnedaroundandcrossedherarms.
"Deal," I croaked. I could afford it, but the girl seriously had no idea how much she was

alreadygettingpaid.Shewasnowofficiallyoneofthehighestpaidassistantsinhistory—oratleast
itwasgoingtofeellikeit."SoI'lljustdepositthatfifteengrandattheendofeverymonththen?"

Hereyeswidened.
"Kidding."Igrinned.
Withascowl,shekeptwalkingawayfromme.
"Wait!"Icalledafterher."Aren'tyouridingwithmetoSeaside?"
Shepointedatthetruck,madeacuttingmotionwithherhandacrossherneck,andthenshook

herheadno.

"Butwhatareyouridinginthen?"
Herhandshotintotheair,pressingabuttononthekeyringthatlitupabrandnew,blackJeep

Cherokee.

"Yours?"
Shenoddedandgotintothedriver'sseat.
"SeeyouatSeasi—"
Thedoorslammed,cuttingofftherestoftheword.
Never had I seen a car peel away so fast. Yeah, something told me she wasn't going to be

tryingtoseducemeorsellmystuffonline.Ifanything,Iwasgoingtoneedtowatchmyback,justin
casesheswitchedmysugarandsaltcontainersandflashedmynumberonTwitterorsomething.

Notthebeststarttoourrelationship.
Thenagain,ourrelationshipwasonlygoingtolastaslongasfilming.Threemonths,andI'd

be,hopefully,asemi-non-traumaticmemoryshecouldstuffaway.

Threemonthswithoutactualconversation.
Great.

CHAPTERFIVE

Dani

TWASN'TEVERYMORNINGTHAT

Italkedtomydad;Ihadn'tactuallyspokentohisvoicemailinafewweeks.

This morning I'd expected my voice to be gravelly, like one of those Truth commercials with the
smokers,warningkidsagainsttheperilsoftobacco,insteaditwasjustasIrememberedit.Light,airy.
Ichokedbackthesobsbuildinginmythroatasmemoriessurfaced.

"Who'smyfavoritelittlegirl?"Mydadtwirledmeinhisarms.Itriedtofighthim,butIwas

dwarfedbyhissize.He'dalwaysbeensuchabigman,whileIwasbarelyabovefivefour.

"Dad!"IlaughedashecontinuedtwirlingmeuntilIwasdizzy."I'msixteen!Stop!"
"Aw…"Hestopped,placingmeonmyfeet."You'llalwaysbemylittlegirl,Dani.Youknowthat,

right?"

Irolledmyeyes."Dad,Iknow."
"You'rebeautiful."Hesighed."Andremember,I'mtheonlyonethatcansaythattoyou.Ifsome

youngboyinvitesyouintohiscarusingprettywords,he'sonlyafteronething."

"Myflower,"Isaidinadeadpanvoice."Messageheardloudandclear.Ohalso,ifyoucould

stopcleaningyourgunoutfrontandtalkingaboutyourconnectionswiththeItalianmafiawhenever
Elliotcomesaround,thatwouldbegreat."

"What?"Heshruggedinnocently."We'reItalian."
"Ah,actuallyhalf-Hispanic…"Ipattedhischeek."…butnicetry."
"Mexicanmafia."Hesnappedhisfingers."Thatwouldsoundmoreconvincing."
"YoulookmorewhitethanMom,andshe'sactuallywhite,"Ipointedout."Therefore,probably

not."

Hefrowned."I'llthinkofsomething."
"Please don't." I laughed, gripping his shoulders. "You've raised a good girl, you know that.

ThelastthingIwantistoenduppregnant.Imean,I'matthetopofthepyramid,Dad.Pregnantgirls
can'tfly."

Hepattedmycheek."Neithercanpigs,yettheydo."
"No,theydon't."
Hegrinned.
Irolledmyeyes."Alright,goodtalkasalways,Dad."
"Hey…" He grabbed my hand and kissed it. "… I only threaten because I care. I love you,

snugglebug.You'remyyoungest."

"Andsomemayarguebrightest,"Iadded.
"Shhh, don't tell Pris." He winked and patted my cheek again. "Just be careful. Make good

choices.Andifhetakesoffhispants,usetheTaser."

"Whatifhispantsareonfire?"
"AlwaysTaserfirst—askquestionslater.That'slikeGirlScouts101,sweetheart."
"Yougotfiredasdenmother."
Hegaspedandclutchedhisheart."Youweresworntosecrecy!Don'ttellMom.Shestillthinks

itwasbecauseIwastoobusycounselingatchurch."

Imadeazippingmotionwithmylips."I'lltakeittomygrave."
"IknewIraisedyouright."
"Saysthemanwho'saskingmetolie."
"Omit."Henoddedencouragingly."Bigdifference,cuddlebug."
"Night,Dad."Iopenedthescreendoorandslammeditbehindme.

"Saynotodrugs!"heyelledout.
Elliot'scarwindowwasopen,andheyelledback,"Onlyhugs!"
"Nohugseither!"Dadcalled."Hugsleadtosex!"
"Justlikedancing!"Elliotagreed."Goodtalk,Mr.Garcia!"
"Dani!"Dadcalled."Ilikehimbetterthanthelastone."
"Whathappenedtothelastone?"Elliotjusthadtoask.
"Buriedhimoutback…wannasee?"Dadgrinned."Youtwohavefunatpromnow!"
I pulled over on the side of the freeway and wiped the tears from my eyes. I was usually so

goodatkeepingthemtuckedaway,butthefightwithLincolnhaddrainedmeemotionally.

Ijustwantedtotalktomydad.
He'd always been my go-to parent. Not that I hadn't loved my mom, but my dad and I had

just…goteachother.We'dhadsimilaroutlooksonlife.He'dbeenhilariousandhaddoneeverything
one-hundred percent. There'd never been hesitation in any area of his life. Whatever he did, he did
well. It was the perfect example for a young girl. Don't try to be good at everything, don't spread
yourself so thin that you accomplish nothing; rather, pick a few things and do them well. Excel in
thoseareasandyou'llexcelinlife.

SoIhadchosencheerleading.
Academics.
Baking.
And I was good at all of them. While my other friends stressed out over playing multiple

sports and sat on the bench — I was busy living, doing things that made me happy and doing them
well.

Itwaskindofafamilymotto.
Doitwell,ordon'tdoitatall.
I clenched the steering wheel with both hands. My knuckles turned white, and my fingers

cramped,butstillIhungon.Iwasn'tdoinganythingwellrightnow.

Except breathing. I guess I could count breathing. My therapist always said to focus on the

positive.Well,atleastmybreathingwasn'tuneven.Okay,soIwasdoingthatwell.

Icontinuedtodothat—breathe.
Thetearsslowlystartedtodryup,eventhoughthepainwasstillslicingthroughmychest.I'd

onceheardthatmemorywasjustaspowerfulasexperiencingsomethinginthepresent.

Yourpastreallycoulddefineyourfuture,ifyouletit.
Everytimeyourememberedsomethingpainfulorsomethingexciting,yourbodyresponded

toitasifitwasexperiencingitforthefirsttimealloveragain.

SoeverytimeIthoughtofmydad?Ofmyparents'death?ItwasasifIwasbackinthecar,

dressedinmycheerleadingsweats,fallingasleeptoEchosmithwhileourcarhadbeenhithead-onby
thattruck.

He'dfallenasleep.
Mydad.
Itwasmyfaulthe'dbeensoexhaustedthathe'ddriftedasleepinthefirstplace.
Ahonkinghornjoltedmeoutofmythoughtsagain.
Seaside.
Iwasgoinghome.
At least I didn't live in that house anymore. In fact, I was going to make it a point to avoid

everysingleplaceI'dvisitedwithmyparents,becauseIwasdonerelivingthings.

Iwasalreadyinalivinghell.
Ididn'tneedtoaddtoit.

AndifLincolnwantedtaffyfromthetaffystoreoranythingevenremotelyrelatedtomyold

life,hecouldjustkissmyass.

Ipulledbackontothefreewayandcrankedupthemusic.
LincolnGreenewouldnotbemydownfall.Iwouldnotallowhimtomakemefeelbadabout

myself.Iwasdonewithself-pity—absolutelydone—andeventhoughthewayhe'dtreatedmemade
mesicktomystomach,sosickIalmostpukedontohisshinyexpensiveshoes,hisattitudedidn'thave
todefineme.

Iwouldn'tletit.
Mycellphonerang.
Demetri.
"Hey," he said over the car speaker, "I know you won't respond, but I just wanted to let you

knowthatLyssandIhavechocolatecakeforyouatourplacewhenyougetintoSeaside.Oh,andshe
hassomeclothesforyoutoo,sinceshe'spregnantandcan'tfitintoadamnthinganymore,somake
sureyoucomeover.Drivesafe!"

Iexhaled.
Cake.
ForgetLincolnGreene.ForgetSeaside.
Focusonthecake.
Chocolatecake.
My therapist had said I needed goals. Well, my new goal? Eating that cake while giving

Lincolnthemiddlefingerinmymind.

Ismiled.
Yeah,thatwouldfeelgood.

CHAPTERSIX

Lincoln

AIN."

PULLEDINTOTOWNFOR

thesecondtimeinmylifeandslowlymademywaytowardthebeachhouse

I'd rented during filming. "Rain, rain, and more rain." It was coming down in buckets, making the
drearymorninglooklikesomethingoutofadepressingGothicnovel.

During the summer months, Seaside was a huge tourist destination for people living in

Oregon.Butthewinterwassomethinglesstobedesired.

AnditwasOctober,meaningitwaseitherovercastorrainingallthedamntime.
Thenovelcalledforwetweather.
Well,itwaswetallright.
IswervedoutoftrafficandmademywaydownAStreet,thenB,thenC.Whothehellnamed

streetsafterletters?

Finally,Istoppedatmydestinationandturnedoffthetruck.
Mynewplacewasasix-bedroombeachhousethathadfallenonhardtimesandbeenrecently

renovated.Theownershadputinaquarterofamillioninupdates,andweremorethanthrilledthata
moviestarwasgoingtobetheirfirstrenter.

Itwaswhitewithblueshuttersandhadatwo-storyenclosedglassdeckthatmadeitpossibleto

sitoutsideandbarbequewithouthavingtodevelopgillsorwearasnorkel.

Theoutdoorfirepitwasalsoundercover.Theviewwasincredible,andtherent,eventhough

itwashigh,wasstillcheaperthanstayinginLaguna.

Ihoppedoutofmytruckandrantowardthefrontdoor.ThekeysjangledwhenIjammedone

intothelockandturnedtheknob.ThenIburstintothehouseandlookedaround.

Fullyfurnished.
Nice.
Andalone.
Icheckedmywatch.WherethehellwasDani?

Linc:YouinSeaside?Ordidyoudrown?
Dani:Here.
Linc:Okay…areyoucomingovertohelpme?
Dani:Idon'trecallyouasking.

Frustrated,Idamnnearthrewmyphoneagainstthewall.

Linc:Ineedhelpunpackingandgroceryshopping.Ihavealistforyou.Imayneedtolaminate

itwiththisweather…

Dani:Fine.Bethereinfive.I'mstoppingoveratDemetri'sfirst.
Linc:Howaboutyoucomeherenow,andwe'llgotheretogether?
Dani:Okay.
Linc:Notevenasmileyface?
Dani:Hmm,no,sorry,freshoutofthoseafterIwasaccusedoflyingtomyfamily.Thanksfor

askingthough!

Linc:IsaidIwassorry.
Dani:Iknow.
Linc:SoI'llseeyouinafew.
Dani:Yup,butI'mdriving.

Linc:Okay!

Ahornhonkedinfrontofmyhousefiveminuteslater.Iranoutandjumpedintothepassenger

side.Shivering,Ishooktherainoutofmyhair.

"Whyaren'twemoving?"IaskedDani.
Shestaredattheseatbelt.
Isighed."YoudorealizeDemetrilivesaboutamileawayfromhere?"
Armscrossed,sheglared,herbrightblueeyesflashing.
"Right, then." I buckled my seatbelt. "Someone's prickly this morning. Then again, that's my

fault,soyeah,sorryaboutthat."

Silence.
Mybreathingwasloud.Tooloud.Damn,thegirlhadmewantingtoholdmybreathandjump

outofamovingvehicle.

"So,"IsaidonceweparkedinfrontofDemetri'stownhouse."Howwasthedriveover—"
Hercardoorslammed.
"She'sreallygottastopdoingthat,"ImutteredundermybreathasIhurriedtofollowafterher.
Takingthestairsthreeatatime,shewasalreadyinsidethehousebeforeImadeittothetopof

thestairs.

"Dani!"Demetrishouted."Longtimenosee,littlesis,andwhythehelldidyoudragthisloser

withyou?"

"Nicetoseeyoutoo,Demetri."Iheldoutmyhand.
Hestaredatit."StillpissedyouputthatvideoofmegettingsetonfireonYouTube."
"Itwasfunny,"Ipointedout."Andyouwouldhavedonethesamething."
"True."Hetookmyhandthenpulledmeinforahug."So,howluckyisitthatyouneededa

newassistant,andDani'salittlemisssmartypantsanddoesn'tneedtogotoschoolthisfall?"

"Superlucky,"IcroakedoutwhileDanimetmygazewithoneofabsoluteannoyance.Thelast

timeI'dreceivedalooklikethatwasinthefifthgradebecauseIdidn'twanttoplayspinthebottlewith
thegirlsinmyclass.

"Dani…" Alyssa gripped her hand. "… I went ahead and put a crap load of clothes in your

roomatJay's.Ihopethat'sokay?"

DaninoddedvigorouslyandwrappedAlyssainatighthug.
Atwingeofjealousyshotthroughme.NoideawhythehellIwasjealousoftwogirlshavinga

goodrelationship.MaybebecauseI'dbotchedwhateverchanceIhadwithDanithatmorning.

"Youneedsomethingtodrink?"Demetriasked,stealingmyattentionawayfromDani,andthe

waysheclungtoAlyssaasifshewasherlifeline.

"Nah."Ilickedmydrylips."Ithinkwe'regoingtoheadbacktomyplacesoonanyway.I'ma

slavedriverandallthat—needtogetshitdonebeforetomorrowmorning."

Demetriswipedabottledwaterfromthecounter."IheardJayhasafivea.m.calltime.Yours

justasbad?"

"Yeah."Isatononeofthebarstools."ThegoodnewsisIhavethiscrazyawesomeassistant

whocanfetchmecoffeesoIdon'tfallasleepinthemakeupchair."

Danimadeafaceinmydirection.
"Ithinkshelikesyou,"Demetrijoked.
"Wouldn'tsurprisemeatallifshehasaposterofmyfaceinherroom."Inodded.
Danirolledhereyes,thenstuckherfingerinhermouthandmadeagaggingmotion.
"You know, in some countries that's a term of endearment," Demetri said in an optimistic

voice.

"Yeah…"Icringed."…butinAmericaitjustmeansshe'drunmeoverwithhercar,evenifI

hadanorangereflectiveveston."

"What did you do?" Demetri whispered just so I could hear. "She looks like she wants to

actuallykneeyouintheballs—morethanonce.Whichisn'thertypicalMO.She'salwaysbeenabit
moregentlethanthat.Seriously,shesavesduckscrossingtheroad."

"She saves ducks?" I stared at the girl as she threw her head back and laughed freely at

somethingAlyssasaid."Yousureaboutthat?"

"Positive," Demetri said with a soft chuckle. "You must have done something to ruffle her

feathers,because the lasttime I sawher glare at someonewas never… Goodwork, way-ta take the
sweetestgirlI'veeverknownandmakeherhatemeneverywhere."Heslappedmyback.

Grimacing,Iturnedtowardhim."Imayhaveoverheardhertalkingtoherdad'svoicemailon

herphone,andImayhavethenassumedshewasfaking."

"Oh, shit." Demetri collapsed onto the barstool next to me. "You're an idiot, you know that,

right?"

"It'snotlikeanyonetoldme!"Ihissed."Jaymesonshouldhavesaid!"
"Because Jaymeson doesn't know!" Demetri glanced behind him to make sure Dani wasn't

eavesdropping."Shetellsonepersoneverything.Guesswhothatpersonis?"

"You?"Ioffered.
"Me,orsometimesonrareoccasions,Alec,takeyourpick.Weweretherewhenshegothurt.

Shetalkedthen…"Demetrisighed."…andthen—"

"You guys should probably get going if you want to hit the grocery store and run errands

beforeschoolgetsout,"Alyssacalledoutbehindus."Itgetskindacrazydowntownwithallthebus
traffic."

"Seaside?"Ifrowned."Ithastraffic?"
"Youhavenoidea,"Demetrimuttered."It'sridiculoussometimes.P.S.,havefunatSafeway."
"Safewhat?"Irepeated."Isthatahospital?"
"Grocery store." Demetri nodded. "It has a Starbucks, though, so we forgive it for having a

reallysmallorganicfoodsection."

"SaystheguywhoeatsFrenchfriesforbreakfast."Alyssasighed.
"Dude…"Demetrihelduphishands."…lastIchecked,peopleeatpotatoesforbreakfast."
"Potatoesandfries…"Shakingmyhead,Irosefrommyseat."…notthesame,bro."
"Alright, traitor to men everywhere…" Demetri pointed at the door. "… make sure to treat

DanirightsoIdon'thavetokickyourass."

Iburstoutlaughing.
Nooneelsejoinedin.
"Shit,you'reserious?"IglaredatDemetri."Somuchforbrotherhood."
"Family trumps brotherhood." He held up his hand for a high five from Dani. "Sorry for

partying."

Irolledmyeyes."IpromisetobringherbackinthesameconditionItookher."
"Goodman."Demetrisalutedme.
IwavedhimoffandfollowedDanioutofthehouse.
Sheskippedtohersideofthecar,appearingtobeinabettermoodsinceourcarrideover.I

onlyhopeditwouldlastaftershesawthelistofthingsIhadtogetdonebeforeIwasexpectedonset.

CHAPTERSEVEN

Dani

ANI:

OYOUDOLAUNDRYEVER?

Lincolnflashedmeagrinashecontinuedputtingawayourgroceries."Nope,I'veneverhad

to."

Dani:Youneedtolearn.

Irolledmyeyesandcontinuedsortinghisclothes,mostofthemworkoutclothes,whichmade

mecuriousastowhathedid.Washearunner?Istoleapeekathisjean-cladlegs.Iwouldn'tbeableto
tellanyway.Hisarmswerehuge,bulgingbeneathhisgraylong-sleeveshirt.

"Oh,hey."Hepeeledtheshirtfromhisbodyandtosseditinmydirection."Ifyou'redoinga

load of darks, wash this one too. Someone spilled coffee on it this morning. Not that it wasn't
deserved."

HadInotalreadybeenamute,thesightofhisbarechestandabswouldhavedoneit.Hisabs

werechunky;hedidn'tjusthaveasix-pack,hehadfreakingrivetsthatdippedintodeliciousgolden
skin,trailingallthewaydownintohisjeans.Holycrap!Hewasbuilt,andhewasstillputtingstuff
away — not flexing, simply breathing — and somehow that translated into muscles flexing and
makingmymouthgodry.

Hisbicepswerebiggerthanmyhead.
A large tattoo wrapped from his right arm all the way down to his wrist. I hadn't noticed it

before;infact,thelastmagazinecoverhewasondidn'thavethetattoo.Iwantedtoaskhimaboutit.
Maybetheycovereditupallthetime?Maybeitwasnew?

"NotthatImind…"Lincolndidn'tturnaround."…becauseI'musedtoit,butsinceyoudon't

talk,italmostmakesitmorecreepythatyou'reopenlystaringatmelikethat."

Ijerkedmyattentionbacktothesortingpiles,mycheeksburningwithembarrassment.

Dani:Sorry.Youjustcaughtmebysurprise.

Hiswarmchucklefilledtheair."It'sfine.Really."
Someonepleaseletmedisappearintothefloor.

Dani:Iwasn'tstaringatyoubecauseofyourbody—Iwasjustcuriousaboutyourtattoo.

Therethatsoundedbetter,right?Lesscreepy?
"Well…"Lincolnchosetotalkinsteadoftextingmeback."…Iwentonthismonth-longhike

throughthewoods,triedtofindmyself,andonmylastday,IwassodehydratedIalmostdied.Icried
outforwaterjustasasnakeslitheredinfrontofme,andwhenIlookedpasthim,Iheardacreek.That
snakesavedmylife,soImadeapromisetomyselftoneverforgethowluckyIwas,thusthetattoo."

Officiallytheweirdeststoryever.

Dani:Um,cool.

Lincolnburstoutlaughing."I'mshittingyou,Dani.Iwassixteen,drunk,andstupid.Iwantedto

get a badass python tattoo. It ended up looking like shit, so I turned it into a full sleeve so that it
actually resembled something other than a man's penis on my arm, because honestly, that's what it
lookedlike,nogettingaroundit."

Icoveredmymouthtokeepmyselffromlaughing.
"It's okay, you know…" Lincoln glanced at me over his shoulder. "… to laugh… It doesn't

meanyoulikeme,justmeansI'mevenmoreofanassthanyouoriginallythought."

Dani:True.

Lincolngrinnedatmethenstaredbackathiscupboard."Shit,weforgotwafflemix."

Dani:So?

Heshutthecupboards."Justanotherthingyougettomakefunofmefor."Heswipedhiskeys

from the counter. "First day on a new movie always starts with a breakfast of waffles and peanut
butter."

Ew,officiallythegrossestcomboever.Imadeaface.
"Isthatforthewafflesorthepeanutbutter?"Heleanedagainstthecounter,hisabsflexingat

me,winkingatme,beggingmetoreachoutandtouch.

Dani:Both.

Lincolngasped."Well,Iguesswecan'tgetmarriednow."

Dani:AndIhadsuchhighhopesofaquickbetrothal.

Hebarkedoutalaugh."Icangograbthemixifyouwant,oryoucancomewithme,andIcan

buy you another Starbucks… maybe we can shake hands over the cup and vow to do that whole
startingoverthing?"

Myhandhesitatedoverthelaundry.
"Please?"Hisvoicewastoosexyforhisowngood.
That was the last thing I needed — to find the devil sexy. Because that's what he was.

Hollywoodthroughandthrough,amanwhojumpedtoconclusionsbeforeheevenknewthetruth.

Demetrihadalreadywarnedme.
AshadAlec.
AndJaymeson,notthatitmattered.AguylikeLincolnwouldneverbeinterestedinme,even

ifIwasn'tmute.

Dani:Sure.

AFEWAYWASPACKED.

IsentatextovertoLincolnthatI'dgrabthewafflemixifhewantedtowaitinlineat

Starbucks.Iknewhewasthankful.Alreadyhewasgettingoddlooksfrompeople.Itwasinthepaper
thatfilmingwastakingplaceforthenextfewmonths,andhewasadeadgiveawaywithhisLakershat
andRay-Bans.

Iquicklyweavedthroughthegrocery-carttrafficuntilIreachedthepancakeandwafflemixes.
Hehadn'tspecifiedwhatbrandhewanted.
SoIjustpickedtheonethatsaidorganic,assumingthatwasprobablywhathe'dwantanyway.
"Dani?"afamiliarmalevoicecalled."Isitreallyyou?"
ShiversrandownmyspineasIturnedandcamefacetofacewithmyex-boyfriend.

"You'reback."Hegrinned,lookinglikeaninnocentboy.HelookedhowIshouldhavelooked

at that same age… innocent, wide eyed, excited about life. "Are you going to be finishing senior
year?"

Itriedtospeak.Iwantedtosobad.Ibeggedmystupidmouthtomove.IprayedtoGodthatI

wouldn'tbeembarrassedorthathewouldn'tthinkIwasatotalbitch,toogoodforhim.

Imadeacroakingnoise.
Hefrowned.
Itriedagain.
"Oh." He took a step back. "You're still sick, huh? That has to suck, not talking… have you

evertriedjustbeingbetter?"

HaveIevertriedjustbeingbetter?Lightbulb!Whyhadn'tIthoughtofthat?Someonegivehim

aprize!

"Imean…"Hesteppedforward."…don'tyouthinkit'skindofimmaturetousethistogetall

thatattention?"

Tearsstungmyeyesasanotherfiguremadeitswaydowntheaisle.
"Elliot,hurryup—oh…"Amandahisnewgirlfriend,myex-bestfriendpausedmid-sentence.

"Dani,you'reback!"

Fakesmile.
Fakeboobs—complimentsofherrichparents.
Andbythelooksofit,fakelips.Great.
"We'vemissedyou."Shereachedouttohugme.
Itookastepback.
Rolling her eyes, she motioned to Elliot. "We gotta run, homecoming court and all that. I'm

sureyouwouldunderstandifyouactuallystoppedpretendingtobetraumatizedandwenttoschool."

Angry,soangrythatthewordswouldn'tcome,Iopenedmymouthagain.Thistimeaweird

mewling noise came out, one I'd never before uttered. I sounded like a lamb caught in someone's
fence.

Amandaburstoutlaughing."Anyoneevertoldyouthatyoucouldbeanactressjustlikeyour

sister?Howisshe,bytheway?Knockedupbythatmoviestar,what'shisname?"

"JamieJaymeson,"cameLincoln'ssmoothvoice."We'llbesuretolethimknowyousaidhi."

Hewrappedapossessivearmaroundmeandpulledmeclosetohischest.Awarragedwithinme—
lean on him like I actually needed him and was thankful for his save, or jerk away and embarrass
myselfmore.

Ileanedin.
HesmelledlikeStarbuckscoffeeandleather.
"Noway!"AmandasmackedElliotintheshoulder."You'reLincolnGreene!"
"Yup."Heheldatightsmile."I'msorry,andyouare?"
"Friends."Amandablurted."OldfriendswithDani."
"Well, that's weird." He shared a look with me and squeezed. "I've known Dani here for a

while,andshe'snevermentionedyou.Notonce."

Amanda'sfaceturnedbrightred."Well,shedoesn'ttalk,somaybethat'swhy."
Lincolngrinnedtightly."Shetalks."
Ohno.Whatwashedoing!
"But only to people extremely close to her, right, baby?" He kissed the top of my head and

sighed."Anyway,we'relate.Nicemeetingyou.Whatwasyournameagain?"

"A-amanda."Shejuttedherchinout.
"Right."Lincolnhadthewholelittle-peoplestaredownlikeanexpert.EvenIflinchedwhenhe

haughtilydismissedthetwoofthemandsteeredmebackdowntheaisle.

"Assholes,"hemutteredunderhisbreathasheangrilygrabbedthemixfrommyhandsthen

swipedhiscard.

"Areyouarewardsmember?"thecheckerasked.
Lincolnstaredhimdown.
Thecheckerswallowedslowly."I'lltakethatasano."
I grabbed the mix while Lincoln snatched the receipt and tugged me toward the truck. He

openedmydoor,andIclimbedinside.

Hedidn'tshutit.
Ifrownedashebracedhimselfagainstthedoorframe."Areyouokay?"
Ishrugged.
Helickedhisfulllipsthengrabbedhisphoneandstartedtyping.

Linc:I'llgobackandpubliclyshamethemboth,justsaytheword.
Dani:Ex-boyfriend,ex-bestfriend.Bothhaveexinfrontoftheirnameforareason.

Lincolnreadthetextandglancedup,hiseyeslockingonme."Youdatedthat?"
Islumpeddowninmyseatandtypedinmyphone.

Dani:He'sthequarterback.

Lincoln'sfacetwistedintoabittersmile."Idon'tgiveashit.He'sanasshole."
Dani:Wealldealwithgriefindifferentways.Helovedmydad.Itwashardonhimlosingus

both.

"Butyoulived."Lincolnargued.

Dani:IsthatwhatI'mdoingrightnow?

Hedidn'tanswer.Hestaredatthetextthenglancedbackupatme."Jaymesonnevertoldme.He

justsaidyouneededajobandwereaselectivemute.Ilookedituponline."Helookedembarrassed.
"Beyond that, I don't know your story. But I do know this. You lived for a reason. So what you do
rightnow—evenifit'sassimpleasgettingoutofbedeveryday—itmatters."

Heshutthedoor.
Thestaticsilencegreetedme,makingmybodytensewithatinglingawareness,almostasif

someonehadjustpressedcoldpaddlestomychestandshouted,"Clear!"

"So,"Lincolnjumpedintothetruck,clearedhisthroatandstartedtheengine."Jaymesonsaid

youbaked.Pleasetellmethatincludesmakingkick-asswaffles."

Igaveasolitarynod.
"ThankGod."
Andthatwasit.
Hedidn'tpestermeabouttheaccidentoraskfordetailsaboutwhathadoccurredinthestore,

which bothered me, because for the first time since everything had happened, I wanted to volunteer
thatinformation.Iwantedhimtoknow.

Maybebecausehe'ddefendedme,astranger.
Ormaybeitwasbecausehe'dbeenblunt,almosthurtfullyso,whenupuntilnoweveryonehad

usedkidgloveswithme.

MaybethehardanduglylovewaswhatIneeded.
I'dalwaysbeenahugger.

Now,Ihadtowonderiftheaccidenthadchangedmefromahugger—toafighter.

CHAPTEREIGHT

Lincoln

INC:

ELLMEAJOKE.

Dani:Wilburmustreallysuckatkeepingyouentertained.
Linc:You'retellingme…
Dani:AmIgoingtohavetostartlookingupjokesinordertoentertainyouatnight?Also,you

havetobeupinfourhours—correctionWEhavetobeupinfourhours.GOTOSLEEP!

Linc:Didyoujustallcapsme?
Dani:Myfingerslipped?
Linc:Fingerslippedmyass.Ithinkyoujustyelledatyourelder.
Dani:Ohplease.I'malmosteighteen.You'rebarelytwenty-two.
Linc:BeenvisitingmyIMDbpage,huh?
Dani:Wouldn'tyouregoliketoknow?
Linc:Yes.Itneedsconstantstroking.Quick,givemeacompliment!
Dani:Youhaveakillertattoo.
Linc:Nowthat'sjustcruel,I'llhaveyouknowmeandBogowayback,evenifhedoeslooklike

shit.

Dani:Younamedyourtattoo?
Linc:Isthatnotathing?Dopeoplenotdothat?
Dani:Maybepeopleinroomswithpaddedwalls…
Linc:Yousaypaddedwalls.Isayfluffy.
Dani:Stillanasylum.

Ayellowsmileywinkedontomyscreen,eyesspinningandtonguelolling.

Linc:Bo'soffended.
Dani:Doyounameeverything?
Linc:WoulditweirdyououtifInamedmywafflemakerChuck?
Dani:Yes.
Linc:Thenno,Idon'tnameeverything…*whispers*sorryChuck.
Dani:GOTOSLEEP!

Igrinnedhardatmyphone.Iwastoonervoustosleep,notthatI'dadmitthattoher.Ithelped

thatthenextfewemojisshesentwereofsnakes,spiders,andthenabombgoingoffkillingthemall.
Wasn'tsurehowthatwassupposedtoputmetosleep,butitdidmakemelaugh.

Linc:Onejoke,ormaybeevenabedtimestory.

Ileanedbackagainstmypillows,waitingforherresponse.

Dani:ThereoncewasaspoiledactornamedLinc.HechokedonChuckwhilepettingWilbur,

andBocried.Theend.

Linc:YouforgotaboutPenny.
Dani:Who'sPenny?
Linc:Wouldn'tyouliketoknow.
Dani: LINCOLN GREENE — sleep. You need it. I need it. The world needs us to have it,

otherwiseI'mgoingtobereallycrankytomorrow.

Linc:Whenwasthelasttimeyouyelled?
Dani:That'saweirdquestion.
Linc:Sorry,toopersonal?

Maybe I'd overstepped my boundaries. I hoped not because I really wanted to know the last

timeshe'draisedhervoice.

Dani: Probably after the accident when I was in a wheelchair and stupid Demetri thought it

wouldbefunnytopushmearounddowntownSeasideatepicspeeds.IyelleduntilIwashoarse.Itwas
afunday.

Linc:I'massumingyouwereinthewheelchairbecausesomethingwasbroken,andhehadthe

audacitytopushyouintoobjects?

Dani:That'sDemetriforyou.Butitdidcheermeup.Untilthen,everyonehadbeentreatingme

likeIwassobreakable,soitwasnicetohavenormal.Hegavemethat.

Linc:I'mbeginningtothinkit'snotjusttheSourPatchKids.
Dani:It'snot.
Linc:IfeeljealousofhisabilitytobeyourfriendwhenIseemtooffendyoueverytimeIopen

mymouth.

Dani:You'reabettertexter.
Linc:Thanks,Ithink.
Dani:Gotobed.
Linc:Fine.AndDani?
Dani:?
Linc:Youaren'tbreakable.
Dani:Thanks.

CHAPTERNINE

Lincoln

ANI:

EMINDMEAGAINWHY

Itookthisjob.

Linc:Youdidn'thaveachoice.Almosthere?
Dani:Yeah,I'matStarbucks,willbeoverinafew.

The text ended with a few stunned looking smiley faces, a yawn¸ and then the picture of the

ridiculouslylongStarbucksline.

Linc:Justletyourselfin.

My flip flops made a slapping noise against the hardwood floor as I paced back and forth,

backandforthinmylivingroom.NervousenergyswirledaroundmeasIcrackedfirstmyknuckles
andthenmyneck.

Thesoundrelaxedmemorethanthefeeling.
Icrackedmylefthandagainthenmyright.
Blowingairoutofmycheeks,Isatonmycouchandstartedmydeepbreathing.Inforeight

seconds,outforeightseconds,eighttimes.

I'd tried to stop with my first-day ritual, but the one and only time I hadn't done the whole

cracking,breathing,relaxingthing,oneofthelightshadfallenonmeduringfilming.

Duringasexscene.
I'dbeennaked.
Sohadshe.
Let'sjustsaywebothreceivedsomefunbruisesinplacesnopersonshouldeverbebruised.
Whichbroughtmebacktothedeepbreathing.
I blew out my last breath, eyes closed, envisioning my first few lines. I mouthed the words

then,eyesstillclosed,playedwithafewvoices.

"It'ssomucheasier…"Myvoicerumbledlowinmythroat."…fightingforthebad…giving

intotemptation,don'tyouthink?"

No, that wasn't right. My voice wasn't raw enough; it felt forced. I tried again, this time

clearingmythroat.

"It's so much easier…" I started. "Shit." I wiped my face with my clammy hands. I wasn't

feelingit.WhenhadIeverbeensoobsessedoversomeonethatmysolepurposeinlifewastobring
themdownwithme?BringthemtomyleveljustsoIcouldhaveataste?

Dani.
Hernameflashedlikeaneonsigninmystupid-assbrain.Flash,flash,flash.Withagroan,I

licked my lips and envisioned her standing in front of me. The forbidden fruit, someone who
intriguedme,piquedmycuriosity,agirlwhomademewant.

"It'ssomucheasier…"MygutclenchedasIreachedforherhand,myfingertipstinglingwith

anticipationofcaressingherskin."…fightingforthebad."Ienvisionedmyselftakeastepforwardas
myfingertipsgrazedherwrist,theerraticpulsegivingwaytoherfeelings,thoughsheremainedstill,
indifferent."Givingintotemptation…"Iliftedherwristtomylipsandwhisperedhoarselyagainsther
skin."Don'tyouthink?"

Thesoundofclappingjoltedmeoutofmyvision,causinganearheartattacktotakemyshort

life.

"Shit!"Ijumpedtomyfeetandturnedaround.

Dani'sfacewasflushedassheheldoutmycoffeeandabagofSkittles.
"That was, um…" I scratched my neck in anxiousness. "… practice. Because actors, they do

that."

Hell,someonedrownmeintheoceanoutside.
Shenoddedonce,asmileticklingthecornersofhermouth.
"Thanks."Voicehoarse,likethatofaneighty-year-oldsmoker,Iclearedmythroat—loudly

—andopenedthebagofSkittles,avoidinghergaze."It'stradition.Ionlyeattheredones."

Myphonebuzzed;Ipickeditup.

Dani:Redisthebestflavor.

"ThankGodyouagree.Wouldn'twanttofireyouonthefirstday."Again.Shit.
Sherolledhereyesandglancedaroundthelivingroom,herfaceimpatient,makingmefeel

likeadiva.

"Alright."IpoppedafewredSkittlesinmymouthandchewed.Thesugarytartnessreminded

me,yetagain,whatdayitwas.D-day.Thefirstdayofshooting.

Ihadtobebetterthanawesome.
"Let'sdothis."Ifakedthebravadoinmyvoice,straightenedmyshoulders,andthrewonmy

RayBanslikeI'ddoneamilliontimesonthefirstdayonset.Nerveswouldalwaysbeapartofmy
job.TheminuteIwasnolongernervouswouldbetheminuteIneededtogetoutofthebusiness.

I started the truck and tossed my bag of Skittles in the cup holder while Dani buckled her

seatbelt.

Handsshaking,Igrippedthesteeringwheel,hopingitwouldsomehowcenterme.Iwasstill

reelingfromthesceneI'dplayedoutinmyhead.

Ofherskin.
Ofherfreakingresponse.
Myphonewentoff.
Iswipeditfrommyfrontpocket.

Dani:Breakaleg.

"Let's hope not." I winked then tossed the phone in with the Skittles. "But thanks, Dani. I

appreciateit."

Myphonewentoffagain,butIknewDaniwouldthrowatantrumifIcheckeditwhiledriving,

soIwaitedanagonizingeightminuteswhilewedrovetothesecludedbeachjustoutsidetown.

A few semi-trailers were parked in the normally deserted parking lot. Security was

everywhere — walking around, talking in their radios. Jaymeson was standing in the middle of the
beachspeakingintohisheadset.

Iswallowedthenervesandglanceddownatmyphone.

Dani:Mydadalwayssaidnervesmeanyou'realive.So…today,provewhyyou'reliving.Don't

thinkofanythingelseotherthangettingthatacross.Moviesshouldbereflectionsofrealfeelings,real
life.Showlife.

"Whendidyougetsosmart?"
DanishruggedandpulledtheSkittlesoutofthecupholderthenhandedmeanotherthreered

ones.

"Thanks."Ipoppedtheminmymouth,swirlingthemaroundwithmytongueuntiltheywere

tiny,chewablepiecesofsugar."Alright.I'mready."

HEFIRSTDAYALWAYS

consistedofalotofwaiting.Itneverhelpedthenervesbecauseitgavemetimeto

over-thinkandover-analyzeeverything.Granted,I'dalreadydoneatonoftablereadswiththerestof
thecast.Butbeingincostumeonsetbroughtituptoawholedifferentlevel.

Jaymesonwasthegoodguy.
Iwasthebadguy.
AccordingtoJaymeson,wewerebasicallyretellingNat'slovestoryandhowshefellinlove

with AD2. Shortly after she married Alec, she had decided to pen their story, and, because of her
celebrity status, it was quickly picked up by a production company. By then, Jaymeson had already
stakedhisclaim,sayinghe'dalwayswantedtoplayaself-absorbedjackass—I'dthoughthemeant
Alec.Andwell,thathadleftmetoplayDemetri.

Whichseemedsemi-weird,sinceheandDaniwereclose.
WhichmeantinawayIwasjustasclose?Right?
Ha.Yeah,notevenonedayin,andalreadyIwaslosingmymind.
IwassupposedtobeinlovewithPris,whowasplayingNat,butIseriouslyhadaroughtime

feelingit—orknowingthatIhadtokissDani'ssister.

I'ddoneitamilliontimesbefore,butitjustfelt….weird
Addthefactthatwewerefilmingoneofourmakeoutscenes,onthebeach,onourfirstday,

andIwasalreadydreamingofthewordcutorthesentencetakefive.

"Youkissmywifeandenjoyit,Iremoveyourballsinyoursleep."Jaymesonsaidinachipper

voiceasheslappedmeontheback.

"Alwaysgreatworkingwitharealprofessional,Jaymeson,alwaysgreat,"Imuttered.
"Here'satip,"JaymesonwhisperedinalowvoicesoPriscouldn'thearus."Getitdoneonthe

firsttakesoIdon'thavetocauseanon-setaccidentwhereIsetyourtraileronfireandblameiton
GodsmitingyouforbeingaHollywoodheathen."

"Heathen?"Irepeatedwithasmirk."Isn'tthatthepartI'mplaying?IthoughtDemetriwashot

forNat,sodoesn'tthatmeanIneedtobehotforyourwife?Yourvery…"IglancedatPris."…lovely
wife?"

"Bastard.Ishouldneverhavecastyou!"
Iburstoutlaughing."Jay,youknowI'mmessingwithyou.I'mprofessional.That'swhyyou

castme,becauseinaseaofHollywoodheathens,I'mtheonlyonewhowouldn'tmakeapassatyour
wife."

Heshrugged."True.Alsoyoumaybepassableinthewholelooksdepartment,orsoI'vebeen

toldbynumerouspeopleonset."

"Jealous?"
"Hardly."Herolledhiseyes."I'mJamieJaymeson.Womentattoomynameontheirassesand

askmetosigntheirboobs."

"Yousignedwhoseboobs?"Prisasked,sneakinguponourconversation.
"Mygrandma's,"Iblurted."She'ssuch—"IwrappedanarmaroundJaymesonandsqueezed.

"—ahugefan."

"Right."Jaymesoncoughed."It'salwayssuchathrill,signingelderlyladiestits.Hey,youthink

Ishoulddoanursinghometour?"

"Yeah,man."Inodded."Dreambig."
"Well,then."Prisshookherheadinamusement."Onthatcreepynote,I'mready."Shewalked

offtoherspotonthebeach.

I nodded and started to follow, when Jaymeson gripped my arm and tugged me back.

"Remember,onetake."

"Whenwasthelasttimeyoudidakissingsceneinonetake,man?Seriously.Everthinkthatif

Idoitinonetakeitmeanswehavechemistry?"

Hefrowned.
Inoddedandjerkedfree."Exactly.Hell,youshouldbehappyifwe'reherealldaytryingtoget

thissceneright.Imaybekissingyourwife,butI'mgoingtobethinkingofsomeoneelseentirely."

"Demetri."Jaymesonnodded."Hedoesitforlotsofdudes."
"You'reanass.Youknowthat,right?"
"HemademeashirtthatsaysASSwithadonkeyonit,soyeah,I'mwellaware."
"Good talk." I saluted him and met Pris on the blanket. She lay down on the sand while I

straddledherandplayfullyleanedforward.

"Andaction,"Jaymesonsaidinashort,angrytone.
"So,Seaside?"sheasked,leaninguponherelbows.
"Seaside,"Irepeated,tryingtostaremoreathermouththanhereyes,soIreallycouldconjure

upsomesortofromanticfeelingsorlust—anything,really.

"DidIgettherealstory?"
"No,"Iwhispered.MyeyesfixatedonhermouthasIleaneddownwhileshearchedup.Our

lips met and then, somehow, for the first time since I didn't know when, I experienced my first
awkwardkiss—Ihitherteeth.Herfreakingteeth.

Theclangthatcouldbeheardaroundtheworld.
Sheburstoutlaughing.
"Shit!"Ihissed,myteethabitjarredfromimpact."Areyouokay?"
Prisrubbedhermouthandgavemeanamusednod.
"Cut,"Jaymesonyelledthenmarchedover."Ihatetobetheonetoaskthis,butdidyouhavea

kissingdoubleinyourothermovies?Becausethatwasabsolutecrap."

I leaned back on my haunches, the chilly seaside wind biting into the back of my calves.

"Sorry,sandinmyeye?"

"Sand,myass."Jaymesongrumbled."Lipsmeet,doalittleslidingaction,tonguestaysinside

themouthatalltimes,tossinafewgroans,possiblyabreathymoan."HepointedtoPris."That'son
you,love…"Herubbedhishandstogether."…andthingsshouldbegreat.Thinkyoucanhandlethat,
Linc?"

"Yeah."Beadsofnervoussweatbrokeoutallovermyskinandthreatenedtofreezethereas

thecoldwindstruckme.Justwonderful.OnmyfirstdayI'dmanagedtophysicallyassaultmyco-star.
"Noproblem."

"Great."Hewalkedbacktohisspot.
IhoveredoverPrisagain.
"Taketwo."
The scene was slated again. Nerves attacked every cell in my body as I managed to steal a

glanceateveryoneonset.Alreadytheylookedirritated,fromthesoundtechtothemakeupartist.The
worstpossiblethingwasshootingasceneinweather,eitherfreezingyourassofforburningtodeath,
onlytohavetheactorforgeteverydamnline.

"So,Seaside?"Prisaskedmoregentlethistime,hersoftbrowneyesdancedwithhumor.
"Seaside."Ileaneddown,likeIwasgoingtokissher,notpartofthescript,butIwastryingto

get myself in the right state of mind, which, to me was always the breaking point before the kiss,
where you're thinking about it and the person you want to kiss knows you're thinking about it —
anticipationwasthebestpart.

"DoIgettherealstory?"
I hesitated purposefully. Eyelids heavy, I focused on her lips, licking my own slowly,

methodically.

AndIfeltit.
Notthelust.
Buther.
Dani.
Idon'tknowhowthehellIfelther,maybeIreallywaslosingmymindattwenty-two.Outof

thecornerofmyeye,hergreyConverseflashednexttoJaymeson'sflipflops.

"No." I leaned down, my lips rubbing against Pris's. As promised, I kept my tongue in my

mouth but nibbled her bottom lip like it was the sweetest delicacy I'd ever tasted in my entire
existence.MytongueswipedalongtheseamofherlipsasIdugmyhandsintoherhairanddeepened
the kiss, tugging her body upward. Her hand pressed against my chest. I grabbed it then shoved it
away.Thekisswassupposedtobeaggressive,elusive,thensuddenlyangry.

Shemoaned.
AndIfeltabsolutelynothing.
Nobloodrushingintoallthewrongplaces,whichwasn'tthenormatall.Ifanything,itwas

awkwardashellbeingturnedonduringascene,butitwassimplehumananatomy.Ifyouwereturned
on,yourbodywasgoingtoshowit,regardlessofifyouwantedittoornot.

"Cut,"Jaymesonhissed.
Ipulledbackandgrinned.
"Wow."Priswipedhermouthwiththebackofherhand."Welldone,Linc."
"Oh,please."Jaymesonjoinedus."Thefirsttimehetriedwaslikewatchinganawkwardturtle

onitsback."

"Thanks,man."
"Anytime."Jaymesonflashedagrin."Weneedtosetupforthenextshot,soyoucantakea

fewminutesandcheckoutyourtrailerwhileIgomakesuretheyhaven'tburnedthehousedown."

"House?"
"Fortheparty,"Jaymesonexplained."Alsothesetforthemusicvideo.We'regoingtokilltwo

birdswithonestone."

"Great."
Jaymesonfrowned."Areyoualright?"
"Huh?" I jerked my head away from Dani and felt my face heat. "Yeah. Sure. Why? Don't I

lookalright?"Shootmenow.

"Showingupdrunkonthefirstdayisfrownedupon,"Jaymesonwhisperedunderhisbreath.
"Notdrunk."Istartedwalkingawayandpointedbehindme."I'mgonnagotakethatbreak."

CHAPTERTEN

Dani

ATCHING HIM KISS MY SISTER HAD

to be the most awkward thing I'd ever experienced in my entire life. I

trembledwiththewrongnessofit.Imean,mysister.

Granted,shewasmarried.
Andtheywereacting.
Butthewayhetouchedher,thewayhehoveredoverher,protectedherwithhismassivebody,

hislipscaressinghers…andIwantedsoselfishlytobeontheothersideofthatkiss.

Noguyhadeverlookedatmelikethat.
Elliothadneverkissedmelikehewantedtotakehistime.He'dbeenagreatboyfrienduntilI

wastoomuchbaggageforhim…

"Why can't you just be happy, Dani?" he shouted. "For once! There's more going on in the

world other than the accident, alright? I know it sucks, I know it hurts, but for the love of God, it's
beenafewmonths!AtleastdoSOMETHING!"

Iflinchedathiswords,atthetoneofhisvoice.He'dneveryelledatmebefore.Ihuggedmyself

withmyarmsandnodded,tryingdesperatelytojustbeokay.Imean,howhardcoulditbe?Iforceda
smileonmyfaceandnoddedmyhead.

"Look…"Heapproachedmeslowly,likeIwasbroken,hetalkedtomesoftly,likeIwasstupid.

"…thisisn'tworkingout."

"But…"Iheldthetearsin.God,ithurtsobad."…butIpromiseI'lldobetter!"
"You'vebeenpromisingformonths,Dani.Andlook?We'restillhangingoutinthecondo,shut

outawayfromtheworld.Yourefusetoeatpancakes,won'twatchTVbecauseitremindsyouofthem,
andthelasttimeyouevenaskedaboutmydaywasbecauseItoldyouto."

Thewallsaroundmyheartshattered.HewasthelastthingIhadofmyoldlife,thelastperson,

otherthanmysister,whohadbeenapartoftheoldDani.Thehappycheerleaderwithoutacareinthe
world.

LosinghimfeltlikeIwaslosingmyparentsalloveragain,becausehewasright.Ididn'teven

recognize myself anymore. My normally highlighted hair was dark brown, the circles under my eyes
matched,andthelasttimeIhadputonmakeupwasfortheirfuneral.

"Igetit."Ihuggedmyselfharder,imaginingmydaddy'sarmsaroundme,tellingmeeverything

wouldlookbetterinthemorning.

Itneverdid.
Ifanything,inSeaside,itlookeddreary—worse.
"Dani." Elliot cursed and jerked away from me as if I'd slapped him. Except I was the one

dealingwiththeemotionalblowofoneofmybestfriendsnotonlydumpingme,butbasicallysaying
goodbyetomeforeverbecausehecouldn'thandlemysadness.

Ididn'tblamehim.
SometimesIcouldn'thandleiteither.
"It'sfine,"Iwhispered."Justgo."
"Dani—"
"Go!"Iwailed,tearscloudingmyvision.
Heleftmethatday.
Hestarteddatingmybestfriendthenextweek.
Iquitcheerleadinganddroppedoutofschooltheweekafterthat.

"Cut!"Jaymesonshouted.
I jerked my head to attention and watched Jaymeson interact with Pris and Lincoln. Feeling

awkwardtojustbestandingthere,Ishovedmyhandsinmypocketsandwaited.

Myjob,whileLincolnwasshooting,wastomakesureeverythingwasperfectforhimwhen

hetookhisbreaks.Didhehaveenoughwater?Washefed?Clothed?Happy?Washetense?Didhe
havehisfriggin'Skittles?What?Thewaterhastobelukewarm—nottoocold.Wouldn'twantthestar
gettingstomachcramps.Anddon'tevengetmestartedonhistrailer.

Therehadbeenalist.
IgottwoitemsdoneonitbeforeIwasreadytoshredthepaperinhalf.
Icamebacktothesettoaskaboutthelist,hopingtocatchhimonabreak.
Nottocatchhimcheerfullymakingoutwithmysister.
"Hey,Dani."Hewavedandjoggedovertome."I'mgonnatakeaquickbreak.Trailerready?"
Imadeafaceandheldupmyhand,wavingitinaso-somotion.
"BythatexpressionI'mgoingtoassumeyouburneddownmytrailer,andI'mgoingtohaveto

grabalawnchairandumbrella."

Igrinnedandshookmyhead.
"Great, I just love surprises." He rubbed his hands together then blew into them like he was

cold."Didyouseemykissingfail?"

Ifrowned.
"Thefirsttake,"heexplained,chuckling,"Imayhaveknockedoutyoursister'stwofrontteeth

andquitepossiblygivenheraheadinjury.Mykisswasmoreenthusiasticthansmooth,andI'mpretty
sureifanyonegetswindofthatvideo,I'mgoingtogetlaughedoutofHollywood."

Iquicklygrabbedmyphone.

Dani:Youhither?

"Ha,"Lincolnsethishandonmylowerbackandledmethroughthefewtrailersnexttoeach

other."No,Ihitherteeth."

Iburstoutlaughing.
"Getitoutnow,"hegrumbled."GladIcouldamuseyou."

Dani:Issheokay?

"Youwouldcareabouther."Lincolnflashedmeagrin."Andshe'sjustfine,thoughmyego's

bruised a bit. I've been kissing women since I was twelve. No idea why the simple action suddenly
seemedtobeashardassolvingworldhunger."

Westoppedinfrontofhistrailer.
Hiseyeswidenedafractionashecrossedhisarms,uncrossedthem,thentappedhischin."Um,

Dani?"

Iwinced.
"WhydoesthesignonmytrailersayLG?"
Ishrugged.
"Likeahomie."
Ishruggedagain.
Sighing,heopenedthedoor.
Iwentinbeforehimandpreparedmyselfforatempertantrum.
Instead,hegrabbedahandfulofSkittles—onlyredonessinceI'dfreakingpickedthemoutof

afive-poundbag—andlaybackontheblackleathercouch.

Still waiting for him to say something, I stayed close to the door, just in case he threw

something.Iwouldn'tbesofreakedoutifIhadn'tseenoneoftheactorsdothattohisassistantafew
minutesbeforeIjoggeddowntothebeach.

Theactor,whosenamewassosmallitwasridiculousthatheeventhoughthehadtherightto

actsoprivileged,wasangrybecausehisassistanthadforgottengrapes.

Grapes,people!
"Looksgood."Lincolnranahandthroughhisgingerhairandpattedtheseatnexttohim."You

knowyoucansit,right?YourstandingmakesmefeellikeIneedtostand."

Igrabbedmyphone.

Dani:You'renotmad?

Lincolnpulledouthisphoneandtosseditontothecouch."WhythehellwouldIbemad?"

Dani:Thewaterbottlesdon'thaveyourfaceonthem.

Lincolnburstoutlaughingthenfrowned."Oh…you'reserious?

Dani:Thelistsaidyourwaterbottlesneededtobeatroomtemperatureandthatthestickersof

yourfaceneededtobeonthenamebrandbecauseyouhatenamebrands.ButIcouldn'tfindthedamn
stickers.

Lincolnsmirked."Iwouldlovetohearyoucurse.Outloud.Ihaveafeelingitwouldbeahuge

turn…on."Hepaled."Notthat,that'sexactly—Youknowwhat?Letmeseethatlist."

DidhejustsayIturnedhimon?
Embarrassed,Ifumbledforthelistinmyrightfrontpocketthengaveittohim.Ourfingers

touched, just barely, enough to still feel the tingle on my skin, even though we weren't touching
anymore.

"The shades must be pulled three-quarters of the way down whenever the trailer is facing

east?"Lincolnreadaloudinhisgravellyvoice."Whothehellcares?"

Itypedonmyphone.

Dani:Don'tyou?

"Sweetheart,Idon'tevenknowwhichdirectioneastis,atleastnotwithoutgoingoutsideand

checkingoutwherethesunrose.Besides,whywoulditmatter?"

Ishrugged.
Heflippedthelistover."Uh,Dani?"
Inodded.
"Wronglist."Hedangleditout."ThisisforMattyRose."
"Matty?"Imouthed.ItmusthavesurprisedLincolnbecausehiseyeslockedonmylipsforat

leastfivesecondsbeforeheshookhishead.

"Somepunksixteen-year-oldheartthrobwhothinksthisisgoingtobehisbigbreakbecause

hegetstoplaythebestfriend,Evan."

Dani:Whoops?

"Yeah,let'sjusthopehisassistantdoesn'tgetfiredfortheshadeincident."
Ilaughed.

Lincolnwatchedme.NotinacreepyI'mwatchingyoulaughbecauseIwanttokillyou way,

butlikehewascurious.

"Linc!"Jaymesonpoundedonthedoor."Readyforthepartyscene?"
"Yup."Heshottohisfeetasthedoorpulledopen.
Jaymesonlookedmorefranticthanusual."Dani,Ineedasolid."
Inarrowedmyeyes.
"Please!"Jaymesonclaspedhishandstogether."I'llbuyyouapony."
"She'sseventeen,nottwelve,"Lincolnpointedout.
"Acar?"Jaymesonshrugged.
"Hercar'sbrandnew,"Lincolnsaidinaboredvoice.
"Holyshit!"JaymesonjerkedoffhisheadsetandpointedatLincoln,"Helpamanout,mate!

I'mdyinghere!"

Itappedhisshoulderandnoddedmyheadasiftosay"Ask."
"PartyGirlOne'splanegotdelayed.Shewon'tbehere,andthegirlIneedhasblondehair."He

eyedmyhairandsmiledbrightly."Please?"

"SourPatchKids,"Lincolnblurted."Isayyouoweherayear'ssupplyofSourPatchKids."
Jaymesonheldouthishand."Deal."
ItookhishandandshookitjustasLincolnasked,"Isn'tPartyGirlOneinascenewithme?"
"Yeah." Jaymeson was already walking away from us then turned on his heel and shouted,

"She'sthegirlyoumakeoutwithattheparty."

CHAPTERELEVEN

Lincoln

ONOFABITCH.

I'd kissed her sister and nearly made her teeth bleed because I couldn't seem to get into the

scene—thenimaginedmyselfkissingher,andithadbeenallrainbowsandshit.

Andnow?NowIgettokissher.
Well,atleastIwouldn'thavetoact—nopethatwouldbeallLincolnGreene.
Inthatmoment,Iwantedhertotalk.Ineededtohearherjokeaboutkissingme.Ineededthe

conversationbeforethekissthatsetmeatease.Becauseatleastthroughconversation,Icouldmaybe
gain insight into her feelings. But all I had to go off was body language. And as usual, she seemed
indifferentaboutthewholething.

Istaredharder.
Maybeshewassweating?
Ieyedherneck,hopingforaracingpulse.
Instead,shejerkedherheadtothesideandstumbledasshemouthed,"What?"
"Sorry."Inearlystuttered.Great.Addthattomylistofepicfailsfortheday."Just,um,thought

Isawamosquitobite."

Smooth,Lincoln,smooth.
Shequicklytouchedherneck.
"It's gone." You know, because it was never there in the first place, and I was staring at her

necklikeastarvedvampire.Goodtimes.

IclearedmythroatandsilentlyhopedthatJaymesonhadsomehowchangedthescene.
Thebeachhousewassetupwithatleasttwohundredextras.Ahugelit-upstagewasbuiltright

infrontofit.Theideawastoshootthepartysceneandthenhavetheguysdoapretendliveconcertso
theycouldgetfootageforthemusicvideo.

"Hey!"Demetrijumpedoffthestageandjoggedover.Hadtheguybeensingle,Iwouldhate

him with every fiber of my being. He was like a lost Californian surfer who'd somehow gotten
washedupontheOregonshore,likeafreakingmermaidwithmagicalmusicpowers.

Yeah,Iwasreallyoverthinkingthings.Shit.
"How'smygirl?"HepulledDaniintohisarmsandtwirledheraround."Lincolngivingyou

hell?"

Irolledmyeyes."Hardly."
She shook her head no then patted Demetri's head like he was a dog. He seemed to like that

though.HegrippedherhandthenkisseditandcalledAlecover.

"Well, well, well." Alec jumped off the stage. His black boots hit the ground hard, and sand

went flying everywhere. I was sure the extra didn't mind. In fact, she looked so enamored with the
sandhe'dpropelledontoherleg,Iwouldn'thavebeenatallsurprisedifshe'dcollecteditandputitin
ajarlabeledAlecDaniels.

Iimaginedthatwaswhattheirliveswerelike.Lotsofstarstruckpeoplejustgapingatthem

withawe.Whatwasitaboutmusicians?Bastards.Allofthem.

"You've grown." Alec winked, pulling Dani into his arms then kissing her head. "Really

though…" He kissed her head again, his scruff rubbing against her soft hair. "… you look good,
Dani."

The familiarity they had with her rubbed me the wrong way. Not because I was jealous. I

barely knew her! Maybe it was because I was pretty sure if I tried to kiss her head, she'd probably

karatechopmeorkneemeintheballs.

Iclearedmythroat.
Alec turned his attention my way, his light blue eyes narrowing. "Has Lincoln been treating

youalright?"

Danishookherheadno.
Mymouthdroppedopen.
Then she grinned and winked — yes, winked at me. Knees trembling, I almost needed a

momenttositdown.ThelastthingIneededwasbadPR,andyet,thereasonIwastrembling?She'd
freakingwinked.

Damn,shewasprettywhenshewashappy.
Andmaybethatwasthesaddestpartofall—sheseemedsotightallthetime,likebeinghappy

wasachore,butbeingsad?Justthewaylifewas.

Itwasn'tmyjobtofixit.
AndIwasn'toneofthoseguyswhotookonprojectswhereIthrewupthosestupidself-esteem

posters all over the place then told the girl to go get a makeover, and charge a new wardrobe to a
creditcard.Besides,shewasgorgeousasitwas.Ijustwishedshewouldenjoylife.Hell,shewasso
young.

Tooyoungtobethatsadallthetime.
"How'sthefirstday?"Demetriasked.
"Well…"Inodded."…playingyouofficiallysucks.Youdorealizewhatabastardyouwereto

Nat,right?"

Alecburstoutlaughing."Amazinghowhejustgotonmygoodside."
"Tobefair,"Demetriargued,"Iwashighmostthetimeso…yeah,Iblamedrugs."
"Suckshecan'tblamethemanymore,"Alecmuttered.
"HA!"Demetrishovedhim."Hilarious,andyou'rejustcrankybecauseyougotzerosleeplast

night,andspilledyourcoffeeonyourfavoritejeans."

"Damnit,theywereDiesel!"
"Dude,they'rejeans,"Isaid.
BothguysgapedatmelikeI'djustannouncedthatIlikedtowearleopardleotardsandtiaras.
"What?"Ishruggedasmyphonebuzzedinmypants.

Dani:Nevergetbetweenrockstarsandtheirjeans.

"Uh,sorry?"Ioffered.
"Changesforthescript."APAwalkeduptoourgroupandcircledthescenewithmeandDani.

"You'llbekissingtwicehereandagaininthemusicvideo."

Dani'seyeswidened.
"Uh,musicvideo?"
Demetrirolledhiseyes."Uh,whyelsewouldwebehere?"
"NoImean…whyamIinthemusicvideo?"
"Becauseyou'replayingme…"Demetrigrinned."…andI'marockgod,soyeah,you'rein

themusicvideo."

"But—"
"Places!"Jaymesonyelledintohismegaphone,whichjusthappenedtobenearAlec'sear.
Tohiscredit,heonlyflinchedandgaveJaymesonthefinger.
Iwouldhavedoneahellofalotmorethanthat.
"Whoa, there." Demetri grabbed Dani by her shirt and tugged her back. "That means they're

goingtostartshooting.Youcanstaybackwithus."

Herfacereddened.
Wassheembarrassedshewouldbekissingme?
"She'swithme."Igentlygrabbedherhandandstartedtoleadheraway.
"What?"Demetri'seyesnarrowed."Butyou'reabouttostartthescene."
"She'sinthescene."
"Dancing?"DemetriguessedwhileAlecandJaymesonstartedarguingoversomethingonthe

script.

Danishookherhead.
"Pretendingtopourbeer?"
Anothershake.
"Tellmeyou'reawallflowerwhositsinthecorner.Theonewithlotsofclothes."
Shegulped.
"Hell,no!"Alecshouted.
"Ithinkhefoundout,"IwhisperedtoDani.
Shegrippedmyhandharder.
"It'sprobablybesttorunandgetyouintomakeupsoyoudon'thavetowitnessafight.Ifyou

witness,youhavetotestify."

Shegiggled.
Weturnedandtookoffforthemakeuptrailer.Ionlyneededtouchups,butIknewtheywould

probablyputacraploadofmakeuponher,becauseone,shewasachick,two,shewassupposedto
looklikeaslut—probablywhyAlecwastryingtopullJaymeson'sheadoff—andthree,shehadto
looksmoking.

Herwidedoeeyesstaredbackatmethroughthemirror;herlowerliptrembledabitasthe

makeupartistpulledbackherhairandstartedtheverytediousprocessofshading.

"Youokay?"Iasked.
Onenod.
"Wantmetostay?"
Hershouldersslumpedasifshefeltbadforaskingmeto.
"Actually…" I pulled out a chair next to her and put my hands behind my head. "… I'm a

makeuppro.Ievenknowthedifferencebetweenlipstickandmascara."

"Andyethemakesmorethanme.Imaginethat."Jean,theheadmakeupartistsaidunderher

breathwithalowchuckle.

Ifakegaspedthengrinned."JeantaughtmeeverythingIknow."
"PoorboycriedthefirsttimeIputlipstickonhim."
"Jean,"Iwarned.
"Bawledlikeadamnbabybecauseitmadehimlooksopretty."
AburstoflaughtercamefromDani'sdirectionbeforesheclampedherlipsshut.
"Seriously…" Jean swiped some dark concealer across Dani's cheek and nose. "… finally, I

hadtotellhimitwasmagicmanjuicethathelpedaidinmusclebuilding."

"Iwastwelve."Iheldupmyhands."Andyoulied!"
"We caught him trying to steal lipstick from set. When the director cornered him, he started

cryingandsaid,'Ijustwanttobestrong!'"

Bynow,Daniwasfullonlaughing.
"Great,anymoreembarrassingstoriesyouwannagetoffyourchest,Jean?"
"Hadtopeehispantsforarole,andwhentheytriedtoattachthepouchtohimsothatitwould

lookreal,,heshouted,'No,Idoallmyownstunts.Igotthis.'"

Myphonebuzzed.

Dani:Tellmeyouwerestilltwelve.

Iwinced."Yeah,Imayhavebeenfourteen."
Jeanchuckled.
"IshouldhavegottenanAcademyAwardforthatperformance,andyouknowit!"Ishouted.
Jeanmovedontotheairbrushing;inswiftmovements,sheranthegunoverthefrontofDani's

face.

Amazingwhatcontouringdidtoawoman.
Hell,itwasamazingwhatitdidtoaguy.
Her cheeks were more pronounced, almost sharp. Her nose looked a little more prominent,

andhereyesfullonsparkled.

Andwewereonlyonthebaselayerofwhateverthehelltheyweregoingtodotoher.
"Linc,haveyouheardfromWardrobe?"
"No."IlickedmylipsandpriedmygazeawayfromDani."Why?"
"Well,theysaidtodohermakeupheavy.Idon'twantittoconflictwithheroutfit."
"Onit."Igrabbedthewalkie-talkieandspokeintoit."Wardrobe."
Nooneanswered.
"Wardrobe,it'sJeanandLincatMakeup."
"Wardrobe?"awomananswered.
"Hey,weneedthecostumeforPartyGirlOne."
"Canyousendsomeonetograbit?We'reallbusysearchingforAD2'spyrojeans."
Danismirkedasiftosay,"Toldya."
Isighed."Onmyway."Istoodanddroppedthewalkieintomypocket."I'llbeback.Makeher

gorgeous,Jean."

"Shealreadyis,"Jeanscolded.
"Yeah…"MyeyesmetDani'sinthemirror."…Iknow."

CHAPTERTWELVE

Dani

E'SONEOFMYFAVORITESYOU

know,"Jeansaid,oncethedoortothetrailerslammedshut."Alwayssucha

gentleman,nevercomplains.TheonlyweirdquirkthatkidhasisredSkittles."

Iwasn'tsureifJeanknewthatIdidn'ttalk,andIdidn'twanttoberude,soIquicklywrotea

littletext.

Dani:Idon'tknowifJaytoldyou,butIcan'ttalk.

Jean read it over my shoulder. "Oh, sugar, I talk enough for the both of us." She tossed her

bright purple hair over her shoulder and stared at me through the mirror, her green eyes meeting
minebeforeturningbackaroundandsprayingsomethingelseonmyface.

Themistwascoolagainstmyskin—itfeltgoodandsmelledlikecoconut.
"YouknowwhyhelikestheredSkittles,right?"Shedidn'twaitformetotexther."Helikesthe

flavor,butit'smorethanthat.Hisveryfirstmoviewaswithsomefamousactorwhorefusedtospeak
directlytopeoplelesttheirnormalnessruboffonhim.Iwon'tsayhisname,butI'msureyouknow
whoheis.Anyway…"Shespreadsomecreamonmyeyes."…you'llhavetokeepyoureyesclosed
whileIdoyourshadowandextensions."

IwantedtohearmoreaboutLincolnandthereasonhelovedredSkittles,butIcouldn'tseemy

phonetotext,andwhenIopenedmymouthtospeak,again,nothingcame.

Whichsucked,becauseshemademefeelcomfortable,andwewerealone.IfIwasgoingto

speak, it would be in a situation like that, where nobody could hear or point or laugh. For some
reason, speaking in front of a complete stranger, who didn't care one way or another seemed a lot
easierthanspeakinginfrontofmyfamily,stutteringsomethingstupid,andlettingthemdown.

"I'mjustgoingtoapplythedifferentshadows.Ifyouwant,youcantakeanap.Icanleanthe

chairback."

Inodded.Anapactuallysoundedreallygood.Maybeitwouldhelptakethenervesaway.
Itseemedlikesecondslater,andIwasgettinggentlytapped."Wakeup,sunshine."Jeansmiled.

"You'realldone!Ithinkhe'llbepleased."Shewinked.

Hewho?
Thetrailerdooropened.Linchadadressinhishands,alongwithnecklaceswrappedaround

thehanger,andtallpurpleheels."So,Idon'tknowifyouwanttowearallthenecklacesbecauseit's
reallyheavy.Dependingonthemakeup,wecanjust—"

I stood and walked over to him, reaching for the dress. The short silver cocktail dress felt

silkybetweenmyfingers.Ithadstrapsthatwentaroundmyneckandfellintoacompletelyopenback.
Itwasshort.I'dprobablyhavetobecarefulifIhadtositdown,ifIcouldsitdownatall.

"Linc?"Jean'svoicedancedwithamusement."Everythingalright?"
"Uh…"Heshovedthehangerintomyface."…yeah,sorryjust…hadadrythroat,freakedme

out,don'twanttostartgettingsick."

"Right," Jean said slowly. "Well, I say you wear all the necklaces. I did a purple, smoky eye

and straightened your hair. I'll be sure to reapply the lipstick after every take, so don't worry about
that." She clasped her hands together. "Now, Linc, I know you're used to dressing and undressing
aroundtheoppositesex,butthisgirlisn't,soshoo."Shemadeasweepingmotionwithherrighthand.
"Goon.I'llsendheroutwhenshe'sready."

"But—"
"Go!"

"Fine!"Heflashedmeasmile."Going.AndDani,youlookreallygood."
Ireturnedhissmileandtriedtokeepmyselffromswooningintothechair.Regardlessofhow

Ifeltaboutactorsormeningeneral,I'dhavetobedeadnottorespondtohissmile.Hewasmorethan
pretty.Therewasn'tonesinglethingI'dchangeabouthim,butitwasn'tjusthisbrightsmileortheway
his eyes seemed to look at me rather than through me. It was in the simple way he walked — or
stalked. It was like he couldn't help but be seductive, even the lilt of his voice had me shivering in
response,whichwasreally,really,stupid.

Theonlythingthatbroughtmebackdowntoearthwasthesimplefactthathewasmyboss.

That,andthefactthathewasLincolnGreene.Hedatedsupermodels,notseventeen-year-oldmutes.
No,IwasthecharitycasehetookwithhimtofancydinnersinordertogaingoodPR.Notthegirlhe
surprisedonherbirthdayandwhiskedofftotheCaribbean.

"Alright."Jeanrubbedherhandstogether."Let'sgetyouintothisthing."
IslidoutofmyjeansandpulledmyT-shirtovermyheadassheunzippedthedress.
"You'resosmall,"Jeanmused,eyingmeupanddown.
IwantedtotellheritwasbecauseIstoppedeatingaftermyparentsdied—lostmyappetite

and had to force myself to eat ever since then. It had nothing to do with wanting to be skinny and
everythingtodowiththefactthatafterafewbites,Ijustfeltsick.

Mytherapisthadsaiditwaspartoftheanxiety.
ItwaswhyIatecake.
Cakemademehappy,justlikeSourPatchKids.ThoughIcouldn'teataton,itstillmademe

feeljoyineatingagain.

"There."Jeanzippedmeupandplacedtheheelsonthefloor.Isteppedinthemandturnedto

facethemirror.

Mymouthdroppedopen.
"LikeIsaid,he'llloveit."Jeanwinkedinthemirror,andfastenedabouttwentydifferentgold

necklacesaroundmyneck,withcharmsonthem,rangingfromlongtoshort."Andbeforeyouargue,
I'veseenthewayhelooksatyou.Youintriguehim,andthat'shalfthebattlewithaHollywoodactor.
He'syoung,buthe'sstilljaded."

Ithoughtonherwords.
Intrigue.
Didn'tthatmeanIwasapuzzle?
WouldtheoldmehavegottenLincolntoturnhishead?Orwasthereasonhewassocurious

theveryfactthatIwasdifferent?

"Ready!"Jeangrinned.
My straight blonde hair fell past my shoulders, nearly touching my breasts. It was shiny but

stillhadanicebouncetoit,ratherthanbeinggluedtothesidesofmyhead—whichwashowmyhair
normallylookedwheneverItriedstraighteningit.

Dark,longeyelashescaressedmycheeksasIgazedatmyselfinthemirror.Icouldfeeleach

blink.Ihadpalepinklipstickanddarkeyes,buttherealdifferencewasthesculpting.

Itmademelooktwenty-fiveinsteadofseventeen.
Well,atleastIfinallylookedlegal!
"Knock'emdead."Jeanusheredmetowardthedoor.
Lincolnwaswaitingontheotherside,dressedindark,skinnyjeansandanamelessbandV-

neckT-shirtthatshowedoffpartofhisarmandchesttattoo.

"Ready?"heheldouthishand.
Itookitandwobbledbesidehim.IthadbeenagessinceI'dwornheels.
IwantedtomakeajokeaboutBoshowingonhischest.Butagain,thewordsweren'tthere—

theyjustweren't.Instead,Ipointedtohischestandsmiled.

Helookeddown."Yeah,Bo'smakinganappearance."
"Finally!"Jaymesonpointedatbothofus."Lincoln,showhertohermark.Dani,forthisscene

you'resimplystaringathimlikeyouwanttoeathim.Thinkyoucandothat?"

Inodded.
Anywomancoulddothat.
Mostmentoo.
"Cuemusic!"Jaymesoncalledout."Action."
AtechnomixofAD2'slatestsongfilledtheairastheextrasstarteddancingaroundus.Istayed

glued to the wall while Lincoln delivered his lines to Pris, and then he lifted his head, meeting my
gaze.

It'sjustamovie.It'sjustamovie.
Thebreathleftmychestononeslowexhaleashemovedtowardme,hisbodymakingfluid,

purposefulmovementsthroughthecrowd.

Mylipsparted;myentirebodyfeltheavyasheapproached.
Hestoppedinfrontofme,hisforeheadgrazingmineasheleanedinafewinches.Ourbreath

mingledasthemusicandscenefadedaroundme.

"Cut!"Jaymesonyelled.
Holycraponacracker!Ialmostexperiencedmyfirststroke—atseventeen.
"Youokay?"Lincoln'seyebrowsknittogetherinconcern.
Ilickedthelipstickfrommylipsandnoddedquickly.
Jaymeson approached. "Time for the kiss, remember kissing, not hockey. Clearly, you were

confusedearlier."

Lincolngrittedhisteethandletoutalittlegroan.
Ipattedhisarmandgrinned,mywayofencouraginghim.Heseemedtopalemore.
Mystomachsank.
Maybeitwasme.
Iwastheproblem.
Notthekiss,butme.Ifhe'dhadtroublekissingmygorgeoussister,howwashegoingtobe

abletokissme?

"Hey…"Lincolncuppedmycheek."…focusonme,nothingelse,alright?It'sonlyus."
Inodded.
"Youeverbeentoaparty?"
Irolledmyeyes.
"Evermadeoutwithaguyatapartythatwasn'tyourboyfriend?"
Ithoughtaboutitthenslowlyshookmyhead.
"So that's what this scene is about. It's about a guy seeing a girl from across the room and

wantinghersobadlythathe'swillingtocheatonhisowngirlfriendforjustonetaste.Granted,he's
supposedlydrunkandhigh,butthatjusttakestheromanceoutofit,doesn'tit?"

Hereleasedmycheekandsteppedback."Imagineyou'retryingtoattractme,makeyourbody

asinvitingaspossible.Hell,juststandthereandlookatme,andyou'llsellit."

Sellit.Irepeatedthewordsinmymind.
Icoulddothat.
BecauseIwantedhimtokissme.
Itmademyheartbeatfaster.
Mybloodpumpharder.
And for the first time since my parents' death, I was actually excited about something.

Nervous,butexcited.

"Okay,"Imouthed.
I must have surprised him again because his eyes darkened, and then he grinned. "One day,

Dani.OnedayI'mgoingtohearmynamecomingfromthatgorgeousmouthofyours,andI'mnot
goingtobeheldresponsibleformyactions…damntheconsequences."

Mybreathhitched.
"Quietonset!Andaction!"
There was no warning. Suddenly, Lincoln's mouth was fused against mine, no teeth, just his

soft lips pushing, prodding, moving slowly back and forth until his tongue slid through and made
contactwithmine.

Heartracing,Iopenedmymouthenoughtodeepenthekissasheatwashedoverme.
He groaned and dug his fingers into my shoulders then slid his hands down my back and

grippedmybutt.IletoutasqueakofsurpriseasIflickedhistonguewithmine.

"Cut!"Jaymesonyelled.
Ikeptkissing.
SodidLincoln.
Hischestbrushedroughlyagainstmine;mybreastsachedatthesharpcontact.Iletoutalittle

hissattheexacttimeLincletoutagroanandnudgedhiskneebetweenmylegs.

"Cut!"Jaymesonyelledagain.
Slowly,Lincolnpriedhimselfawayfromme,chestheaving.
"Goodenough,"saidJaymeson.
"No,"Lincolnarguedwithouttakinghiswild,greyeyesoffme,"Iwentoffscript.Weneedto

doitagain."

"The hell you do," someone mumbled. I wasn't surprised to see Demetri glaring daggers at

Lincoln'sback.AlecwasnexttoJaymeson,givinghimanearful.Inotedthestrongtickinhisjaw.

"Fine."Jaymesonwavedthembothoff."We'lldoitagain."
"Taketwo,andaction!"
Thistimethekisswasslow,languidinitsmovements.Hotwavesofpleasurecoursedthrough

my body as his tongue slid seductively past my lips. His taste, the feel of his mouth was unlike
anything I'd ever experienced. Greedily, I moaned, desperate for more of him as I reached for his
shirt, fisting it with my hands and tugging him tighter against my body, wanting more contact with
him.Ifelteveryplaneofmuscleasheslowlyturnedussohisbackwassemifacingthecamera.His
kneenudgedmylegsapartaspressureincreaseddownthemiddleofmybody.Ihadn'treallylooked
longatthescript,butIwasprettysurethatthiswasn'tpartofit.

NotthatIwascomplaining.
Herockedintome,mybackconnectedwiththewall.Withapossessivegrowl,henippedmy

lowerlipthenstartedkissingdownmyneck.Kissinginpublichadneverbeenmything—butmaybe
thatwasbecauseI'dneverkissedLincoln.

Iwouldkisshimanywhere.
Allheneededtodowasask.
Bodyhummingwithpleasure,Iletoutalittlegaspashiswarmlipsmetthepulseonmyneck.

Thenhistonguelickedwherehislipshadjustbeen.

Hiskneerosehigherandhigherasmybodysankontohis;thefirstcontactofhisleghadmy

bodyscreamingwithpleasure—justalittlehigher,justalittlemore.

"Cut!"someoneshouted,thoughitdidn'tsoundlikeJaymeson.
Suddenly, Demetri was pulling Lincoln away from me and glaring daggers at both of us. "I

thinkyouguysgotthescene."

Embarrassed,Ilookeddown,tuckingmysilkyhairbehindmyear.DidIreallyalmostjustdry

humpLincolnGreene'sleg?Infrontofabouttwentypeople,includingmysister?

"You sure?" Lincoln asked, voice hoarse. I glanced up at him, his chest was heaving with

exertion,hislipsswollen."BecauseIcouldhaveswornImessedupmylines."

"Therearenolines,youbastard,"Demetrimutteredunderhisbreath.
"Damn it!" Jaymeson shouted. "Hey, guys, I'm going to need you to shoot it one more time.

Remember,Lincoln,you'resupposedtopropositionher."

LincolngrinnedsmuglyatDemetri.
Demetrididn'tmove.
Isighedandthentappedhimontheshoulderandnoddedmyokay.
"I saw tongue." Demetri pointed at Lincoln. "We both know that's not necessary. This isn't a

brothel."

IalmostburstoutlaughingatDemetri'sknowledgeofthewordbrothel.That,mixedwithhis

protectiveness,wasn'tsomethingIwasusedtofromhim.Hewasusuallytooeasygoing.

"Places!"Jaymesonyelled.
Nervousanticipationtrickleddownmyspineasthescenewasslated,andLincolnwasfacing

meagain,hisfeaturesamaskofcompleteandutterseduction.Throatdry,Iwaitedforthekiss.

Oncehismouthwasonmineagain.
Irealized.
His kisses weren't the type you could physically prepare yourself for — the feeling wasn't

somethingmybodywouldevergetaccustomedto.

Lincoln'shandscuppedmyfaceandthentiltedmycheektothesideashewhisperedinmyear,

"Weshouldtakethissomewhere…private."

A foreign moan escaped between my lips, and his mouth was on mine again, this time his

tongueoutliningtheseamofmylipsbeforehetuggedmylowerlipwithhisteeth,drawingmybody
closertohis.

"Cut!"Jaymesonyelled.
Lincoln kept an arm around me as he led me back to the guys. My legs wobbled. Alec was

pacinginfrontofJaymesonlikeaworriedmother,andDemetriwasintheprocessofpullingoffhis
shirtanddabbinghischestwithnapkins.

"Myscenewasthathot,huh?"Lincolnteased.
Demetriglaredbutcontinuedtopathistan,perfectbody."This…thisisworrysweat,nothot,

lustful,holy-shit-it's-Lincoln-Greenesweat,youvain,slutty,littlepieceof—"

"Goodjob."JaymesonshovedDemetrioutoftheway,nearlysendinghimcollidingwithone

of the crew. Cursing ensued as something loud clattered to the floor. I think that something was
Demetri. "I think my favorite part was when a certain retired manwhore decided to ruin the entire
scenewithhismentalbreakdown."

Demetridustedhimselfoff,stood,andgaveJaymesonthefinger.
Ichewedmylowerlip,stilltastingLincoln.
"Okay,Lincoln,it'sbacktoPris.We'lljustfilmherreaction,andthenyourunafterher,got

it?"

Iwasleftforgotten,suddenlyextremelyuncomfortableinmyownskin,mydresstootightand

hot,mylipsstillbuzzingwithawareness.

Aleccamebymeandstoodasthenextscenewasslated.
His anger was so tangible I felt like I was swimming in it. He waited a few minutes before

talking.

"He'sreallygoodatwhathedoes,"Alecwhispered.

I gulped. Yeah, I'd gotten that part. He was a god at what he did. If kissing was an actual

occupation,he'dhaveadoctorate.

"But…"Alecreachedformyhandandgrippedit.
Iglancedupathim.
"…it'sajob,Dani.It's…"Heexhaledroughly."…it'snotreal,yougetthat,right?"
I jerked my hand away in horror. I didn't have my phone on me so I couldn't type him the

messageIwantedto;besides,itwouldhavealotofcursinginit,andIknewthatwouldamusehim
morethanangerhim.

"Aw,don'tgetpissed."Alecgrabbedmyhandagain,refusingtoletmepullawaythistime.His

griptightenedaroundmyfingers."I'mprotective,okay?You'reimportanttous,andIdon'twantyou
thinkingthatwhatjusthappenedmeansanythingbeyondthisscenetoday.Iknowyou'reasmartgirl."

Thentreatmelikeone!Iwantedtoyell.
"You'reseventeen,"heexplainedslowlyasifIwasn'tawareofmyownstupidage."You'reso

young still, and he's…" Alec shook his head and watched the scene play out. Lincoln went running
after Pris. "He's Hollywood — they're born cynical and get even worse as the days progress. You
don'twantanypartofthat,nomatterhowniceitmaylook,or—"Hiseyesmetmine."—taste."

WasAlecDanielsreallyhavingadadtalkwithme?Anddidhejustsaytaste?Neverinmylife

hadIbeensouncomfortable.

"Here."Demetriwalkedupandhandedmemyphone.Itwasagodsend.Isentagrouptextto

bothofthem.

Dani:Ifyoustarttalkingaboutthebirdsandthebees,I'mgoingtopunchyouinyourperfect

face.

Demetrifrowneddownathisphone."WhatdidImiss?"
IjabbedafingeratAlec.
Alecchuckled."Wow.IknewIwasbadathearttohearts,butIthinkIjustmanagedtopissher

offmore."

Dani:MostuncomfortablesituationI'veeverbeenin!AndI'vewalkedinonJayandmysister!

Demetrismirked."ProbablyneededamagnifyingglasstoseeanythingonJaythough.AmI

right?"

Irolledmyeyesandcrossedmyarms.
"Iwasjustwarningher,"Alecsaidinahushedvoice.
Istoodbetweenthetwoofthem,jumpyandextremelyuncomfortable.Itwaslikehavingtwo

really irritatingly hot and protective bodyguards. It wouldn't come as a shock if they sent me to a
nunneryordecidedtoorderoneofthosechastitybelts,notthatitmattered.Whoscrewedaroundwith
mutegirls?

Tearsthreatened.
Thatwastheworstpart.
ThatAlecwasright.
Lincolnwasagoodactor—agreatactor.
Hewasdoinghisjob.
Hediditwell.
Because for a few brief moments, I had felt like the most desired woman in the world. The

way he'd looked at me had made me think it could possibly be true. And it was probably better for
everyonethatAlecwasbluntwithmeaboutthetypeofguyLincolnwas.

BecauseasmuchasIkeptmyguardup—hemademewanttoteardownthatwalljusttosee

theotherside.Justtorememberwhatitfeltliketobenormal.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

Lincoln

'DMESSEDUP.

Badly.
AndI'ddoneplentyofstupidshitinmylife,shitthatcouldhavelandedmeinprisonoratleast

onprobation.

If there was a list of the many sins of Lincoln Greene, her name would be at the top of it,

circledinredpen,withthewordLUSTwritteningiant,all-capitallettersnexttoit.

Double-freaking-shit.
I downed the last of my bottled water and tossed it in the trash while I waited for Pris and

Jaymesontofinishtherestofthehousescene,wherethelovefestbetweenherandherrealhusband,
Alec,hadstarted.

MyhandsshookasIcheckedmywatch,waitingforthedamndaytoend.Ididn'twanttohave

toseeDani.Seeingherwouldcausemetodosomethingelsestupid,liketellherIwantedtokissher
again.

Orworse,actuallyfollowthroughwithoutwarningandscarethecrapoutofher.
Who did that? Just mauled a girl because he couldn't control himself? The last time I'd lost

controllikethathadbeeninthesixthgradewhensomeonecalledmymomawhore.

Granted,ithadbeentrue.Ithadbeenalloverthepapers.
Butstill.
It had pissed me off, so I beat the kid senseless, and when the teacher pulled me off him, I

simplyshruggedandsaid,"Shouldwegototheprincipal'sofficenow?"

Ihadbeenacockylittleshit.
ActinghadhelpedmegrowoutofsomeoftheangerI'dfeltathavingsuchapubliclife.Weird

howsometimesthecausecanenduphavingadifferenteffect.

"Hey!"Alecjoggedovertome.Great,theabsolutelastpersonIwantedtotalkto.Hemightas

well be Dani's father with how protective he was of her. Almost as bad as Demetri, just less vocal
aboutit.

Demetritoldyouhewasgoingtoshootyouthenpulledthetrigger.
Alecpulledthetriggerfirstthensaid,"Oh,bytheway,you'redead."
"She'sseventeen."Hisfirstwords.
"I know how old she is." I folded my arms across my chest. "I'm also aware she's a female.

Thatwaswhatyouweregoingtosaynext,right?She'sseventeen,underage,afemale,offlimits?"

Hisgazenarrowed."Don'tscrewwithher."
Irolledmyeyes."I'manactor.Iacted.That'smyjob,Alec."Thelietastedbitterinmymouth;

my body screamed in outrage at the outright ridiculousness of the words pouring out. "She's just a
girl."

"Really?"IfanythingAleclookedsurprisedashisblueeyeswidenedabit."That'sallsheisto

you?"

"I'm her boss." I swallowed and looked away again. Thank God, Jaymeson was finishing up

with his last line. "She's a great girl, but she's just a kid. Now, can you please stop thinking about
whereyou'regoingtoburymybody?"

"Seals." Demetri said from behind me. "I had some plans drawn up, paid a pretty penny for

themtoo.Basically,yougeteaten…"

Isighed.

"…anddie,"hefinished.
"Goodtalk,guys,asalways."
"Where'sDani?"Demetriignoredmeandlookedaround.
"LastIsawshewas—"Shit.Definitelynotwatchingthesceneafootawayfromme.
Swallowing, she tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and gave us all a timid wave, then

lookedleft,right,almostdoingalittlecirclelikeshewasconfused,andwalkedoff.

"Thinksheheard?"Iwhispered.
Demetribracedasifhewasgoingtorunafterher,butAlectuggedhimback.
"And if she did?" Alec asked. "What's it to you? She's just a kid, remember? Or were you

lying?"

"Andbeforeyouanswer…"Demetricrossedhisarms."…seals,remembertheseals."
"How?" I pushed away from them. "All I want to know is how the hell your wives live with

you."

"Easy." Demetri smirked. "We're really good in bed. Any more questions? Oh, and the

answer'sno,Iwon'tbegivingyoupointers,butifyouwanttoknowhowtopissagirloff,prettysure
youjustdidit."

"Can'twinforlosing,"ImumbledthentookoffafterDani.
Ididn'thavetogofar.Shewashuddledonthestepsofmytrailer.Itookafewcautioussteps

towardher.

Dani'sheadjerkedup,andasmileflashedacrossherface.Shetypedonherphonethenstood.

Dani: Trailer's locked, need to grab my purse so I can go home. Unless you need me for

somethingelse?

Idid.
In fact, I wanted to make a list, and at the top of it? Making out like a teenager, something I

hadn'tdoneinyears.WhymakeoutwhenmostgirlsI'dbeenwithhadbeensoaggressivethekissing
hadlastedmaybefiveminutes,andsuddenlymypantswereonthefloor,andtheirtopswereflying
ontothenearestpieceoffurniture?

Therewasnosavoring.
ButDani?Iwantedtolearntosavor.
Seventeen.
"Um,no."Ishovedmyhandsinmypockets,myfingerscomingintocontactwithmywallet

andtheticketstoNewportAquariummypublicisthadgivenmeafewweeksago.

She'dwantedmetogowhenIhadaday'sbreakfromfilming.SomethingaboutShamubeing

back,anditbeinggoodPRtobefriendlytotheanimals.

ButIhadaveryseriouswhale…thing.
Asin,Iwasabitterrifiedofthem.
SoI'dtoldhershe'dhavetosendsomeoneelse.
Danistartedtowalkoffwithoutherpurse.
"Wait!" I quickly ran into my trailer, grabbed it for her then handed it over, all the while

wonderinghowIwasgoingtogethertospendmoretimewithme.

Sheturned,hereyescautious.
"TheNewportAquarium,howfarisit?"
Shefrownedthenstartedtypingonherphoneagain.

Dani:Afewhours,why?

"Weneedtogo."
YeahIjustsaidwe.

Dani:We?

Inodded."It'saPRthing.Idon'thaveanyfilmingfortwodays,soIthoughtyoucouldtakeme

andhelpme."

Dani:Youneedhelpdriving?

MybodyfeltitchyasItriedtothinkofagoodexcuse.
"No."Iclearedmythroat."Notlikethat.It'sjustneversmartformetogooutbymyself.IfI'm

recognizedandnotwithsomeone,Iusuallygetmauled,butifpeopleassumeyou'remygirlfriend…"

Hereyeswentcompletelydead.
AsinthelightthatI'dsomehowleftthereaftershe'doverheardmecallheragirl—vanished.
Sheshookherheadno.
"But…"Ilickedmylips."…I'mpayingyou.Beingmyassistantisyourjob,andthatincludes

doingthingsthatsometimesyoudon'twanttodo."

Iwasactuallyblackmailinghertogototheaquariumwithme—toseeawhalethathadthe

firstnameKiller,andallbecauseIwantedtomakeitright.

Orkissher?
Orjustspendtimewithher?
Hell,Ididn'tevenknowanymore.
Myphonebuzzed.
Ilookeddown.

Dani:I'monlysayingyesbecauseIdon'twantyoutofireme.

Igroanedaloud."Dani,I'mnotgoingtofireyou."

Dani:Pick me up tomorrow at six. We'll take my car. Unless you wanted to hire some sort of

limotocartyourasseverywhere?

Igrinnedatherlimocomment.
"Wouldthatmakeiteasierforyoutorideinthecar?"Iaskedhonestly.
Shehesitatedthenrolledhereyesandtypedmoreonherphone.

Dani:Allcarssuck.ButI'veneverriddeninalimosojury'sstillout.Tomorrow.

WhenIlookedup,shewasalreadywalkingaway.
Without missing a beat, I clicked the home button on my phone and spoke. "Siri, what's the

closestlimoservice?"

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

Dani

REAMINGOF

INCOLNWASSONO

twhatIneeded.ButdreamIdid.Idreamtofhiskiss,Idreamtofhislips,

and when I woke up in a cold sweat, my body ached with something I'd never really recognized
before,almostlikehe'dawakenedsomesortofuntappedpassionordesire.Great,justgreat.Notonly
wasIunabletospeak,butnowIwasasexuallyfrustratedmute.

Iglancedattheclock.Twoa.m.PriswouldkillmeifIwokeherup,especiallysinceshehada

really intense few scenes tomorrow with Jaymeson, another reason Lincoln had the next day and a
halfoff.

ItwasTuesday,andhedidn'tneedtoreportbackuntilWednesdayatnoon.
Ilaybackagainsttheheadboard,slammingmyskullsoftlyagainstthefabric.
JustasIreachedformyphone,itwentoff.

Lincoln:Can'tsleep.
Dani:Youhaveapig.Stoptextingme.

Idroppedmyphoneontothetableandforcedmyeyestoclose.
Sleeplasteduntilfivewhenmyannoying,chipperalarmwokemeup.Lincolnhadleftmea

textsayinghe'dmeetmeatmyhouse,whichwasgoodsinceIwasalreadydraggingmyfeet.Iquickly
showered,pulledmyhairintoalow,messybun,andthrewonavintageT-shirtwithapairofripped
jeansandmyConverse.Ilookedseventeen.

Asharppainslicedthroughmychest.
Itwasn'tasifIhadn'tknownLincolnthoughtthatwayaboutme,butitstillsuckedhearinghim

sayitoutloud.

Agirl.
Imayaswellbeinoverallsandpigtails.
Ugh.
ThedoortomysisterandJay'sroomwasopen,lightsoff,Ivaguelyrememberedthemsaying

theyhadacalltimeoffivea.m.Suckedtobethem.

Withagrumble,IwalkedintothekitchenandyawnedasIpouredmyselfacupofreadymade

coffee.

"Please,helpyourself,"asmoothmalevoicesaidfrombehindme.
Idroppedthehotcoffeeallovermyhand,andletoutalittlecryasaburnsizzleddownthe

backofmyrighthand.

"Oh, shit." The unknown man made his way around the island in the kitchen and gently

grabbed my hand, flipping the cold water on and shoving it underneath. "Typically, I make a better
firstimpressionthanthat."

Iglancedup.
ZaneAndrews.
TheZaneAndrewswasholdingmyhandunderthefaucet.IfIwasn'tshakingbefore,Isurewas

now.

Itriedtojerkback,tooembarrassedtoevenexist.Icouldn'ttalktohim.Icouldn'tdoanything.

AllIcoulddowasstareatmyangry,redhandandpraythathe'dgetamnesia.

ZaneAndrewswas…
ZaneAndrews.Ifyousaidhisnamefastenough,itsoundedlikeSt.Andrews,whichishowhe

gotthenicknameSaintfromallhismanyTwitterfollowers.

HewasthehottestthingtohitthemusicscenesinceAshtonHyde,or,asIknewhim,Gabe,had

comeoutofhidingandstartedrecordingagain.

Andthathadbeenhugenews.
Asin,ithadbeenayear,andpeoplewerestilltalkingabouthim.
ButZaneAndrews?Hewastheequivalentof…
IfMadonnaandLennyKravitzdecidedtoprocreate…
…asexybabyrockstarwouldbeborn…
…andhisnamewouldbeZane.
With pitch-black hair and eerie golden brown eyes, he was seriously every woman's fantasy

cometolife.

Attwenty-five,he'dalreadywonoverfifteenGrammys,andwassaidtobevacationingwith

friendswhilehetookamuchneeded—ohcrap—break.

WasJaythefriend?
Ivaguelyrememberedhimsayingafriendmightstopbyforafewweeks.
Butithadbeenmonthsagothatwe'dhadthatconversation.
Crap.
"Hey,youokay?"Zane'ssmilewaskind,zappinganykindofembarrassmentI'doncehad.
With a quick nod, I jerked my hand free and stumbled backward, nearly colliding with the

fridge.

"Whoa."Hehelduphishandsinsurrender."IpromiseIdon'tbite."
I'dhaveexpectedhimtosaysomethingwhorishlike."Ipromisenottobite…much."
Hedidn't.
I also expected him to hit on me. Rumor had it; he even hit on eighty-year-old women —

becausehecould.

Instead,heseemed,almost…shy.
Withagulp,hemadehiswaytowardme,holdingouthishand."I'mSaint,butmyfriendsjust

callmeZane."

ItookhishandthenquicklyheldupmyfingerandgrabbedthenotepadIstashedinthekitchen

justincaseIneededtoleaveanoteforPrisorJay.

Withshakyhands,Iscribbledoutamessage.

Sorry.Idon'tknowifJaytoldyou,butIdon'texactlytalk.Asin,Ican't.I'mmute,butit'snice

tomeetyou,andI'msorryIstoleyourcoffee.

Zane moved to look over my shoulder, his eyes taking time to read every word before he

glanced back at me and winked. "It's cool. I still can't sleep without a nightlight, so we all have our
issues,nowdon'twe?"

Iletoutalittlelaughandnodded.
"Besides…"Hewasstillextremelyclosetome,socloseIcouldfeelawaveofheatemitting

from his large six-foot-four frame. "… sometimes, I think messages would be so much clearer
withoutwordsgettingintheway."

Itwastheperfectthingtosay.
Maybehewasasaint.
Myphonebuzzedinmypocket.
"So,"Zanemovedaroundtheislandandpouredanothercupofcoffeethenbroughtitoverto

me."…Ihearyou'reLincoln'snewassistant.Ihopehe'snotbeinganass."

Iheldupmyhandandflip-floppeditfromsidetoside,indicatingso-so.

Zane's laugh was soft. He gripped his ceramic mug tightly, the muscles in his tattooed

forearmsflexing.

Meanwhile,myphonekeptbuzzing.
"Yeah, well…" Zane lifted the cup to his mouth and drank then set it back down. "I'm sure

you'remoreofahandfulthanyouleton."

Ismiledatthat.
An angry knock pounded against the door, and then it nearly burst free from the hinges as

Lincolnexplodedthroughasifhewasreadytotearsomeoneapart.

"What the hell!" he roared. "Dani, I thought you'd been kidnapped or something. I texted. I

calledthreetimes.Ihadtolookforthedamnhide-a-key.Itfreakedmeout!Don'tever—"Hestopped
yellingandglancedatZanethenwithoutawordstalkedtowardhim.

"Saint?"Hesaiditlikeagrowl,hisfistsclenchedtightly.
Zanelookedupoverhiscoffeecupandsmirked."Mother."
ThenextthingIknew,thecoffeecupshatteredagainstthecounterasLincolnpunchedZanein

theface.Twice.

Iscrambledtowardthem,notsurewhatIcoulddotoactuallystopthetwomassivebeastsand

theircavemanways,butIworriedaboutbloodgettingonthecarpet.

The minute I reached them, Lincoln got up, dusted his jeans off then held his hand out for

Zane.

"Thanks,man."Zanegrinned.
"Yeah,well…"Lincranhishandsthroughhisthickhair."…youknewyouhaditcoming."
"True." Zane winced as he dabbed his lip with his finger. "But could you have at least taken

yourringofffirst?"

Lincolnnoddedseriously."Nexttime."
"Awesome."Zanegroanedthenstolemycoffeeandtookaslowsip.
Myjawwentslack.Weretheyfriends?Enemies?Frenemies?
"Youready,Dani?"Lincolnpoppedhisknuckles.
Ifrownedthenthrewmyhandsupintotheair.Whattheheck!
"Don't worry about it, coffee girl." Zane winked. "Just old business that needed settling. Isn't

thatright,Linc?"

"Yup."Lincolnreachedformypurseandajacketthengrabbedacap.
"Wow,neverthoughtI'dseetheday,"Zanesaidunderhisbreath.
"Whatwasthat?"Lincsnapped.
"It'sgoingtobeabeautifulday."Zanesmiledinmydirection.Then,whenLincturnedback

aroundtoopenthedoor,hewinked.

Awhitelimowaitedoutfront,backpassengerdooropenandattendedbyanelderlymanina

blacksuitandwhitegloves.

"Hopeyoudon'tmind,"Lincsaidatmyside."Butsinceyou'veneverriddeninone,Ithought,

whynottryandseeifyourcar-ridingexperiencegetsbetter."

Happy that he'd done something so thoughtful, I had to hold back a squeal of delight as we

piledintotheplus-stretchlimo.

Theminutemybutthitthosesoftleatherseats,Iwantedtosighandthentakeareallylongnap.

Forsomereason,maybebecausetheshapewasdifferent,butridinginthelimodidn'taffectmethe
wayridinginacardid.Myanxietyhadn'tshotthroughtheroof,andIwasn'treadytoscream.

Wordlessly, Lincoln handed me a bottled water. I took a hit and watched as he clenched and

unclenchedhisfistthenshookitintheair.

Itypedoutatextthennudgedhimwithmyfoot.

Heglancedathisphoneandsmiled.

Dani:WTHwasthat?

"That?Thatwaslife."
Andwhat?Inlifeyouwereallowedtopunchpeopleatsixinthemorning?

Dani:Areyouguysfriends?

Lincoln snorted and took a long sip of coffee, his eyes piercing as he stared me down.

"We're…amicable."

Bigword.
It sucked that he had to miss out on all my lovely sarcasm just because I couldn't say it out

loud,thoughIwassuretheeyerollingandscowlingwashelpful.

"Mysister…youmayhaveheardofher,AngelicaGreene?She'sbeenafterhimformonths,

finallycorneredhim,andhemayhaveturnedherdown…"

Ifrowned.So?Normalpeoplegotturneddownallthetime.
"In front of the media, and let's just say his words weren't kind, no matter how true. Shortly

afterthat,accordingtomysources,shenearlyrelapsed,thoughshe'sgoodnow.He'sapologized,but
ItoldhimthatIstillhadtodefendherhonor,sohesaidIcouldpunchhimnexttimeIsawhim."

Dani:Guysarestupid.

He burst out laughing. "Yeah well, nobody really defends Angelica… probably because

nobodyreallylikesher,andshe'sabitcrazy.ButI'mherbrother.It'smyjobtobeprotective.Sothe
punches?Hedeservedthem,evenifhewasrighttoturnherdown."

Ifrowned.
"What?"Lincleanedforward."What'sonthatprettymindofyours?"
Iwouldnotreacttohiswords.
Mybodydidn'tlistenasashiverrandownmyspinewhileItypedoutanothermessage.

Dani:Hedoesn'tseemtobethetypetoturnanyoneoranythingdown.

A knowing look crossed over Linc's face as his eyes met mine. "I don't know, looks can be

verydeceiving.Especiallyinourbusiness.Ithinkyou'dbesurprised."

Hmm.
"Hey."Lincsnappedhisfingersinfrontofmyface."No.Iknowthatlook.Don'tgothere.He

asksyouout,yousay'hell,no'andrunintheotherdirection."

Igiggledandshookmyheadasiftosay"Yeahright."
"I'm serious." Lincoln set down his coffee and popped his knuckles. "Don't give me another

reasontokickhisass."

Ihuffed.
"Imean,you'reseventeen."Didheknowanyothernumbers?Seriously?"Hewouldn'tdream

ofit,butstill…"

Thewordsstolethebreathfrommylungs.
Hewouldn'tdreamofitbecausewhy?Becauseofmyage?OrbecauseIwasmute?OrwasI

reallyjustbeingthatoversensitive?

"Imean…"Lincolncrossedhisankles,uncrossedthem,fidgetedinhisseatthenlookedathis

phone."…it'sillegaland…shit."

Dani:You'remakingmeuncomfortable.

"Yeah,wellthatmakestwoofus,"hesaidunderhisbreath."Ididn'tgetmuchsleeplastnight.I

thinkI'mgoingtolaydownforafew,alright?"

Inodded.
And tried not to watch him as he slowly lay down and put his baseball cap over his face,

coveringuphissinfulmouth.

Washereallygoingtosleep?
I was tired, but not so tired that I was able to sleep or be that comfortable in his presence.

Instead,Iwasleftfeelingabitsicktomystomach.

Ialwaystriedtoputonabraveface.AndI'dliketothinkI'ddoneareallygoodjobwithit.The

carswervedabit.Igrippedtheleatherwithbothhandsandtriedtoignorethestingoftears.

Hehadn'tmademeuncomfortable.
He'd hurt me, and he didn't even realize it. Every time he said seventeen, it was like he was

throwingmyagebackintomyface.MostpeoplelivetheirentireliveswithoutgoingthroughwhatI'd
gonethrough,notthatIwasfeelingsorryformyself,buthetreatedmelikeakid.

Whenreally?SometimesIfeltlikeIwasaneighty-year-oldwoman,hidingoutinherhouse,

waitingfortherestoftheworldtopassby.

Waitingtodie.
My stomach sank even more. Because really, that was how I felt sometimes, and the guilt at

feelingthatwasmorethanIcouldbear.IneededtobehappyforPris,forJay,forthenewlittlebaby
ontheway.

Myfeelingsfeltselfishbecausetheywere.
AnditwasstupidofmetothinkIcouldsuddenlyjustbeokay,butsometimesIfeltlikeIwas

onlygoingthroughthemotions.IbrushedmyteethbecauseIhadto.IatebecauseIhadto,whichmy
therapisthadsaidmeantIactuallywantedtolive.

IleftoutthepartthatI'dstartedeatingagainbecauseofthelookofpaniconJays'faceandthe

hurtinPris'seyes.

Iateforthem,notme.
Igotoutofbedforthem,notforme.
I lived because my parents didn't, yet sometimes at night, when I couldn't sleep, I had to

wonderifGodhadmesseditup.

Gah.Iletmyheadfallbackagainsttheleatherafewtimes,bouncingupanddownasIstewed.

Ihatedself-pity.Idrankmorecoffeeandtriedtofocusonthepositive.Iwasinalimowithahotguy.

AfamoushotguywhothoughtIwasachild.
ButatleastIwasstillinthelimo,andhe'dorderedmecoffee,andforonceinmylifeIgotto

experienceakiss,thatforafewbriefmomentshadmademefeelaliveagain.

Myphonebuzzed.

Jay:Zanesaidhefreakedyououtthismorning,andyouburntyourhand.Youokay?

Iglanceddownatmyhand.Itwasstillred,buthonestly,beingwithLinchadmademeforget

allaboutit.

Dani:I'mgood.Hand'sfine.HowlongisZanestaying?
Jay:Notsure,atleastamonth.We'llseehowlonghewantstotakeoff.Heneededanescape.
Dani:Great.

Jay:He'sagoodfriend,didn'twanthiminahotel,plushe'dgetmobbedinaminute,andhe

hatesstayingalone.

Dani:Stayingalone?
Jay:ForgetIsaidthatplease?He'dbepissed.Havefunattheaquarium.Don'tkillmystar.
Dani: Damn, probably shouldn't have added arsenic to his eggs this morning. Oh well, we'll

alwayshavethatonekiss.

Jay:Haha.Andifhekissesyouagain,youbitehislip,love.
Dani:Asinalovebite?
Jay:Asinbiteitoff,spititout,runlikehell,andletmefinishhimoff.
Dani:Thanks,Dad.

IgaspedasIrealizedthroughblurryeyeswhatI'djusttyped.
Jay'stextbackwasimmediate.

Jay:YouknowI'mgoingtobethehottestfatherinthehistoryoftheuniverse.

IlaughedsoftlyashesentmeanemojithatsaidNumberOneDad.Healwaysknewwhattosay

tomakemefeelbetter.

Dani:Soverytrue.
Jay:Loveyou.

Isenthimapinkheart.

Dani:Youtoo.

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

Lincoln

'MSORRY."

ANDSSHAKING,

BLOCKED

myviewwiththebrochureandpretendedtobeinterestedinthemating

penguinexhibit.Whatthehell?"Ireallycan'tdothis."

Danituggedthelooponmyjeans.
"Ripthemoff.SeeifIcare."
Shekeptpulling.
"I'vegotalmostafootonyou,Dani,nochanceinhell.It'stimetogo.We'veseeneverything

butamermaid.Let'sjustgo."

Herfootstompeddownonthetopofmine.
Sharppainradiatedupwardtowardmyshin.
"Sonofa—"
The brochure was ripped from my hands. She stood in front of me bracing for a fight. I'd

neverseenherlookmorebeautiful.Faceflushed,chestheaving,eyesblazing.

Holyshit,Iwantedtodevourheronthespot.
IsuddenlyforgotwhyIwassofreakedout.
Myeyeszeroedinonhermouth.
Herlipsparted.
Ifthatwasn'taninvitation,Ididn'tknowwhatwas.Igulped,reachingforherface.
Justasagiantwaveofwatercollidedwithherbackandmyfront,nearlyexposingjusthow

muchIwantedherbodygluedtomine.

"Sorryaboutthat!Whalescangetkindoffeisty."
Ohgood,somethingIhadincommonwiththegiantdemoncurrentlysplashingitstailafew

feetaway.

"You guys ready?" The trainer hopped out of the water like a freaking seal on crack and

giggled.

"No,"Icroaked."Not.Ready."Words.Ineededtofindmorewords.DidImentionIwasgoing

tokillmypublicist?

"Oh."Thetrainerlaughed."Butthekidswillbesodisappointediftheirfavoritestardoesn'tat

leastdoonetrickwithus!"

Asifoncue,thecrowdofkidsintheaudiencecheeredandstartedchantingmyname.
"One,just…"Iheldupmyfinger."…oneminute."
Clothesdrenched,Isqueakedmywaybacktowardthefence,pullingDaniwithme.
"Ican'tdothis."
Shesighedandglancedbackatthecrowd.Ireallyneededherencouragementrightnow,and

thepartthatsuckedwasthatshehadnowordstogiveme,nothing.Ifeltstupidandselfishforneeding
both.

"I'mscaredofwhales,"Imumbled.
Shecuppedherear.
Irolledmyeyesassheleanedin.
"Scared—"Icoughedintomyhand."—ofwhales."
Her grin had me feeling like a teen who'd just been caught staring too hard at his hot math

tutor.

"Ready?" The trainer bounced back. Could someone — anyone — just shoot a whale tranq

intoherassorsomething?

Danireachedformyhandandsqueezedit.Iexpectedhertoletgo,butinstead,shegrippedit

asifshewasgoingtogointothewaterwithme.

Granted,wehadourshoesoff.Itwasonestep.
WhenItoldmypublicistweweregoingtogousethetickets,she'dcalledaheadandletthem

knowI'dbemorethanhappytodoasurpriseappearanceduringtheafternoonwatershow.Luckyfor
me,Ididn'thavetoswimwithawhale.

AllIhadtodowasfeedone.
Ihadgraphicbloodfilledvisionsoffallingintohisgiantmouthandbeingnomore.
"Yay!"Thetrainerbouncedupanddownafewtimes,makingmefeelnauseated,ormaybeit

wasjustthewhale,Zoe,theonecurrentlyswimmingaroundandjoltingitselfintotheair.

"Youkidsready?"Anothertrainerscreamedintothemicrophone."Let'sgiveahugeroundof

applausetoLincolnGreene!"

IgaveaweakwaveatthecrowdasDanituggedmetowardthefirststepintothegiantwhale

pool.

"Hereyougo."Thetrainerheldupabucket."Zoe'sgoingtosplashyouguysagainandopen

hermouth.You'lltossthefoodin,andwhenyou'refinishedwiththat,allyouneedtodohisholdup
yourhandforahighfive.She'llclosehermouth,chompdownonthefoodanddoatrick."

Aslongasmybodywasn'tinvolvedinthattrick.
Thebucketwasshovedintomyfreehand.IclenchedDaniharder.Sheleanedintomysidethen

startedhummingJaws.

"Notfunny,"Isaidthroughclenchedteeth.
Shehummedlouder.
Great.
A giant black-and-white blob freaking flew through the water at breakneck speed, stopping

rightinfrontofus,splashedwithhergiant-assfin,thenopenedhermouthwide.

Teeth.Shehadteeth.
Andsomanyofthem.
I got dizzy just thinking about them. Who cared if they're flat? They were still teeth, and it

wasn'ttheteethasmuchasitwasthejawthathadmefreaked.

Daninudgedme.
I released her hand and dug the small fish out of the bucket and dropped them into Zoe's

mouth.

Shehelditopen.
Handstillshaking,Ilifteditintotheairtomakeahighfive.
Withoutwarning,shesplashedusagain.
"Uhoh!"Thetrainersaidinthemicrophone."ItseemsZoewantsakiss!"
"Notachanceinhell,"Ihissed.
"Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!"Thekidschantedalongwiththetrainerasifitwasn'talegitlife-and-death

issue.

Theykeptchanting.Icouldn'tmove.
Daniquicklykneltonherknees,soakingherjeansassheleanedoverthewater,holdingher

headsoclosetothewhaleIwasfreakedshewasgoingtogetbit.Butthewhaledidn'tmove.Infact,
sheseemedtoenjoyDani'scloseness.

Daniclosedhereyesandrubbedhernoseagainstthewhale'sskinasiftoshowmeitwasokay.
Slowly, I lowered myself to their level and leaned in. Zoe smelled like fish. Any fast

movementsandIwasgoingtohavealegitissuewithpassingoutanddrowninginthegiantpool.

"Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!"theaudiencekeptshouting.

Danituggedmyfacedowntothewhale;mylipswereinchesawayfromZoe'sskin.Next,Dani

shovedmyfaceintothewhale.Itwasn'tevenakissasmuchasitwasapushwithmylipsagainstits
rubberyskin.Shepulledmebackthenlaunchedherselfintomyarms.

Andkissedme.
Iforgotallaboutthewhale.
InthedistanceIheardcheeringandasplash.IassumedZoehaddonehertrick,butIwasbusy

doingoneofmyown.

Withouthesitation,IliftedDaniagainstmychest.HerfeetdangledagainstmyshinsasIswung

heraroundandkissedherharder,needinghermorethanmynextbreath.

HermouthwasjustasIremembered,hot,sweetandsoinvitingitwashardtopullback.
Thetrainernexttomecoughed."Childrenpresent."
DanisliddownmyhardbodyasIslowlyreleasedherandmouthed,"Thankyou."
Shewinked.
"Really,yousavedmylife,"Iwhispered.
Sheburstoutlaughingasthekidslaughedandcheered.
"So…"Danilickedherlips."…scaredofwhales,huh?"
My mouth dropped open at the same time hers slammed shut, as if she'd just realized she'd

spokenoutloud.

Thetrainer,clearlynotrealizingtheepicmoment,triedtoengageusinconversation."Thanks

somuchforcomingand—"

"Yeah,yeah."InoddedandshookherhandwhiletryingtosteerDaniaway."Thanksagain.We

haveanappointment."

We walked hand in hand toward our discarded shoes and socks. Dani didn't say anything. I

wantedherto,butIdidn'twanttopushhereither.Myheartwaspoundingsohardmychestached.

Oncewewereawayfromthecrowdandalone,Iturnedtoherandsaidtheonlythingonmy

mind,"YourvoiceisthemostbeautifulthingI'veeverheard."

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Dani

DRENALINESURGEDTHROUGHMYBODY.

voice!Thatwasmyvoice!AvoiceIhadn'theardoutsidemyhead

in months! I wanted to shout in victory, yell at the top of my lungs. But instead, my knees knocked
togetherandspotscloudedmyvisionasLincolnliftedmeupintohisarmsandcarriedmedownthe
stairs.

Iblinkedmyeyesastheangry,blackcloudsstartedmovinginourgeneraldirection.
ColdrainsplatteredagainstmyfacebeforeLincolnwalkedusdownintoasmallalcove.
Chilled,Icouldn'tstopmyteethfromchatteringashesetmeonmyfeetdirectlyinfrontofthe

penguinexhibit.

Itwasfreezinginthere.
Butwewerealone.
"Dani?" He cupped my face. "Are you going to pass out?" His eyebrows knit together in

concernashebackedmeagainstthewall.

Icouldalmosttastehimagain—wantedto—butthenhe'dbeontome.He'dknowIwanted

moreofhiskisses.

Wasitsowrongtowantakissfromsomeonelikehim?Arealkiss?Notonethatwasforced

oractedout—butakissmadeofpassionandspontaneity?

Inoddedmyhead,swallowingthedrynessinmythroat.
"Thatwas…"Hiseyeslitupwithawe."…thatwasinsane…right?"
"Thewhaleorthis?"Myvoicewasbarelyaboveawhisperasmytreacherouseyeszeroedin

onhismouth.

Lincleanedin,pushingmyhairoutofmyface."Both,butfortherecord,Iforgotallaboutthe

whaletheminuteIheardyourvoice."

Ismiledatthat.
"Isithard?"Heeyedmegently,almostlikeIwasapieceofchinaabouttoteeteroffatable

andshatterintoamillionpieces.

I'd thought it would be nice to be on that side of his looks, but something in me felt

disappointed;maybeitwasbecausehewaslookingatmeinreverenceasaresultofmytalking,not
becauseofme.

Thenagain,I'vealwaysbeenhardonmyself.
Ishrugged.
"Nope."Hegrinned."Notgonnaletyoudefault.Atleastsay'Idon'tknow.'"
Ilickedmylips."No."
"Okay,thatworks,"hesaidwithatenderchuckle."Hasthiseverhappenedbefore?Youknow,

where a dead-sexy actor, afraid of whales inspires you so much that a miracle occurs, and you say
yourfirstwordsin—"Hetiltedhisheadinquestion.

Irolledmyeyes,eventhoughIwassonervousIfeltlikeIwasgoingtopuke.Textingwasone

thing,talkingtohimwas…well,difficultwouldbeanunderstatement.

"Eight months." Saying it out loud made it seem so much worse than I'd originally thought.

Almost as if I was finally admitting that there was this huge elephant blocking my way out of the
room. My hands went to my throat. Lincoln was still staring at me in shock, so I immediately went
intosarcastic,defensivemode."And,fortherecord,itwasprobablybroughtonbythewhale…don't
gotweetingthatyou'remagicoranything.That'snotwhattheworldneeds,Linc."

Hisjawwentslack.

I frowned and shoved my hand into my jeans. Crap, I hoped I hadn't just taken it too far. I'd

seriouslyturnedintoareallysarcasticpersonsinceIstoppedtalking,maybebecauseIwasmyonly
sourceofentertainment."What?"

"Holyshit,you'vebeentalkingforthreeminutes,andyou'vealreadyinsultedme."Heheldup

hishandforahighfive.

"I'mnot hitting that.Imagine the placesit's been," I teased,this time mywords flowing a bit

easier.

"Sameplaceasyou,sweetheart.Awhale'smouth."Heshivered.
"I'msurethat'snottheworstplace."Ipattedhimontheshoulder.
"Ha!"Hegaveadrylaughandrolledhiseyes."Jealous?"
"Immensely."
"Ididn'texpectyoutobefunny."
"AndIdidn'texpectyoutobeafraidoffish,yethereweare."
"Mammals,"hecorrected,eyesnarrowing."They'remammals."
"LookatyougettingalldefensiveofZoe.ShouldIgoletherknowyouwantanotherround?"

IturnedonmyheelbutwaspulledbackbymyT-shirt.

"Zoe'ssleeping."
"Yousure?"
"Yeah,shecommunicatestelepathicallyandmadesureIgotthemessagebeforealmosteating

me."

"Thatwasniceofher."
"Whalesaregivers."Linc'sgazedroppedtomylips.
Myeyesdartedtohis.
Whatwashappeningrightnow?
"Seventeen,"hewhispered.Ialmostdidn'tcatchit.
"Whatwasthat?"
"Clean." His eyes traveled the length of my body from my feet to my head. "We should

probably…shower."

"Right."
"Separately."
"Becauseyounormallyshowerwiththehelp?"
"Haha."Hechokedoutastrangledlaugh."Shouldwego?"
Lincolnwalkedaroundmeandheldopenthedoor.Theminutewesteppedoutside,awoman

and three kids barreled into me, sending me sideways into Linc. His strong hands gripped my
shoulders.

"Sorry!"Thehaggardmomblewherbangsoutofherfaceasallthreeofherkidsranintothe

penguinexhibit."Theygetkindacrazyoverpenguins."

"Iknowthefeeling,"Lincolnwhispered,hislipsgrazingmyear.
Idon'tknowhowlongIstayedstaringatthedoor,orhowlongLincolnheldmelikethat,but

our little moment, or whatever it was, was interrupted by more screaming, only this time it was
directedLincoln.

"LincolnGreene!"apre-teensquealed.
Hisfingersdugintomyskinasheusedmeforahumanshield.Classy.
"Think we can run?" he asked, already backing away, with me still blocking the way of the

girlsastheygroupedtogetherandstartedpoundingthepavementtowardus.

I didn't have time to respond as we were flooded with screams and laughter. Cell phones

pointed into the air snapping pictures of us. They asked for his autograph and then, once the

excitementdieddown,glaredinmydirection.

"Whoareyou?"Onegirl,wholookedaboutten,putherhandsonherhipsandglared.
Iwantedtosay,"Nobody."
Iopenedmymouthand…nothing.
Deflated,IjustshookmyheadandgaveLincapleadinglook.
"She'smyassistantforthesummer."
Dismissed.
Likewehadn'tjustsharedafewmoments.
WhydidIkeepdoingthattomyself?Ohright,becauseIlovedtorture.Inoddedemphatically

andquietlysteppedawaysohecouldfinishsigningautographs.

Therainwascomingdowninsheetsbythetimehewasdone.I'dbeenhidingunderneathan

alcovewhilemudandwatersplatteredmytennisshoes.

Ihadtogiveittohim.Hedidn'toncecomplain,justkepttakingpictureseventhoughhisshirt

was clinging to his abs like a second skin, and his skinny jeans left absolutely nothing to the
imagination.

Itwasborderingonindecent.
Even the moms were stopping now and taking pictures. I inclined my head to the side as

Lincolnletoutaloudlaughandsignedagirl'sshirt.

Mybreathhitched.Hehadagorgeouslaugh.Wasthereanythinguglyabouttheman?
Eventhewayhewalkedwascaptivating.
Andhewascurrentlywalkingtowardme.
ItwasoneofthosemomentsIprayedIlookedcoolandnonchalant,leaningagainstthetrash

cansthatsmelledlikeoldhotdogsandwetdoghair.

"Sorry."Heranhisfingersthroughhiswavyhair,slickingitback,thenshooksomedroplets

out.Iimagineditwouldn'tbeastretchtoseegirlstryingtolickthewateroutoftheair.

Inodded.
"What?Nowordsofsarcasm?"
Smiling,Iopenedmymouthtosaysomethingjustashiscellwentoff.
"She's fine, Jay. I'm fine. Everyone's fine," he sang, winking in my direction. "Oh." His face

went from easy going to tense as his eyes darted back and forth between me and some imaginary
objectinfrontofhim."No,problem.We'llfigureitout."

Heendedthecallandgavemealong,heatedstare.
"Jay?"Ioffered.
"Youshouldhavebeenadetectiveinanotherlife."Hewrappedanarmaroundmeandledus

towardtheexit.

"Yeah,myhearinghisnamehadnothingtodowithknowingwhowasontheotherendofthe

line. I just calculated the minutes we'd been gone and divided that by the distance traveled — and
boom—JamieJaymeson,callingtocheckinatexactlythreeintheafternoon."

"You'rekindofasmartass."Lincnoddedhisheadinapproval."Ilikeit.Nowonderyouand

Demetriarebestfriends."

"Toldyouitwasn'tjusttheSourPatchKids."
"Thatyoudid."Hesentaquicktext,Iimaginedtoourdriver,andthenfacedme."SoJaywants

ustostaythenight."

"Athishouse?"Iasked,confused.Imean,Ilivedthere.WhywouldIneedaninvitationfrom

myownfamily?

"No."Linclickedhislips.
Itrieddesperatelynottofollowwithmyhungrygaze."HereinNewport.Apparently,ahuge

storm'scomingin,andyoursister'sfreakedaboutusdriving.Flashfloodwarningshavealreadybeen
issued,andbecauseofthewhole…"Hegulped,lookingaway.

"Becauseofmyparents'accident,youmean?"
Linc's eyes flashed with regret. "Yeah, she just… didn't want you to have a relapse like last

time."

Mycheeksburnedwithembarrassment."Lasttime."
"Youdon'thavetotellme."
"What'stheretotell?"Ilookeddownatmymuddyshoes."Therewasastorm,wedroveinit,I

wassofreakedoutweweregoingtogetintoacaraccidentthatIhyperventilated,nearlypassedout,
thenstartedscreaminghystericallywhenanothercar'sheadlightsflashedusbecauseourhighbeams
were on." I let out a long exhale, counting to five before continuing. "It was shortly after I stopped
talking,sosomehowshethinksthewholecarnearlyhittingmethenusbeinginthatthunderstormjust
compoundedthewholemutething."

Lincgrabbedmyhand."You'renotmute."
"Not with you. But ask me to talk to the milkman, I'd probably shriek and run in the other

direction."

Linc winked. "Probably because they don't exist anymore, and seeing one out in the wild

wouldbelikeawhalewalkingonland."

"Ithappensyouknow,whalewalking,"Iteased.
"Right up there with milk delivery and VHS tapes making a comeback." Linc nodded. "But

thanksforthevisualthat'sgoingtopermeatemydreamstonight."

Igiggledasthelimopulleduptothefrontentrance.
"So,wherearewestaying?Inthelimo?"
Lincburstoutlaughing."Hellno.DoIlooklikethetypeofguywhowouldsleepinacar?"
Ieyedhiswetshirtandshaggyhairthenmethisgazeandgavehimatentativeshrug.
"SoIlooklikeshit.Messagereceived.Let'sgofreshenup,thenit'stimeforcrabs."
Igasped."I'mnotthatkindofgirl."
Linc'scheeksreddenedinstantly."AreyouimplyingIhavecrabs?"
"Hey,yousaidit,notme."Thetalkingwasgettingsomucheasier.
"IthinkIlikedyoubettermute."
Ididn'ttakeoffensetothat.Iknewhewaskidding,andithelpedthatwhenhesaidit,hedidn't

takehiseyesoffmymouth.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Lincoln

ER VOICE WAS REALLY PRETTY.

wasn't what I'd expected. When I'd overheard her talking on the street in

frontofmyapartment,ithadbeenmuffled,distorted.InallthetimesI'dimaginedhertalkingsince
then, her voice had always sounded low in my head. I don't know why, maybe because Pris's voice
waslowandabitthroaty?

ButDani's?Itwaslyrical.
Icouldlistentohertalkallday.
Iwasprobablygettingpneumoniafrombeingoutintherain—theonlyexplanationwhyIwas

staringathermouthlikeIwantedtoactuallytastethewordsasshespokethemacrossmylips.

Allthewrongpartsofmetwitchedwithexcitement.
Oneingeneralthatwasmakingthings…hard,notdifficult,hard…
Shit.
"I'veneverstayedovernightinDepotBay,"sheoffered,glancingoutthewindowasshetied

herhairbackintoalowbun.Hervintageshirtrosejustaboveherhips,givingmeaglimpseofher
tanskin.IbarelyheldinmywhimperasItriedtoadjustthewayIwassittingwithouthercatchingon.

"Meeither."ThatwasallIhadtoofferher.Twowordsandthedistinctimpressionthat,while

she was turning into quite the conversationalist, I was suddenly without the ability to string full
sentencestogetherthatdidn'tincludewordslikelick,bite,nip.

"Linc?"
Ijumped.WhenhadshestartedcallingmeLinc?Ilovedit.
Hell, every physical part of me responded to my name coming from her lips as if I'd never

heardawomansaymynamebefore.

"What'sup?"Myhoarsevoicewasadeadgiveaway.Iprayedshewasinnocentenoughtothink

nothingofitandjustassumeIwascatchingsomesortofdiseasethatwouldrendermyvoiceuseless.
Damn,wherewasagoodheadcoldwhenIneededit?AtleastI'dhavetostayawayfromher—away
fromtemptation.

"Areyouokay?"Herlittlebow-shapedlipspressedtogether,givingmethedistinctimpression

shewastryingnottosaymore.Damn,Iwouldsellmysoultolickthoselips.

Mutewassafe.
Mute meant I didn't really know her personality or at least only knew what she felt like

showingmethroughtextandbodylanguage.

Nowthatshehadwords?Awholedifferentlineofcommunicationopened,andwiththat,the

freakingfloodgatesburstopenandnowIwasscrewed.So.Very.Screwed.

The limo pulled to a stop in front of the condo that I'd been forced to rent last minute. It

overlookedthetinytownofDepotBay.AddintheviewofthePacificOceanasitcrashedagainstthe
rock bridge in downtown, and it was idyllic, romantic, probably not the best choice I could have
made, but it was private, and after today, being recognized in public was the last thing I needed or
wanted.

"I'm great," I answered about five minutes later, as if I was a slow learner and had just

comprehendedthewordsshe'dspoken.Thingsweregoingdownhillfast,andIhadtospendthenight
withher.

Crap.Bad,badwordchoice.Mybodytingledalloverwithanticipation.Down,boy.
And no matter how many times I looked at her and thought about her age, it's like it didn't

registeronanylevel.

AllIsawwereherlips.
Andthatdamnmouthasitmoved,formingwords,captivatingeverypartofmeandmaking

meyearntohearmore.

Whywasn't she makinga bigger dealof this? Hell, whywasn't I callingJay and telling him

thatwhateverhadbeenherissue,shewasbasicallyhealed?

"Sir."OurdriveropenedourdoorandhelpedDanioutandthenme."Thekeywasleftunder

themat,andtheentirekitchenhasbeenstockedtoyourspecifications.I'llpickyouupatsevena.m.
andtakeyoudirectlytoset."

"Great."Ishookhishand."Thankyou."
Hegaveabriefnodandturnedaway.
Danistaredwide-eyedatthetwo-storybuilding;hercheeksflushedasagustofwindandrain

hithersmallbody."Youhaveanicecreamparlordownstairs."

"Don't forget the store of knickknacks." I pointed to the left where a small store sat nestled

betweenanicecream/coffeeshop.

"Iloveit."Eyesbright,sheplacedherhandsonherhips."Itseemssosecluded."
Isnorted."That'sbecauseitis."Inoddedtowardthestairwayleadinguptothecondo."Now

let'sgetinsidebeforeyoufreezetodeath,andJaychargesmewithmurder."

"He'snotthatdramatic."
"Right,heyelledatmeforeatingsushiinfrontofhispregnantwifebecausethat'snormal.Did

Iforgettomentionheslappedmyplateoutofmyhand?"

Dani reached for the railing and laughed. "Yeah well, he tends to get a bit carried away

sometimes."

Ifollowedtheswayofherhips,theonesIshouldn'thaveevenbeenlookingat,asshemade

herwayupthestairs.

"I'mjustthankfulhedidn'tknowmeinhighschool.Hewouldhaveprobablytriedmurdering

myfirstboyfriend."

"Elliot,"Ispat.Bastardneededtogetinline."Whatever.He'sakid."
"I'makid…"Daniturnedaroundandglared."…oratleastthat'swhatyoukeepreferringto

meas.It'seitherkidorassistantor—andthisismyfavorite—"Sheloweredhervoiceanddrewher
eyebrowstogether."Seventeen."

Iactuallyfeltmyfaceredden.
WhenhadIeverbeenembarrassed?
Andbyateen?
"Well," I sputtered, "you're…" My hands did a weird flailing thing in front of my body. "…

young."Ichokedoutthelastpartasmyeyeszeroedinonherperkybreasts.Great,justgivemeavan
andletmeparkitoutsidethelocalhighschool.Ipinchedthebridgeofmynoseandletoutapitiful
groan.

"It'sfine."Danismiledwarmly."I'moverit.Promise."Hergrinwastight.Ihighlydoubtedshe

wasovermeinsultingher,butIdidn'twanttopushthings,because,inmycurrentstate,I'dprobably
blurtoutthatIwasattractedtoherandendupinprison.

Iwasbeingdramatic.
Thenagain,Iwasanactor…so…
Iquicklysnatchedthekeyfromunderthematandjammeditintothelock,pushingthedoor

openonceitclicked.

The condo had floor-to-ceiling windows facing the ocean and a gourmet kitchen with white

graniteandwhitewoodedcabinets.Thefloorwasadarkoakstain,andeverypieceoffurniturewasa
nauticaltheme,rightdowntotheblueclothcouchdecoratedwithcoralpillows.

"Hungry?" I tossed the key onto the counter and shook the rain out of my hair. "I can whip

somethingup."

"Canyou?"Danilaughed."Itcooks?"
"Ha."Inodded."Nice.AmItheit?"
Shemadeafaceandpointedatmymassofhair."Well,youlookabithaggard.Maybeshower,

andI'llstartcooking."

"Ah,soshecooks?"Igrinned."SeewhatIdidthere?Shebecauseyou'reagirl?"
"Seventeen."Shewinked."Don'tforgetthatveryimportantpartofthescenario,notthatIthink

you'reindangerofit,consideringyourepeatittoyourselfwhenyouthinkI'mnotlistening."

"Question." I braced my hands against the granite and leaned forward. The smell of rain

floatedthroughtheroom."Haveyoualwaysbeenthissnarky?"

"Always."Herblondeheadbobbed.
Ifoughttokeepmygrinsmall,soastonotscareherintothinkingIwasgoingtoattackheror

turnintotheJoker,because,Icouldn'tstopsmilinginherpresence.Shejustseemedso…alive.And
indaysprevious,itwasasifdeathwasabetterdescriptionofthewayshecarriedherself."Isitgetting
easier?"Iaskedsoftlywhileshechewedonherthumbnail,likeateenager.Atleastshewasreminding
meofone,thewayshewasfocusedinongnawingthethingoffandignoringme.

"What?"Shedroppedherhandandstaredmedown,herblueeyespenetratingminewithsuch

clarityIavertedmygaze.

"Thetalking."Ilickedmylipsandstoleaglanceathermouth.
"OnlywhenyoustareatmymouthlikeIhavesomethingonit."
Damn,Iwishshedidhavesomethingonit—me."Sorry."
"It'sokay,"shesaidinaquietervoice."Socleanupandthencrabs?"
"Isthisyourwayofgettingmetochangethesubject?"
She pushed away from the counter and breezed past me, making her way toward the fridge.

"Yeah." She poked her head inside. "I figure if I talk about it, then I may freak myself out or jinx
myself.Iknowit'sahugedeal,really.JayandPriswouldfreak,nottomentionDemetri.Iimagine
he'ddedicateasongtomeorsomething,atleastpetabird."

Itwashardtokeepup."Petabird?What?"
She pulled her head back from the fridge and grinned. "It's true he really is that terrified, I

wasn'texaggerating."

"Noted."Icrossedmyarms,staringatherbecauseitseemedsonatural.Talking,beinginthe

kitchen,makingdinner.

I could get used to that. God knew I needed normal in my life after having such a demented

childhoodandnotbeingabletostayinoneplaceforanylengthoftime.

Iwantedtotakeherout.
Butnotinmytruck.
ImadeamentalnotetohavemycarbroughtupfromMalibu.
"Itisabigdeal,Dani,"Iwhispered.
Herhandgrippedthefrontofthefridge,tightenoughforherfingerstoturnwhite.Hanging

herhead,sheslowlyclosedthedoorandleanedagainstit,lettingoutasoft,"Iknow."

"And being scared…" I took a cautious step toward her. "… it's normal, you know? I mean,

thisisthefirsttimeyou'vespokeninawhileandIcan'timaginewhat'sgoingthroughyourheadright
now."

Sheletoutapainfullaugh."Alot."
Ireachedouttoher,meaningtotouchherarm;Ituggedheragainstmybodyandkissedher

instead."Ignorethefear.Embracethetriumph."

Herbodyrelaxedagainstmine."HowdoIdothat?"
"Easy."Iranmyhandsslowlyupanddownherarms."Youchoosetolookatthemountains

ratherthantryingtoconcentrateonthevalleys.It'seasiertoglancebehindyouandseethepeaks,but
ittakesactualefforttolookdownintothedarknessofwhereyou'vebeen."

"Sageadvice."Danipulledaway,tiltingherheaduptowardmine."Thanks,oldman."
I knew she was teasing, but I had the sudden feeling that she was twisting the knife into me

whileIreachedformywalkerandreadingglasses.Holyshit,wasthishowshefeltwhenIcalledher
young?

Thethoughtstung,andIpulledback."Okay,soI'llstopmakingabigdealoutofyourageif

younevercallmeoldagain."Ipoppedmyknuckles.

"Careful,"sheteased,hereyesglintingwithmischief,"youmaygetarthritis."
Ichokedouta"Ha"andshookmyhead."And,fortherecord,I'mnotold.I'monlyafewyears

olderthanyou."

"I know." She rolled her eyes. "My point exactly. Stop treating me like I'm still in diapers. I

ownathongforcryingoutloud,andI'mprettysureIcankissthecrapoutofyouso…"Shenodded.
"…nomoretalkabouttalkingtonight.Let'sjust…hang."

Hang?Howaboutstrip?Thatsoundedlikeamuchbetteroption.
Thong.Diaper.Kiss.Hell,mybraindidn'tknowwhattofocusonanymore.
"I'lljust…gogetcleanedup."Iturnedonmyheel,nearlyrunningintoawoodbeamIcould

haveswornhadappearedoutofnowhere.Sidesteppingit,Iduckedthroughthebathroomdoorand
slammeditbehindme.ThankGod,itwastheactualbathroomandnotthecloset.

"Focus."Istaredatmyreflectioninthemirror."Seventeen."Yeah,thatnumbernolongerhad

anyeffectonme.Well,damn.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

Dani

E'DFINALLYLEFT.

OTTHAT

Iwantedhimgone,Ijustneededsometimealonetoprocessthefactthat,in

thelasttwohours,I'dsaidmoresentencesthanI'dmanagetoaccomplishinthepastyear.

Deep breaths. That's what my therapist always said. "And when that fails, try counting to ten

whileenvisioningyourselfwalkingalongthebeachandwatchingthewaves."

Sometimesitfeltlikepsychobabblecrap.
But right now? I needed something — anything — to center me. I quickly glanced out the

windowandstartedcountingthewavesasthetiderolledin,myhandclenchingmycellphone.

IfeltguiltythatthefirsttimeI'dtalkedwaswithaHollywoodactorwhowasbasicallypaying

metogethiscoffee,whileIcouldn'tsayonethingaroundmysisterorbrother-in-law,orevenmy
bestfriends.

Mybrainhurtfromtryingtofigureitout.
Wasthisjustaspecialone-timething?OrwasIsuddenlygoingtobecompletelyfine?Wasit

thewhale?Lincoln?Thekissing?

Maybethatwasit.Hewasmylonglostprince,andIwastheprincess.Hiskisswasmagic.Ha.

Onlyinfairytales.Andinthose,themutegirldidn'tstarorwinthehotguy—shewasusuallythe
bestfriendtotheprincessorthemaid.

Myphonebuzzedinmyhand.AtextfromDemetri,becausewhycallwhenhewouldn'tbeable

tohearmyvoice?

"Justdoit,"Iwhisperedtomyself,staringdownatthephone.Somepartofmeneededtotestit

toseeifitwasreal.ButIknewifItriedwithJayorPris,they'djustfreakoutthatIwascalling.That
wasanotherthing.IfIcalled,itmeantIwasbasicallydying.

IfIcalledtwice.
Iwasalreadydead.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed Demetri's number and brought the phone to my ear. It felt

natural.Likeitshould.Itrang,once,twice,threetimes.

"Holy shit, Dani. Are you okay? Just start yelling if you need me to call 911. Or play loud

music. Shit, shit, shit. Clap your hands, you hear me, Dani? Clap one for ass dialing. Clap two for
cops!"

"AndifIclapthreetimes?"Ijoked.
Thephonewentsilent.
"Demetri?"IfrownedandbroughtthephonedowntoseeifI'dgottendisconnected,buthewas

stillontheline."Demetri."

"D-Dani?"
"Ohsorry,shecan'tcometothephonerightnow.CanItakeamessage?"
"Youalwayswereasmartass."HechuckledandthenlaughedsohardIhadtopullthephone

awayfrommyear."Holyshit,you'retalking!I'vemissedthatsexyvoiceofyours."

Irolledmyeyes."Seventeen."
"Pleasetellmethat'snothisnicknameforyou?Damn,Ishouldhavebackedoffwiththewhole

sealsaregoingtoeatyouifyouseduceherthing."

"Wait, what?" Sometimes it was hard to keep up with him. And now that he was talking, not

texting,Ifounditalmostimpossible.

"Linc."Demetrisaidhisnamelikeanexpletive."Ibasicallytoldhimifhetouchedyou,Iwas

goingtothrowhisbodytothestarvingseals,andthey'dkillhim."

"Sealslikefish,nothumans."
"He'sanactor.It'snotlikehe'sthebrightestcrayoninthebox."
"Thisfromtheguywhocriedwhenaseagulllandedonhisheadlastyear."
"HEKNEWMYNAME!"Demetrishouted.
"Heeee…"Idrewouttheword."…wasmakingnormalseagullnoises.Notoncedidheuttera

D."

"Whatever.I'mnotarguingwithyouoverthatseagull.Hefreakingstalksme,youknowthis.

Hehaswhiteonhishead."

Isighed."Allseagullshavewhite…Youknowwhat?Nevermind."
Hewassilentforaminuteandthen,"Dani?"
"Yeah?"Myheartpoundedagainstmychest.
"Don'tgoawayagain,okay?"
Tearswelledinmyeyes,threateningtospillover."I'lltrynotto."
"I won't ask now… but I will ask later… about how this happened, because it matters to me,

and it should matter to you, but the most important thing is you're talking. Want me to tell Jay and
Pris?"

Iwipedthetearsfrommycheeks."I'lltellthem,ifIcan.WhenIgethome."
"Hey,"Demetrisaidsoftly,"noneofthat.You'llbeableto.Ipromise."
My throat clogged with more tears, tightening so much it was painful to breathe. "And if I

can't?"

"Thenwefigureitout.Butatleastnowyouknowonething."
"Oh,yeah?"
Demetrilaughed."Yeah,apparentlyallyouneededwasanice,hotkissfromLincolnGreene

toloosenthoselipsofyours."

"Twokisses."
Silence.
Moresilence.
"Whatthehell?!"hescreamed."Thatbastard!I'llkillhim!"
Lincolnmadehiswayoutofthebathroom.
"Oops,gottago.Loveyou!"
"Hetouchyou?Ifheevenlaysonefing—"
Ihunguponhimandshovedmyphoneinmybackpocket.
"Hey."Lincolnwipedsomeoftheexcesswaterfromhisneckandmovedthetoweldownhis

chiseledabs.

Mouthdry,Ididn'tknowwheretolook.IfImadeeyecontact,itseemedlikeIwastryingtoo

hard not to stare at all of those tightly corded muscles just ripping around his midsection. And if I
stared,thenhe'dknowit.

Isettledonanawkwardflinch,agutturalmoan,andturnedaroundtowatchtherainpoundthe

window."ItwasDemetri."

IknewtheminuteLincolnmadehiswayovertome;itwasn'tjustthesmelloffreshlavender

soaporthefactthathetoweredoverme—itwashim.Hisheat,hismagnetism,hiseverything.

Swallowingmynerves,Iturnedtoglanceathimoutofthecornerofmyeye.Stillshirtless.
Stillsexy.
Iswallowedagulpandmethisamusedgaze."What?"
"Iaskedwhathesaid."
"Oh…"ProbablywhileIwascheckinghimoutforthesecondorthirdtime."…hewasexcited

thenstartedgettingofftopic.YouknowDemetri.OneminuteIcantalkandamiracleoccurs,thenext

he'syellingaboutseagullsandcallingyouabastard."

"Me?"Linc'sgreyeyestwinkled."Whyme?WhatdidIdo?Aren'tIthegreathealerinallof

this?"

Isnorted."Youwish."
"It does make me feel better about my life's accomplishments. Think I can put that on my

resume?"

"Wow, never knew your ego was as big as Jay's." I pushed past him, a smile tickling the

cornersofmymouth.

"AllthingsarebiggerwhereI'mconcerned,"hesaidinalowvoice.
Ignoring him and the goosebumps popping up all over my skin, I motioned toward the

kitchen."Didn'tyousayyouweregoingtocookcrabs?"

"Yup."Hewalkedpastmeandopenedthefridgedoor."Didn'tyouseetheminthebucket?"He

pulledoutabluebucketandsetitonthecounter.Stillshirtless.

Iwasn'tsurewhatIwassupposedtoconcentrateon.Hisabs,thecrabscurrentlyfightingfor

theirlives,orthebuzzingsensationofmylipsastheyrecalledhismouthinpainfuldetail.

"Shouldn'tyouputonashirt?"Iblurted."Don'twantthecrabtoturnintosomesortofnipple

clamp.Itmayruinyournight."Ipulledabarstoolout.

"Or…" Linc dropped the crab and gave me a sultry glance, licking his lips. "… it may just

giveournighttheaddedspiceitneeds."

"We're spicy enough," I said confidently, even though my mind whirled at his implication.

"Youknowwhat?IthinkI'mjustgoingtogo—"

"Oh, sorry." He motioned toward the hall. "I had an extra set of clothes brought in for you

alongwithsomeshoes.Iwasn'tsureonsizesoranything,soiftheydon'tfitthenIapologize.Ican't
vouchforstyleorflairsinceitwasthelimoguygrabbingstuffforus,andshoppinginDepotBayis
slightly…limited."

"Thatwhyyouaren'twearingashirt?"
"Myshirt—"Lincshookhisheadandlaughed."—hasapictureofagiantwhaleonit."
Ijoinedinlaughter."Whataretheodds?"
"Right?"Heputhishandsonhiships.
MyeyeszeroedinontheVofhisabs.
"I'dstealyours,butIimaginedsportingasealT-shirtthatwasfivesizestoosmallmightget

peopletalking,andthelastthingIneedisarumorthatIdressintightwomen'sclothinginorderto
getmyrocksoff."

Please.TheT-shirtwouldprobablygooutofstockwithinminutesifhepostedsomethinglike

that.Ipointedathisabs."Prettysurethat'sthelastthinganyonewouldaccuseyouof."

Heflexed."Thinkso?"
"Right.AndI'mtheimmatureone."
"Hey,Ineversaidimmature.Isaidseventeen."
"I can count. And your crab—" I pointed at the counter behind him. "—is trying to make a

quickgetaway.I'llgofreshenupwhileyouwowmewithyourculinaryskills."

"Shit." Lincoln reached for the crab just as it was trying to find its way off the counter and

ontothefloor.

Laughing,Iwalkedintothebathroomandshutthedoor.
Only then did I allow myself to actually process what was happening. I was alone. In a

romanticsettingwithLincolnGreene.Andhewasshirtless.

AndIwas…
Isighed.

…stillseventeen.
Stilldamaged,too,atleastinmymind.
Andstillstupidforbeinghopefulthathewouldlookatmeandseeanythingbutage,andthe

fact that I was still struggling to get over my parents' death. Still going through the stages of grief.
Andstilltryingtofigureoutmyplaceintheworldamongthestars,wheneverydayIfeltmoreand
morelikemyownstarhadstoppedshining.

Maybethiswasthebeginningofsomething.Thetalking?Maybe,hewasjustwhatIneededto

finally start walking back on the path I was always meant to be on, which didn't help things. If
anything, it made me more nervous. I only hoped it wasn't Lincoln who held the key, because my
chanceswithsomeonelikehim?Theywerelaughable.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

Lincoln

'MIMPRESSED."

ANICLEAREDTHELAST

dishandloadeditintothedishwasherthengrabbedaragandstarted

wipingdownthebararea."Youcanactuallycook."

"One of my many talents." I tipped back the last remnants of my Corona and winced at the

memoryofhowourdinnerhadstarted…

"You know, you can drink beer if you want to." Dani grabbed a Pepsi and pointed at the six-

packthatI'drequestedbeforeI'dactuallythoughtaboutit.

"Nah."Iwavedheroff.
Sherolledhereyes,grabbedabeer,andtosseditinmydirection."I'mseventeen,notasaint.

It'snotlikeI'veneverwitnessedsomeonedrink."

Thebeerwasfreezing.Ipoppedthecapandtookalongsip."Does,uh,thatmeanyou'vebeen

tolotsofpartieswhereyougetcompletelydrunkandneedyoursistertodriveyouhome?"

Dani reached for her long, golden-blonde hair then pulled it back into a tight, low ponytail.

"Well,backintheday,youknow,whenIwassixteenandstilldrinkingmilkatnightandblendingmy
foodsoIdidn'tchoke…"

Irolledmyeyes."Veryfunny."
"Yes.Ihadonedrunkenepisodethatwillnever,andImeanNEVERberepeated."Sheshifted

uncomfortablyonherfeet.

"Whatdidyoudo?Getarrested?"
"Nope."Shelungedforherseatandstartedpilingfoodontoherplate.
"Stripthengoskinnydipping?"
"No." A smile appeared as she grabbed a crab leg and wiped her hands on the paper napkin

thenglancedupatmefromherdarklashes."Areyoudonenow?"

"Onemore."Iliftedthebeerbottleintotheair."You…streakedacrossthebeach."
Sheblushedbrightred."Yes."
Beerspewedoutofmymouth,barelymissingherbyaninchasIstartedcoughingwildlyand

poundingmychest.Maybeitwasthelookofpureinnocenceonherfaceorthesimplefactthatshe'd
admittedtobeingnaked,andmybrainhadnoproblemwhatsoevercomingupwithvividimagesthat
wouldmostlikelygetmeanice,fancyseatinprison.

"Nice."Shewipedhercheekwithhernapkinandglared."And,fortherecord,it'snotlikeitwas

myidea."

"Whoseideawasit?"DearGod,letithavebeenagirl.
"Elliot."
Bastardseriouslyhadadeathwish.
"Ohyeah?"Icroakedout,chuggingmorebeerasIimaginedmyfistconnectingwithhisnose.I

smiled as the visual of him crying then pissing his pants floated around my head like a happy
daydream.

Danileanedbackinherchair,juttingherlowerlipout."Well,wewerebothdrinkingwaytoo

much,andhethoughtitwouldbefunny.Apparently,Ithoughtitwouldbehilarious…Itdoesn'tmatter.
I'mnotthatgirlanymore.Idon'tevenknowifIwasthatgirlthen.Ijust…"Sheshrugged."…guessI
wanted to be noticed. I was stuck in high school, stuck with this need to be something important. I
knowyoukeepsayingI'mseventeen,butsometimes,IfeellikeI'meighty."

Theroomwentdeathlyquiet.
"Well…"Ireachedoverandgrabbedherhand."…IthinkIspeakformeneverywherewhenI

say I'm glad you aren't really eighty. Can you imagine what that would look like on camera? You
bouncingaroundonthebeach?"

Daniburstoutlaughing,herblueeyescrinklingatthesides,makingmewishagainthingswere

differentbetween us. "Hey,don't hate. Thelast 5k I ranhad an eighty-year-oldwoman who beat my
ass."

"Really?"Igrabbedawarmroll."Youstillrun?"
Thepieceofcrabmetherlips,butthenshesetitdownandshruggedasifshe'dsuddenlylost

herappetite."Notsomuchanymore."

"Maybeyoushould."
"Rightnow."Danigrabbedthediscardedpieceofcrab,"Myonlygoalistofinishwhat'sonmy

plate.Smallvictoriesandallthat."

"Eatingisavictory?"
"Forme?"Shegulped."Youhavenoidea."

"Thanks." I jolted the conversation from my head, trying to clear the cobwebs, but all it did

wasmakememorecurious.

Thethunderoverheadthreatenedtotaketheroofoffthecondoasaflashoflightninglitupthe

entireroom.

Andthenwithanotherloudthud.
Wewereblanketedincompletedarkness.
"Linc!"Dani'svoicewaspanickedasIfelthandsreachoutandsettleonmychest.
"Here."Ipulledheragainstmynakedchest.Herhotbreathfannedacrossmyskin."I'mright

here."

"Ihatestorms."Herlipscaressedmeasthewordspouredoutofhermouth.
"I know." I kissed her head. I shouldn't have, but I did anyway. "It will be fine, I promise. I

doubttheyhaveanyflashlightsinhere,sowhydon'twegointothebedroomandsitbythesliding
glassdoor?Atleastthelightningflasheswillhelpusseeoneanother,andIhighlydoubtyouwantto
gotosleepyet."

"Sowhat?We'lljuststareateachother?"shemumbledacrossmychest.
"Yeah?Toosoon?"
Herlaughwarmedmefromtheinsideout."Toocreepy."
"Damn, and here I thought I was being so seductive. Oh, well. We can always trade Demetri

stories. It's the same as a ghost story, only the ending always includes something bad happening to
him."

"Youreallydoknowhimwell."Danipulledbackthenreachedformyhand,thoughittookher

afewfalsefindswithmyabstofinallylocateit.Luckily,shehadn'treachedlower,orshewouldhave
beeninforasurprise.

Isqueezedherfingertips."Letmeleadthewaysoyoudon'tendupwithablackeye.That'sthe

lastthingeitherofusneeds.JaythinkingIroughedyouupinthewhaletank."

"Right,becausethatwouldbehisfirstthought."
"It'sJay.Hisfirstthoughtisalwaysthewrongthought.Heassumeswaytoomuch."
Danitensednexttome.
Shit.I'dsaidthewrongthingagain.
Butfixingitmeantadmittingsomethingthatwouldgetusbothintrouble,soIleftit,andIhad

towonder…WouldmyrelationshipwithDanibeoneinwhichtherewassomuchleftunsaid,thatat
the end of my life, I'd always look back and wonder how the outcome would have differed had I
actuallysaidwhatI'dmeant,ratherthanletherassumewhatIdidn't?

Wewalkedinsilencedownthehall.Ifeltmywayintothemasterbedroom.Luckily,I'dleftthe

curtainsopensothat,whenthestormstopped,we'datleasthavethemoonlightonourside.Alarge,
blueleatherreclinerwaspositionedinfrontoftheglassdoor.Angrypeltsofrainattackedtheglass,
causingarhythmoffurytobuildupwithintheroom.

Danitensedbesideme.
"Comeon."Ituggedhertothechair,sat,andthenpulledherontomylap.NotthebestideaI've

ever had, but she was scared, and if I couldn't at least comfort her without seducing her, then I
deservedwhateverhellwascomingforme.

She squirmed a bit. I winced and bit my cheek to keep from doing something stupid, like

goinginforathirdkissorjustlettingoutapitifulmoan.Finally,shesettledbackagainstme,herlegs
lyingacrossmylapandoverthesideofthechair,whileherbodysatcomfortablyagainstmine.

Thethunderrolled.
"Andthelightningstrikes…"Isaidinacountrytwang."Anotherlovegrowscold—"
"On a sleepless night." She joined in with her smooth voice. "Are you really singing Garth

Brooksrightnow?"

Ichuckled."Itseemedtofitthemood."
"Asongaboutadulteryfitsthemood?"
"Iwasfocusingmoreonthethunderpart…andjustincaseyouwerewondering,Idon'thave

somehiddenfamilysomewhereelsethatI'mcheatingonbybeingwithyou."Ichuckled.

She laughed softly. Her fingers brushed the front of my bare chest, dancing in a rhythm I

wasn'tsureshewasawareshewasevenmaking."WhataboutJo-Jo?"

"Thepotatoes?"
"Thegirl."
"Ah."Herfingerskeptticklingmychest.Damnitfelt…toogood."She,uh…"FocusLincoln.

"…she'sgone.Herpublicistthoughtbeingseenwithmewouldhelpher,sincehernewestmovieis
abouttodrop,andaccordingtoher,I'mHollywood'snewestpieceofhotass."

"Wow."Icouldfeelherbreathasherhairtickledmyneck."Youokaywiththattitle?"
"Well,Idohaveaniceass."
"Attheriskofplacatingyourego…yes,youdo."
"Jayknowyou'vebeenlookingatmyass?"
"Well,you'realiveso…I'mgoingtosayno."Danishiftedabit.
I clenched my jaw while she sank further into my body, her heavy sighs doing really bad

thingstomyself-control.

I'dneverhadtoexertanysortofcontrolovermybaserinstincts.IfIwantedsomething,Itook

it.Maybethatmademeanass,butIwasaguy,andifagirlthrewherselfatme,itwasn'tlikeIwas
goingtospoutsomebullshitaboutnotrespectingherinthemorning.

ButwithDani,everyounceofenergyIpossessedwasgoingtowardnotlisteningtomybody,

and trying desperately to listen to logic and sound reason, something that clearly I'd been out of
practicewith.

The rain lightened slightly, enough that the angry white-capped waves were visible as they

crashedagainsttherocksinfrontofus.

"Ilikeithere,"Danifinallysaid.
"OnmylaporDepotBay?You'regoingtohavetobemorespecific."AndthenIsaidshitlike

thatandjustmadeitworse.

Shecouldhavecuppedmyfacewithherhands;wewerefamiliarenoughwithoneanotherfor

her to take any sort of lead in the relationship, and I'd follow. Instead, she crossed her arms and
shrugged."Both,Ithink."

Pridepricked.Inarrowedmyeyes."Soyou'retellingmethatbetweenbeach—whatwithall

itswhaleness—andmylap,it'salmostatie."

"Hey,you'retheonewhodoesn'tlikewhales."
Baffled, I stared at her. Maybe too long for comfort, but I was a bit… taken aback. She was

sittingwithme,alone,withoutelectricity,andshewasn'thittingonme.

Iwastheonetryingtokeepmyselffrompouncingonher,butshelookedjust…fine.Asifmy

presencedidabsolutelynothingtoher,whenIdamnwellknewmykisshadaffectedherjustasmuch
ashershadaffectedme.So,whythehellwasn'tshetheonedyingaslow,painful,arousingdeath?

"Tellmesomething."Iclearedmythroatandlookedawayfromher.Ihadto."Ifthingswere

different.Ifyourparentshadn'tdied…"

Shesuckedinabreath.
"Ifyouwere…happier.Whatwouldyoubedoingrightnow?"
"That'skindofpersonal,"shewhispered.
"I'mapersonalguy."
Danipressedherlipstogether,hereyesnarrowing."Honestly,I'dstillneedasummerjob,so

I'dprobablybeinthesameplaceIamnow.OnlyIwouldhavebeggedJayforthechancetobeyour
assistantratherthanbeingforcedintoit."

Ouch."Youweren'tforced."
"Um, yeah I was." She laughed softly. "My choices were either work for you or get sent to

boardingschool.Okay,maybenotboardingschool,butthelastthingIwanttodoishurtJayormy
sister,soIsaidyes."

Great.SoIwaswiththeonegirlintheentireuniversewhodidn'tactuallywanttobearound

me?Howunluckycouldaguyget?Andshewasunderage?Goodone.

"AmIsobad?"Iasked,voicehoarse.
"According to the tabloids, you're squeaky clean… no drugs, no partying, no late-night

orgies."

"Oh well." I exhaled. "Sorry to disappoint, but I had the best orgy a few weeks ago, drugs

everywhere,alcohol…"

Daniburstoutlaughing."Oh,I'msure."
"Fine. I'm tame. And boring. I like reading. And the last time I went to a party, I left early

becauseOutlanderwason."

"Ilikethat."Hervoicewasquietasshestartedrunningherhandsupanddownmychestagain.

Ithoughtitwasmindless,liketappingherfootorbitingherlip,butitmademecrazy."Itmakesyou
seemmore…normal."

"Iamnormal."
"Hollywood heartthrobs aren't normal, sorry to break it to you. You forget that I'm best

friends with AD2. Do you even know how many times they get bras thrown at their face? Or the
amount of fan mail Jay gets in one day? It's not normal. Normal is eating a hamburger without
someonetakingyourpictureandpostingitontheInternet.Trustme,I'mbrokenenoughtoknowwhat
normallookslike."

"Areyousayingyou'rejustlikeme?Notnormal?"
Herbreathhitched."Iguessso.OnlyI'mafreakinanentirelydifferentway.TheonlytimeI

speakaftermonthsofbeingmuteisinfrontofsomeoneIshouldbeintimidatedby,nottomentiona
large,ten-tonwhale."

"Justtoclarify,youmeantIwasintimidating,notthewhale,right?"
Danididn'tlaugh.
"Ilikeyourbrandofweird,Dani.Normal'sboring."

"Weird."Shehuffed."Ican'ttalk.Myex-boyfriendandbestfriendcalledmefrigidbeforewe

justendedthings,andthelasttimehekissedmeheaskedifIwasaclosetlesbian.Idiot,asiflesbians
can'tkiss,orwhat?"

"Frigid?"Iwashungupontheword."Whythehellwouldhesaythat?I'vekissedyou.Ishould

knowthesethings.Thelastwordonmymindisfrigid.Infact,IwishedIthoughtthataboutyou,then
itwouldmakepullingawayfromthekissahellofaloteasier."

Oh,shit!Saidthatoutloud.
Danifroze.
"Youhavetroublepullingaway?"
I didn't want to live my life in those moments of things I should have said. So, I decided to

screw us over and admit the obvious. "Regardless of whether it's the second, third, or fourth time,
kissingyou,evenifit'sduringascene,andI'macting.Italwaysfeelslikethemostrealthinginmy
existence."

Herbreathingturnedheavy."Thatwouldbeagreatmovieline."
"Yeah,well,"Icroaked,"it'swhytheypaymesomuchmoney.Mydeliveryis…"
Ididn'tfinish.
BecauseDanihadunlockedherarmsandwastouchingmyface.Herfingerstrailedovermy

mouth.

"Dani,"Ihissedbetweenmyteeth.Herinnocenttouchwasalmostpainful."Youcan't."
"Can'twhat?"
"Lookatmelikethatandexpectmetobeyourbossorevenyourfriend.Youcan'tdothatto

me."

"Why?"Herheavilyliddedeyesscreamedseductionasshelickedherlowerlip.
Iletoutabittercurseandtriedtolookaway.
Ifailed.
Instead,mymouthmethers.
And I instantly forgot all the reasons I'd been pushing her away, and for the first time since

meetingher,IdidexactlywhatI'dalwayswantedtodo.

Iclaimedher.
AndhadtowonderifitwasthelastselfishthingI'ddo,beforetheguysburiedmybodyinthe

ocean.

CHAPTERTWENTY

Dani

EWASKISSINGME.

Andhewasn'tacting.
Therewerenowhales.
JustmeandLincolnandthebuzzingsensationofhismouthasitexploredmine.Myresponse

shouldhavebeendifferent.

Pullingawaywouldhavebeenwise.
Laughingitoff,probablywiser.
ButIkissedhimback.
BecauseLincolnGreenedidn'tlookatmelikeapuzzlethatneededtobesolvedinorderfor

ustobefriends.Hedidn'ttrytofixthepieces.Hesimplyacceptedthemforwhattheywere.Screwed
up.

Itwasasifhesawthefear,hurt,anger—theugly—andacceptedmeanyway.
Hiskissdeepenedashereachedaroundmybody;hishandstuggedthesealshirtoff.Coldair

bitmybackasitmadeitswaytothefloor.

Smoothlipsslidpastthecornerofmymouthwhenhishandsfoundmywaistandliftedme.

Ourmouthsbrokecontact,andIgraspedhisbicepswithmyhands,steadyingmyselfasheliftedme
intotheairandcarriedmetothebed.

Thesoftdowncomforterkissedmybackasheloweredmeontothebedthenstoodoverme,

hischestheavingwithexertion,hisgazepensive,asifhewaswagingawarwithinhimself.

Wildgreyeyesstaredmedownasheslowlystartedstripping.Icouldn'thelpmyswiftintake

of breath when he stepped out of his jeans. I gulped, and suddenly I did feel young, so young, too
youngtobewithsomeonesobeautiful,somature,soexperienced.

Thiswasn'tthequarterbackofthefootballteam.
Thiswasaman—allman.
He leaned over me, placing his hands on either side of me. The mattress dipped under his

weight, as his mouth met mine in another deep kiss that left me dizzy. Sensations I'd never
experiencedbeforepulsedthroughmybody.IfeltLincolneverywhere—eveninmytoes.

"You're beautiful." His mouth left mine, and his cheek rubbed down my neck as his lips

continuedtheirexploration.Hisskinwasroughfromneedingtoshave,sendingchillsdownmybody
witheverybrushofhischeek,everycaressofhistongue.Isqueezedmyeyesshutandclenchedthe
comforterwithmyfingers.

Andthen,Icouldn'thelpitanymore.
Iwantedtotouchhim.
My hands reached out, needing to grab onto him, wanting to explore him like he was

exploringme.Theminutemyfingersgrazedhischest,thenwrappedaroundhisneck,Iknewthere
wasnogoingback.Mybodywasonfireforhim.

Andunlesstherewasanactualfire.
Andwehadtoevacuatethebuilding.
Iwasstaying.
"You taste so good…" His lips fused with mine as his tongue reached past my lips, coming

intocontactwithmine.Thekisswasliquidsmooth."I'venevertastedanythinglikeyou…"Helifted
meagain,thistimehigheronthebed.

Hebrokeourkissonlylongenoughtotugmyjeansawayfrommybodyandtosstheminthe

corner.

With a seductive smirk, he started kissing up my leg, starting at my ankle. I arched as his

tonguemadeitswaytowardmyknee,andthenhefroze.

Iwiggledandlookeddown."What'swrong?"
Facepale,hestumbledbackward,lookedupatme,thenlookeddownatmyleg.
"What?"Ifrowned."Linc,what'swrong?"
"Youhaveatattoo."
Irolledmyeyes."That'swhyyoustopped?Prisletmegetacalftattooaftermyparentsdied.It

wastheonethingsheletmedotohonorthem,eventhoughittookweeksofbegging."I'dwantedaset
of angel wings, kind of like the tattoo Demetri and Alec had, though mine was larger, taking up a
goodquarterofmycalf.Itwasblackandwhitewithreddatessprawledalongthetipsofthewings.

"It just…" Lincoln shook his head and then placed his hands on his hips. "… it's surprising,

that'sall."

Ireachedforhim.
But he stepped away, out of my reach, both physically, and as his eyes shuttered closed, I

realized,emotionallytoo.

"Sothat'sit?"Mywordssoundedheavyastheyfloatedintotheair,intotheuniverse,waiting

forhimtosaysomethingthatwouldgroundthewords,thatwouldmakethemseemlessbleak.

"Sorry."Lincolnflashedawarygrin."Maybethisisn'tsmart,youknow?Imean…"
"If you say I'm seventeen one more time, I'm going to push you off the balcony." My body

shookwithpent-uprage,andthenwhenIglanceddown,awaveofembarrassmentwashedoverme.I
wasnearlynaked.Inhisbed.Andnowhewasturningmedown?Couldn'thehaveatleastturnedme
down when my clothes were still on? Quickly, I grabbed the comforter and wrapped it around my
body."Youshouldgo."

"But—"
"Sleeponthecouchortheotherbedroom.I'mtired."
"Damnit,Dani.Justletmeexplain."
"Fine." I flopped onto my side, the comforter still covering me in all the necessary places.

"Youhavetwominutes."

Hegulped,hiseyestrailingdownthesilhouetteofmybody.
"Ninetyseconds."
"Fine,"hesnapped."Idon'twantyoulikethis."
AllIheardwas"Idon'twantyou."Thethiswasn'timportant.Thethisdidn'tmatter.Itwasjust

theendwordthatmadethesentenceseemlesshorrifying.Thedon'twasbadenough,thewant, even
worse, but like this? That was a pity ending to the sentence. And I'd had enough pity to last me an
eternity.

"Wow, Linc." I couldn't keep the sarcasm out of my voice. But at least it masked the hurt.

"Didn'tknowyouweresospecificwithwhoandwhatyousleptwith."

Itwasalowblow.
EspeciallysinceIknewhewasn'tthetypetotakethattypeofinsultwithoutgettingangry.
Andangry?Wasanunderstatement.
"Bullshit!" he yelled. "Really? That's what you have to say when I'm trying to be the bigger

personhere?Damnit,youreallyareimmatureifyouthinkthat'sthereasonI'mwalkingawayright
now."

"Funny,becauseyoudon'tseemtobemoving."Ineededhimtoleave;Iwasdesperateforit.I

didn'twanthimtoseemecry.Emotionwelledinmythroat,threateningtochokeme.Itwasalmost
worsethanwhenthewordsgotcaught,and,foronceinmylifeIwasupsetoverthefactthatIcould

talk;mywordshadmadethingsworse.Usuallyitwasmysilence.Ironic.AndIhatedit.

Hismusclesflexedasheclenchedhisfistsandwhisperedinahoarsevoice,"Watchme."
Heleft.
Slammingthedoorbehindhim.
ThesobsbrokefreesecondslaterasIcriedagainstthestrangepillowinthestrangecondoI

shouldhaveneverbeenininthefirstplace.

Ididn'tbelonginhisworld.
Somaybeitwasgoodthatthishadhappened.Becausetherewouldneverbeaplaceforme.I

wouldhavebeenaone-nightstand,right?

Sowhydidithurtsomuch?
Andwhydiditfeelliketheminuteheleft,hetookapartofmyheartwithhim?

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

Lincoln

HESOUNDOFMYALARMWAS

moreirritatingthanthefactthatsomehowI'dmanagedtosleepwrong,andmy

neckwascurrentlytwistedsohardtotherightithurttobreathe.Damncouch.

I hissed out a curse as I wobbled to a sitting position and rubbed the back of my neck,

memoriesofthepreviousnighthittingmeupsidetheheadlikeatwobyfour.

Danihadbeensoupset—maybeIshouldhavebeenhonestaboutthewholething.Seeingher

face,seeingthattattoothatIcouldhaveswornI'dseenbefore—itmademepause.

Andthatpausewaslongenoughtoallowmybraintostartworking.Sleepingwithherafter

knowingher,what?Alittleoveraweek?Notagoodidea.Hell,itwasoneoftheworstideasI'dever
had.WhocaredifI'dkissedher?WhocaredifIwasattractedtoher?Shewasn'toneofthosegirls,
thetypeyousleptwith,thenleftintheearlydaylightbyjumpingoutthewindow.

AndIwastreatingherthatway.
Iwasashamedofmyself.
AndI'dhurtherintheprocess.Damn,ifsheonlyknewitwasn'tforlackofwantingher.Itwas

becauseIwantedherthatIhadn'tsleptwithher.

Butexplainingthattoanoverlyemotionalwoman?Itwouldn'tsinkintoherconsciousness;all

shecouldfocusonwaswhatIdidn'tdo,whatIdidn'tsay,whensheshouldbefocusingonthesimple
factthatI'dstoppedsomethingthatshouldneverhavestarted,atleastnotyet.Ihadn'teventakenher
outonadate,forshit'ssake!Andwhat?Iwasgoingtohavesexwithher?

Ipunchedthecouchcushion.
Itdidn'tmakemefeelbetter.
Nor did the fact that my phone wouldn't stop going off with text alerts. Finally, I swiped the

screentofindoutwhatwassoimportant.

CursesexplodedfrommymouthsoloudthatImusthavewokenDani.Sherandownthehall,

hershirtbarelycoveringhertightass."Whathappened?"

As if remembering she was still pissed at me, the concern was quickly replaced with cool

angerasshecrossedherarmsandarchedhereyebrows.

"Well…" I licked my lips. No easy way to break it to her, so I tossed her my phone. "… we

madethenews."

Itwasoneverygossipwebsite.
AndtrendingonTwitter.

LincolnGreenehooksupwithnewunderageassistant.

Readingitwasn'tasbadasseeingthepictureofmeandDanikissingorthefactthatsomehow

acameracaughtuswalkingintoour"lovenest."

Danisetthephoneonthekitchencounterthenslumpedintooneofthebarstools,coveringher

face."That's…bad."

"Iwasthinkingbleak,youknow,likeblack-plaguebleak,atleastasfarasmylife'sconcerned.

Ifyouseemyshortswashupalongthebeach,knowitwasthesealsthatdidit."

Herlaughwasn'toneofamusement,butjoyatthethoughtofsomethinghappeningtome…
"Doesmydeathamuseyou?"
"Rightnow?"Shehoppedoffthebarstool."Abit.Yeah."
"Stillmad?"Iaskedinahopefulvoice.
Danipaused,herhandonthedoorwaytothebathroom.Shedidn'tturnaround."Notmad.Abit

angry,slightlydisappointed,andfeelingabitashamed.I'llgetoverit.I'vebeenthroughmuchworse."

Thewordsmayaswellhavebeenaphysicalknifemanifestingitselfrightinfrontofmychest

beforegettingplungeddirectlybetweenmyribs—sheeventwisted.Swear,shetwisted.

"Dani,I'msorry.I'mtryingtodotherightthing."
"AndI'mthewrongthing?"Sheturned,hercheeksflushed."That'swhatyou'resaying,right?"
"Kindof."Ithrewmyhandsupinfrustration."Yes.No.Hell,webarelyknoweachother.Why

areyoupissedthatI'mbeingthegoodguy?"

"Ididn'taskyouto,"shewhispered.
"Whatwasthat?"Ileanedin,alreadyemotionallydrained.
"Youdidn'taskmewhatIwanted.Youdecidedforme.Peopledothatalot.Idon'tknowifit's

because of my age or because of what happened to me. But for once — once in my life — I want
someonetocareenoughaboutmetoaskbeforetheymakeadecisionthataffectsme."

Theknifetwistedharder.Figuratively,since,ifitwasreal,Iwouldbebleedingmyheartall

overthecarpet.

Anddamnit,shewouldberight.
"I'msorry,"Icroaked.
"I'llgetready,andwecanleave.It'salmostseven,andyou'reneededonset.Ihaveajobtodo.

Andsodoyou."

Maturitypointsofficiallywenttoher,whileIbackedawayfromtheshutbathroomdoorand

stumbledintothekitchen,wonderinghowmydoingtherightthinghadturnedintotheworstthingI
couldhavepossiblydone.

HELIMORIDEWAS

awkwardlytense.MyphonewentdeadquicklyafterI'dshowedDanithepicture.Once

weweretenminutesoutofDepotBay,itwasfinallychargedenoughformetoturniton.

Demetri had sent me seventeen pictures. All of them included a seal attacking some sort of

humanoranimal.He'devengonesofarastoputmynameinacaptionaboveaterror-inducingseal
wholookedabouttentimesmysize.

Jaymeson'stextwasnext.

Jaymeson:Iwillkillyou.

Great.Justgreat.

Jaymeson:Killyoudead.

I groaned and cast a sideways glance to Dani. She'd read the text over my shoulder and was

smirking.

"Gladyoufinditfunny."
Sheshrugged.
"Silenttreatment?"
Shenodded.
"Sojusttobeclear,you'rechoosingnottotalktome,eventhoughyoucan?"
Amiddlefingerwasraisedinanswerbeforeshetuckedherfeetunderneathherbody,laidher

headagainstthedoor,andclosedhereyes.

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Dani

HE MINUTE THE LIMO PULLED UP

to Jaymeson's beach house, I jumped out. Lincoln tried to follow me, so I

brokeoutintoarun.

Hegrabbedpartofmyshirtrightbeforemyfingersreachedthedoor."Dani,don't,notlike

this."

I sighed and turned. "Look, I'm still your assistant. But you don't need me on set today. I've

alreadytextedPrisandletherknowwhatyouneededinyourtrailerforsnacks,yourlaundry'sbeen
delivered, and your truck is already waiting for you at the location. I'll pick up where I left off
tomorrow,butforrightnow,canIpleasejusthavethedayofftothink?Orareyougoingtomakeme
gotoworkwithyou?Especiallyafterthatpicture'sbeenblastedallovertheInternet."

Linc'sfacefell."Fine."Hereleasedmyshirt."But,fortherecordyoudon'thavetocallahead

anddoallofthat."

"It'smyjob,"Isaidinahollowvoice."Unlessyou'refiringme?"
"No." His answer was quick. Even wearing that stupid whale shirt, he still looked gorgeous.

Hisgreyeyesalwayshadtheappearancethatthey'dbeenoutlinedinkohl.Itwaseasytogetlostin
them,easytoforget.

Untilnow.
Now, staring at him reminded me that we'd had something, a moment, something different,

something inexplicable. And he'd just let it pass by without talking to me about it. I was so tired of
beingtreatedlikeachild,yetatthesametime,Iknewsometimesmyreactionsweremyownfault.

Buttheselastfewdays,he'dtreatedmelikeanequal.
Until at the worst possible moment, when I was at my most vulnerable, he turned into just

anotheroneoftheprotectiveguysIwassomehowsurroundedwith.

Iwantedadventureinthegreatwidesomewhere.Iwantedsomething.He'dmademewantto

feelalive,andthenhehadstompedoutthematchafterlightingit.

Ihatedhimforit.
AsmuchasIhatedmyselfforitbeingaguywhohadpulledmefromsomeofthedarkness.
"Linc,"Iwhispered,"you'regoingtobelate."
BeforeIcouldprotest,hepulledmeinforahugandkissedmyhead."Forwhatit'sworth…

I'msorry."

Hehadnoideahewasmakingitworse.Ididn'twantcomfort!Ididn'tevenwantprettywords!

Iwantedhimtokissme!Iwantedhimtopickmeupandslammeagainstthedoor,kissmesenseless,
drivemeinsane.Iwantedthescary.Ifinallywantedthescaryagain.BecauseItrustedhim.

Andhe'dgivenmesafe.
"Bye,Linc."Iwaitedforhimtowalkaway.
Andthen,likeateenager,becauseIcould,IslammedthestupiddoorsohardIwasprettysure

therewouldbeacrackinthewoodlater.

"Whoa,there."Zaneperkedupfromhisspotonthecouch."Itakeitthehoneymoonisover?"
Iglaredathisdarkhair,easysmile,andstupidtattoos.WhywasIsurroundedbyridiculously

good-lookingmen?ALLTHETIME.Hehoppedoffthecouch,makinghiswaytowardme.Shirtless.

"Forthelove!"Ishouted."Peoplewearshirts!"
"Whoa."Zanehelduphishands."Areyoumadbecausemyshirt'soff?"
"Yes!" I slammed my keys onto the table. "Real people wear clothes! Not everyone's paid to

taketheirclothesoff."

"Ithinkyouhavemeconfusedwithastripper."Hefrowned."Imean,it'shappenedatleasta

handfuloftimes,butneverinmyownhome."

"Thisisn'tyourhome."
"Isnow."Hegrinned.
"I'll be in my room." I tried to brush past him, but he caught me by the arm and spun me

around;hisgripwasstrong.Thenagain,hewasclearlythelovechildofZeus.

"Nope."Hisclear,goldenbrowneyessawrightthroughme.Sawtoomanythings."Maybewe

shouldtalkaboutthefactthatyou'reusingwords."

"I'mnotfive."
"Nope.You'reseventeen."Hesaidseventeeninalowauthoritativevoicethathadmeslightly

relaxinginhisarms."Trustme,Iknowallaboutyourage.SodoesLinc."

Atthesoundofhisname.
Iburstintotears.
AgainstZaneAndrewsofallpeople.
Mytearswerestaininghisprettygoldskin,butIdidn'tcare.Heletmecryandcryandcry.
"Wantmetokillhim?"hewhisperedintomyhair."I'mhalfItalian.Iknowpeople,thoughthey

liveinChicagoanddespisemysideofthefamily.Ithinkit'sbecausewe'rehalfIrish.Butstill,I'dlike
tothinkNixonowesmeafavor.Afterall,Ididsavehisassthatonetimeinthesandbox,whenthe
otherlittlekidtriedtotakehisTonka."

"Soheowesyouafavor…"Isniffed."…becauseyousavedhisTonka."
"Neverunderestimateatoddler'srelationshipwithhistruck,Dani.StealingaTonkaisgrounds

forwar."

"O-okay."Iletoutonelastsniffleandshookmyhead."Andareyoutellingmeyou'rerelated

tothemafia?"

"Shhh,ratsdie.Ilikeliving.Andyou'llkillmysqueaky-cleanimage."
Irolledmyeyes."Squeaky-cleantoyou.SodomandGomorrahtoothers."
"Uptop."Hehelduphishandforahighfive."Lookatyou,abletomakejokesandusingyour

words.Shouldn'twebecelebratingyourusingfullsentences,andit'snotjustaLincfluke?Andplease
don'tcrybecauseIsaidhisnameagain."

"I'mseventeen.Mayaswelltattooitonhisforehead,"Iwhisperedinahostiletone.
"Hedoesn'tseemtobethetypetoforget,"Zanesaidhelpfully.
"Oh,hedidn't."
Zanenodded.
"OratleasthehadamomentarylapseinjudgmentwhenIhadmyshirtoff…"
Zanewinced.
"…inhisbed."
Hisnosescrunchedup.
"Andrejectedme."
Zaneletoutalowwhistlethenchuckled."WhenLincmessesup,hedoesitwell,doesn'the?

Damn.Tellmeheatleastexplainedwhyherejectedyou?"

IpulledawayfromZaneandleanedacrossthecounter."Yup."
Zane'seyebrowsshotupasifwaitingforanexplanation.
Scowling,IwipedatmywetcheeksandhuffedoutallthereasonsthatLinchadlisted.WhenI

finished,Zanegavemeablankstare.

"What?"
"It'sweird.Partofyou,reallymature."Hecrossedhisarmsoverhisbarechest."Buttheother

partofyou,theteen-girlpart,isreally,reallystupidandimmature.Youdorealizehewasprotecting

you,right?"

"Do I look like I need protecting or something? I mean, what is it about me that screams

damselindistress?"

"Notsure,showmeyourguns."Zanepointedtomyarms.
Iflexed,tryinghardnottosmile.
"Hmm,anddidyouevertakekarate?Self-defense?Oranyofthoseweirddanceclassesatthe

YMCAthatputcrazykickboxingmovestothebeatsofoneofmysongs?"

"'HipHop'?"
"Notthatone."
"'BodyCombat'?"
Hesnappedhisfingers."Thatone.That'sit."
"No." I frowned. "Maybe it's because I've had a rough few years, but that doesn't mean I'm

helpless!Icanmakebigdecisions."

"Willyoumarryme?"
"What?"Iletoutafranticyell.
Zaneshrugged."Yousaidyouwerecapableofmakingbigdecisions.Itwasatest."
Irolledmyeyes.
"Youfailed."
"Zane,look,Iappreciatethehelp,butIdon'treallyknowyouthatwell,andsofarallyou've

doneistellmethatLinc'sstupid,andI'mimmaturefornotunderstandinghisreasoning."

Zanewanderedovertothecouchandpattedthespotbesidehim.
Slowly, I walked over to the plush leather and took a seat next to him, while he propped his

feetonthematchingottomanasifhelivedthere.

"You can try to figure it out until your brain hurts. How about you just come to the same

conclusionIdidtheminuteyouwalkedinthedoor?"

"What?"Ileanedfurtherintotheleather,wishingIcouldjustdisappearfromhispensivegaze.
"You like him. He likes you. You're both a bit emotional right now. Give it time. If it's

supposedtowork,itwillwork.Now."HegrabbedtheremoteandflippedontheDiscovery Channel.
"We're going to watch people build houses in Alaska, and you're going to stop thinking all about
Linc.Believeme,whatyouneedisadistraction."

"I can't." I started to get up. "I need to look at the filming schedule tomorrow and plan my

assistantdutiesaroundwhenLinc'sgoingtobe—"

"Fivea.m.hereportstoset.Filminguntilaroundnoon.Hegetsaten-minutebreakforlunch.

Thenhe'llhavetogoback,mostlikelytore-filmthekissingscene.RumorhasitheknockedPris's
teethlasttime."

Iheldinmyamusement,justbarely.
"And…"Zane'seyesnarrowed."…ohright,andtonighthehassomesortofweirdmeeting."
Panicking, I ran into my room, grabbed my schedule, and read through it. "It doesn't say

anythingaboutthepublicistonmyscheduleforhim."

Zanedidn'ttakehisgazeofftheTV."Right,thatlittlemorselofinformationwasgiventome

by Jaymeson. Apparently Linc's publicist has been trying to get ahold of him most of the morning,
eversinceyourpictureleaked."

"Crap."Ifeltaheadachecomingon."Doyouthinkhe'sintrouble?"
Zaneturnedthevolumedownandgavemeaduhlook."Honey,hewasseennotonlykissing

you, but going into, and I quote, 'a love hut' with you. Both of which would be totally fine if you
weren'tA…underage,B…thedirector'slittlesister,andC…upuntilnow?Mute."

Ifeltmykneesweaken."Thisisallmyfault.Hewasscaredofwhalesand—"

"Interesting."Zaneturnedslowlytofaceme,aneasysmilelightinguphisdarkfeatures."Ilike

hangingoutwithyou.It'slikegettinginsiderinformation."

"Wearen'thangingout."
"Myshirt'soff,myfeetareup,I'mcontemplatingmakingpopcorn,andyouhavethedayoff.

We'rehangingout."

"Becauseyoumakepopcorn?"Itwashardtokeepupwithhim.Theguytalkingtomeandthe

oneI'dseenonTVweretwoverydifferentpeople.Hishypnoticeyesmetmineinateasinggesture.

"Dani, I may not know you very well, but I know women. I grew up with two sisters. If you

don'thangoutwithme,you'llendupinyourroomsulking.Andhonestly,thatmakesmesad.Youjust
startedtalkingagain.Ifanything,youshouldbecelebratingtheveryfactthatlifedoesn'tsuckasmuch
asitusedto.Now,areyougoingtomakethepopcorn,ordoyouwantmeto?"

"Do we even have popcorn?" I muttered, walking into the kitchen in search of something to

throwintothemicrowave.

Ahard,muscledbodycameupbehindmejustasIwasreachingthesecondshelfofthepantry.

Zane's hand brushed mine then jerked the popcorn down. I expected him to back up. But he didn't
move.

"Onemorething,"hesaidinahoarsevoice.
Chills erupted around me. I might have liked Lincoln, but I wasn't immune to Zane's charm.

Wasanyfemalewithworkinghormones?"What?"

"Turnaround,"heinstructed.
Idid,keepingmyeyesaverteddown.
Heevenhadprettyfeet.Theyweretanjustliketherestofhim,whiteflipflopsonlyaddedto

thegoldenskinthatwasalreadymakingmejealousthatIhadn'tlainoutmuchallsummer.

"I'mnotgoingtohitonyou,"hesaidsoftly."Iknowwhatmyreputationsays,butI'mmoreof

thebest-friendtype."

Ijerkedmyheadupasmycheeksheated."Iswearmybrainwasn'tevengoingthere.Imean,

you'reZaneAndrews."

"Right."Hiseyesnarrowed."I'mafreakingsaint.Isn'tthatwhattheysay?"
"Iwouldn'tknowwhattheysay."Iswallowedthedrynessinmythroat."Andthanksfor,uh…

explaining."Itriedtosidestephim.

"Hold on there, high school." Zane grabbed my arm and tugged me back to my original

position, inches from his face. "It's not because you aren't really pretty or because you're
unobtainable."Hisfacechangedfromseductivetoinnocent."Canyoukeepasecret?"

Curious,Inoddedandwaitedinanticipationasheleanedforward,andwhisperedtheabsolute

lastthingIwouldhaveeverguessedinmyear.

"No."Ishookmyhead."No."
Hegrinned.
"Impossible."Icrossedmyarms."You'relyingtomakemefeelbetter."
"So you see…" He stepped back. "… timing really is everything. I'm telling you from

experience.Sometimesaguysaysnoevenwhenhisbodyscreamsyes.Sometimesaguysaysnofor
thesimpleprinciplethatthegirlhewantstosayyestoisworthahellofalotmorethanafewcheap
minutesthatheisn'tsureshewantsinthefirstplace."

Stunned,Iwatchedhimwaltzoutofthepantryandstartrippingthepopcornpackageopen.My

mouthwasstillhangingopenfromshock.

Whowouldhaveeverthoughtit?
Mr.ZaneAndrews.
Saint.

Wasavirgin.

CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE

Lincoln

UT!"

AY SHOUTED FOR THE FIVE

hundredthtime."Look,Lincoln,you'resupposedtobetryingtomaulthe

girl.Thisisn'tyourfirstkiss.Youaren'taskingforpermission.Whatthehelliswrongwithyou?"

Severalthings.Onebeingthatwewereshootingabedroomscene,andIwaswithDani'ssister.

Itfeltsoincrediblywrong.

I'dneverstruggledwithacting.
Notuntilnow.
"Headinthegame,"Jaysnapped."Someofuswanttogohomefordinnertonight."
"Sorry,Jay."Ishookmyhead,clearingmythoughtsyetagainasthescenewasslated.
Priswasinherbraandunderwear.Iwassupposedtopickherup,slamheragainstthewall,

thentrytoseduceher,andthenbail.

Ha.
They do say that the truth is stranger than fiction. What are the odds that they'd changed my

scheduleagain,andIhadtofilmthisscenerightaftermyissuewithDani?

Withadeepbreath,Ifocusedonpushingawayeverythoughtoflastnight,keepingonlyone.
ThehungrylookDanihadgivenme.
IusedthatlookandattackedPriswitheverythingIhadinme,deliveredmylines,andwhen

Jaysaid,"Cut,"Iprayeditwasenough.

"I'daskyouifyouweresureyoulikewomen,"Jaysaidoncethescenewasover,andwewere

semi-alone,"butclearlyyoudosinceyouwerehittingonmylittlesisterlastnight."

"Nottechnicallyabloodrelative,"Imutteredundermybreath.
Jaymesongrabbedmyshoulderandflippedmearound."Whatwasthat?"
"Hithim."Demetri'svoiceechoedthroughtheset."Butdon'tmesshimuptoomuch.Iwantat

himtoo."

"Getinline,"Alec'svoiceadded.
IgroanedasbothmembersofAD2stalkedtowardme,theireyescrazywithrage,matching

Jaymeson'sobviousmood.

"What?"Ilookedbetweenthethreeofthem."Arewegoingtorumbleorsomething?It'snot

whatitlookslike."

"Sothekisswasafigmentofmyimagination?"Jayasked.
"No."Iswalloweduncomfortably."Butthereasonforit…Look,it'snotlikeIseducedheror

anything."

"Did Lincoln Greene say he didn't seduce her?" Demetri asked aloud, slamming Alec in the

chest."Hedoesrealizethatbybreathingheseduceswomenallovertheworld."

"Veryfunny.Mybreathing?"Irolledmyeyes."Really?"
"AgirlboughtyoursweatoneBayforagrand,"Demetrisaidinadeadpanvoice."Irestmy

case."

"Look." I held out my hands. "I don't want to fight. You guys should at least be happy that

whatever was going on between us, it's over. I messed up. She's pissed, and I'm pretty sure if I was
ever to get close enough to kiss her again, she'd probably bite my face off." My shoulders sagged.
"Sheevenflippedmeoff."

"Ha."Demetrilaughed."That'smygirl."
Alecglared."Youneedtostopteachingherthings."
"What?" Demetri lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug. "Either that or knee him in the balls.

Clearlyshe'sbeenlisteningtomyadvice."

"Demetri and advice…" Jaymeson sighed. "… two words that should never go together in a

sentence.Almostlikeketchupandbunnyrabbits."

"Drugsandalcohol,"Alecaddedhelpfullythenwinked."Oh,I'msorry.Isittoosoon?"
"Asses."Demetripoppedhisknuckles."Allofyou."
"Goodtalk,guys."Islowlystartedbackingaway."Nowifyou'redonechewingonmyass,I

have to go meet with my publicist, and I'd like to have some ass left for her to chew off so I can
actuallywalkhomewithoutittonight."

Jaymesonsnorted."Believeme,she'snotgoingtobepissed.Whathappenedinthosepictures

ismediagold.IfIdidn'tknowyoubetter,I'dthinkyouplannedit."

Ifeltmyselfpale."Iwouldnever—"
"Iknow."Jaymesonsighed."Iknow."
Demetri narrowed his eyes at me. "I'll be watching you. I don't care that you got her talking

again.Youhurther.Andseals.There'smorepictureswherethatcamefrom."

"Holdon."Jayhelduphishand."What?Talking?Whatthehellareyouguystalkingabout?"
Shit.
DemetriclosedhiseyesandcursedwhileAlecquicklyflashedmeasimilarohshitlook.
"Speak,"Jaymesonbarked."OneofyouidiotstellmewhatthehellDemetri'stalkingabout."
Demetribackedawayslowly."DanitalkedtoLincoln."
Jaymeson turned toward me so fast I almost stumbled backward. "What the hell, Linc? And

youdidn'tthinktotellme?"Hegrippedthefrontofmyshirt.

Ipushedhimback."Itwasn'tmynewstotell."
"He'sgotyouthere,"Demetrisaidunderhisbreath.
"Notnow!"Jaymesonsnapped."Whereisshe?"
Ifrowned."Atthehouse."
"WithZane?"Jaymesonsaid,hisvoicerisinginpitch."Youleftanoverlyemotionalteenager

alone,atmyhouse,withZaneAndrews?"

It was as if the movie of Zane's many sins flashed before us. He'd never been seen doing

things,butithadbeenwhispered.Andwomendidn'tjustadorehim;theyworshippedhim,evensaid
therewasamagneticpullabouthimthatnobodywithovariescouldignore.

"Dude," Demetri's eyes widened. "I've never actually met him in person before, but even I'm

notstupidenoughtoleaveaninnocentunderagegirlwithhim!"

"Shit!"weallsaidinunisonasweranoffsetandintotheparkinglot.Ijumpedintomytruck

justasDemetriandAlecgotinthefrontseat.JaymesonbarelymadeitintothetruckbedbeforeIwas
peelingoutoftheparkinglot,anddrivinglikehellwaslickingmyheelsallthewaybacktohisbeach
house.

"Ifthisendsbadly,youendbadly,"Alecsaidinadeathlyhollowvoice.
Great. Angry Demetri I could deal with. Even an angry Jaymeson didn't seem half-bad —

maybe that was the soft English accent? But Alec? Well, let's just say I didn't want to be on his bad
side.Therewassomethingverydarkabouthim.Let'sjustsayitseemedlikehehadthepotentialto
kickmyass.Wewerematchedinheightandstrength,butdefinitelynotmatchedincrazy.

Ipulleduptothebeachhouse,didn'teventurnoffthetruck,andranlikehellupthefewstairs

and almost through the closed front door. At the last minute, I remembered that I'd need to turn the
knobunlessIwantedtojustburstthroughitandmakeaLincoln-sizedbody-printthroughthewood.

OnceIwasinside,Iyelledhername.
AlecandDemetricollidedintomybodyfrombehind.
Jaymeson'smanybloodyhellscluedmeintohimbeinglast.

"Shhh,"Zanesaidasheslowly,languidly,gotupfromthecouchandstretchedhisarmsabove

his head in a catlike motion. He was shirtless, and I was going to kill him and bury the body in
Demetri'shousesohe'dgetblamedforthecrime."She'ssleeping."

"Zane…"Icroakedouthisnamewithdeathonmymind."…ifyoutouchedher…"
Zane's face broke out into an amused grin. "Does holding her hand while she cries over

accidentlygrabbingaburntpopcornkernelcount?"

"Huh?"Demetriasked.
"ZaneAndrews."ZaneheldouthishandtoDemetri.
Demetri stared at it like it was diseased. That was one thing I liked about Demetri. He was

friendly,onceyouearnedhistrust,andonlythen.

"Iknowyourkind,"hespat.
IheldmylaughinwhileAlecwalkedaroundusandpeeredoverthecouch.Asmileformed

across his lips as he stepped back and surveyed the kitchen, then finally glanced back at us. "She's
sleeping."

"Ijustsaidthat."Zaneyawnedandthenstretchedagain.I'dbelyingifIsaidhewasn'tareally

builtdude.Nowondergirlsthrewunderwearathimduringhisconcerts."Idruggedher."

"Youwhat?"Jayshouted,pushingthroughAlecandDemetri.
"Shhh!"weallsaidatonce,wavingourhandsintheair.
"Youwhat?"Hiswhisperwasmoreofawhisper-yell,butwhatever.
"First,IlulledherinwithtalkofrealityTV,"Zanesaidinaboredvoiceashemadehisway

closertous,"thenIpromisedherpopcorn,whichwasfollowedbyicecream,chocolate,andfinally
wemades'moresinthefireplace."Hepeeredbacktowardthecouch."Poorlittlethingwasexhausted
afterallthateating…"Hiseyesnarrowedinmydirection."…andcrying."

Youcouldhearafreakingpindropinthatroomasalleyesturnedtome.
"What?"Ithrewupmyhands."Seriously?Ikissherback,andyou'repissed,thenItellherwe

can't—"Istoppedtalking.

"Can't?"Demetritappedhischin."Makesushi?"
"Can't… you know." I scratched nervously at my arm then sat on one of the barstools. "The

pointis,I'mdamnedifIdo,damnedifIdon't.I'mtryingtodowhat'sbestforher."

Danimadealittlemewlingnoiseinhersleep.
My heart clenched as I glanced over in her direction. It wasn't until I realized everyone was

silentagainthatIlookedattheguys.

They were… intrigued. As if they could read every damn emotion on my face, and see that

beinginthesameroomwithhercausedphysicalpain—especiallysinceIcouldn'tpullherintomy
armsandapologize.Again.

"Don'tyouhaveadinnermeeting?"Demetripointedout.
"Shit."Ijumpedoffthestool."Yes."
Awkwardly,ImademywaytowardthedoorastheguyscontinuedtalkingaboutDaniasifshe

wasn'tintheroomsleeping.Damnit.Iwantedtostay.Tomakesureshewasokay,butmostofallI
wantedtodouble-checkthatZanehadn'ttriedanythingwithher.

Iwouldn'tputitpasthim.
Thenagain,Zanereallywasn'tthetypetopoachonanotherman'sterritory.Igroanedaloud.

WasthathowIviewedher?Myterritory?

A headache grew at my temples as I jumped into my running truck and made my way

downtown.

Itwasonlyeightatnight.
Butitmayaswellhavebeenmidnight.IwasexhaustedandknewIneededmoreenergythanI

couldmuster,especiallyifIwasgoingtohavetodealwithmypublicist.

Sheneverslept.
Sherarelyatecarbs,meaningshewasalwayscranky.
Andshehadtowhitenherteethonadailybasisbecauseoftheamountofwineandcoffeeshe

drank to keep herself from falling asleep during the day, and force herself to fall into a drunken
stuporatnight.

Myphonebuzzedinmypocket.Ireadthetextatthestoplight.

Cameron:You'relate.
Lincoln:Berightthere.

IprayedforpatienceasIpulledintoSeasideBreweryandparkedthetruck.AllIneededtodo

was make sure to jump through her hoops, then I could go home and down some Nyquil to force
myselfintosleep.

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

Dani

HESOUNDOFAPOTCLANGING

againstthefloorjoltedmeoutofmysleep.Withastart,Ijerkedupwardand

nearlycollidedwithDemetri'sface.

"Whoa."Ipulledback."Whyareyouhovering,motherhen?Icouldhavehead-buttedyou."
Hiseyesglistened.
Without warning, he pulled me into a tight bear hug as his body shuddered around mine.

"You'rereallytalking."

"Wow,imaginewhatwouldhavehappenedifIwouldhavewokenupandserenadedyou."
"Birds…"Demetrireleasedmeonasigh."Theywouldhavebeenattractedtothehigh-pitched

screeching,flownintotheglassdoor,somehowmanagingtobreakitintoamillionpieces,andupon
seeing my perfect face, attacked, pecking me to death, leaving only one tiny shred of clothing that
they'dencaseinglassandputintheRockandRollHallofFame."

Igaped."Thoughtthisthroughabit?"
"Yeah well…" He winked. "… when it comes to birds, I have all the outcomes completely

figuredout."

"Scary."
"Paranoid,"Alec'svoicesaidfrombehindashemadehiswayaroundthecouchandkneltin

frontofme."Okay,Zaneclaimsyoufellasleeponhim,butifhetouchedyou,I'llriphisfingersoff."

"YoureallyneedtostopwatchingMobWives."Demetriwhisperedunderhisbreath.
Ismiledattheirconcern."Guys,seriously.He'sharmless."IgrinnedatthememoryofZane's

secret."Believeme."Iletoutanotheryawn."Whattimeisit?"

"Midnight,"theyansweredinunison.
"What?"Ijumpedupfromthecouch."That'scrazy!Iwasoutallday?"
"Technically."Zanewaltzedlazilyintotheroom,stillshirtless,stillgorgeous,hisblacksweats

hangingsolowonhishipsitwasnearingindecent."YouwatchedrealityTVwithmeforatleastfour
hours before you fell asleep. Damn it." He opened the pantry then shut it. "You ate all the
marshmallows!"

"Andthat'sacrimepunishablebymurder?"Ilaughed.
Zanedidn't.
"What type of weird junk-food obsession is that?" Demetri asked aloud. "Marshmallows?

They'resosoft—"

Zaneshivered."Talkdirtytome.Keepgoing."
"—and gooey—" Demetri clearly couldn't help himself as he lowered his voice. "—and…

sweet."

"Onthatnote…"Alecstood."…I'mgoingtogobacktothehouseandmakesureNat'sgetting

somerest.Thebaby'sbeencuttingherfirstteeth,soIthinkNat'sreadytolosehermind."

"Seeya."IsqueezedhisarmandstaredatDemetri.Hard.Silentlytellinghim"It'scool.Ican

sleepwithoutyouwatchingovermelikeacrazydad."

"Fine."Hehuffed."I'llgotoo,butthisisn'tover,and…Dani?"
Ilookedup."Yeah?"
"It'sgoodtohearyourvoiceagain."
Grinning,Ipulledhiminforatighthug."Thanks,Dem."
"Oh…" Demetri snapped his fingers. "… also, Jay had to go to bed because he has another

earlyday,buthesaidhe'sgoingtowakeyouupinthemorningsoheandyoursistercanhearfor

themselves."

Iwantedtorollmyeyes,butknewitwouldberudeandvery…immature,andsincemywhole

debacle with Lincoln, I was suddenly hyper-aware of every little thing I did that made me appear
young,soyoungthathewouldn'ttouchmewithaten-footpole.

"Right."Iexhaledslowly."IguessIshouldgotobedtoo."
"Don't,"Zanecalledfromthekitchen."Weneedmarshmallows."
"Dude…"Demetriturnedonhisheel."…whatisitwithyouandmarshmallows?"
"Idon'tknow."Zaneshovedhishandsintohisbaggysweats."Whatisitwithyouandbirds?"
"Idon'teatbirds."
"Youdon'teatchicken."
"Imeantbirdslike…"Demetrisniffed."…pigeons."
Zaneletoutalow,sexychuckle."Arethoseedible?"
Demetri glowered. "Your abs are giving me a headache. Put on a shirt. There are children

present."

Iraisedmyhandandwavedinjest,butDemetriflashedmeastopencouraginghimglare,soI

quicklyloweredmyhandandpastedonademuresmile.

"Stay out of trouble," he called, making his way to the door. "And get your own damn

marshmallows,Zane!"

Theminutethedoorclosed,Zaneturnedtomeandsaid,"IfIputonashirt,canwegotothe

storetogether?Andbywe,Imean,canIgiveyoucashtorunintothestorewhileIhideoutinthecar
withmysunglassesandhaton?"

I rolled my eyes and stood, taking time to stretch out my sore muscles. "What's the point in

yougoingifyou'rejustgoingtositthere?"

"Easy."Heshrugged."Icankeepyoucompany."
"WhileIrunyourerrands?"
"Hey,I'mgoingtowearashirt.Ithoughtthat'showfriendshipworked.Idoyouafavor…you

domeafavor."Hissmilegrew.

"Stopthat."Iwaggedmyfingerathim."Irefusetoletyourcharmworkonme.Also,howis

youputtingonashirtdoingmeafavor?"

"Youaskedmetoputoneonawhileago.Ergo,favor."
"Musicians.Are.So.Weird."Iyawnedagain,myeyeswateringthistime."Fine,we'llgoget

yourmarshmallows,butthenI'mgoingtobed.Ihavetobeupearly,andmyguessisyoudon'teven
havetobeupuntilnoon."

"Please,evenonvacationIgetupearly."Hewinked.
"Marshmallows." I swiped my keys from the counter. "Then home. No detours. No sudden

hankeringforlate-nighttaffyoricecream."

Zane's face fell. "But what if the ice cream store's open? And the only way to save the

world…"Hestalkedtowardme,hisfaceserious."…istogoinside…"Helickedhislipsslowly."…
ordericecream…and…"Hisfacetilteddowntowardmine."…lick."

My heart slammed against my chest. I ignored it. Because he wasn't Lincoln, no matter how

attractive or deadly that smile was. "Keep giving me that look, and I'm going to lick every
marshmallowbeforestuffingthembackintothebag,resealingit,andtellingyouthey'refresh."

"Wouldn'tbesobad."Heshrugged.
"Correction.I'lldroptheminthetoiletthenre-seal."
"Alrightthen."Zanebackedaway,holdinghishandsupinsurrender."Butfortherecord,Ijust

likemessingwithyou.I'veneveractuallyhadagirlnotfallforit."

"Good to know I'm immune to your charm just like Lincoln's immune to mine," I said in a

bittervoice.

"Whoa there." Zane grabbed me by the wrist and tugged me backward. "Friends don't let

friendssaystupidshit.Trustme,he'snotimmune.Youshouldhaveseenhisfacewhenhenearlytook
downthedoorandcameinheregunsblazing."

"Huh?Gunsblazing?"
"Oh, right." Zane snapped his fingers. "You were sleeping. Lincoln barged in with Demetri,

Alec,andJay.HemayhaveassumedIseducedyou,basedonmystateofdress,andthefactthathe
clearlyhastheworsttimingintheworld,anditlookedlikeI'djusttumbledyouintotheweekend."

"Nice."Igroanedintomyhands,keysjammingmeinthecheek.
"Hey,hey."Hepulledmyhandsback."Notsobad.LikeIsaid,thelookonhisfacewaspure

murder,anditwasn'tthewholegetyourhandsoffmysisterlookeither.ItwasthetouchherandIcut
offyourhandforeventhinkingaboutitlook,alongwithahealthydoseoflonging.Iimagineoncehe
getshisheadoutofhisass,it'llbeanydaynow."

"Anyday?"
"Thathegivesyouthekiss."
"Thekiss?"
"You gonna repeat everything I say or marshmallow me?" Zane sidestepped and opened the

frontdoor.

AsIwalkedthrough,hewhispered,"Thekisseverygirlsecretlywantsbutneverasksfor."
Ipausedthenturned."Huh?"
Withoutanysortofwarning,Zanegrabbedmebytheshoulders,slammedmybodyagainstthe

door,andkissedmewithsuchferocitythatIcouldn'tbreatheorthink.Mylegsceasedtoworkashe
liftedmeintotheair,histonguetwistingwithmine,hisbreathinghotandheavyashedeepenedthe
kiss,almostlikehewaschallengingmetostophim.ButIwastooshockedtodoanything.

Hereleasedmybody,andIslumpeddownthewall,mybuttcollidingwiththehardwoodfloor

asIlookedupathimwithblurryvision."Whatjusthappened?"

Zanesmirkedthenleaneddown,offeringmehismassivehand."Demonstration.Youwanthim

tokissyoulikethat.You'rewelcome.Also,nexttimeaguytriestokissyouwhoisn'tLincoln,you
slaphim."

"Butitwasyou.Ihardlyknowyou."Itookhishandandstoodonwobblyfeet.
"Mypointexactly.Geez,don'ttheyteachyouself-defenseinhighschoolanymore?"
"Something'swrongwithyou."
"Marshmallows,"hegrumbled."They'llfixalifetimeofwrong."
"Alright,butnomorekissing."Ifrowned."ImaylikeLinc,butakisslikethatcouldgetagirl

knocked-up,andIhavenointentionofbeingonMTV'sTeenMom,okay?"

"Message received." He winked. "Oh, and also, when that lands on social media tomorrow,

whichitwill,remembertolookreallyguiltywhenLinccornersyou."

Ididn'thavetimetodigestwhathe'djustsaid,becausehewasalreadysprintingtowardmycar

andwaitingonthepassengerside.

Something wasn't quite right about Zane, but he was also really… real, and kind of…

entertaininginapet-puppytypeofway.

Youknow,ifyourpuppyhadasix-pack.
Orlookedlikedawalkingcommercialforsex.
Yeah,hedefinitelyneededtonotkissmeeveragain.
Wait.Ifrozemid-step.Socialmedia?Iglancedaround,frantictolocatewhoevermighthave

seenus,buttherewasnooneelseinthedistance,justagood-lookingmusicianleaningovermyJeep
andyawning."Areyoucoming?"

"Uh,yeah."Ifrowned."Coming."

CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE

Lincoln

INNER WITH MY PUBLICIST WENT LIKE

expected. She asked why I was screwing my new assistant, who also

happenedtobeunderage,andaccordingtoTwitter,acharitycase.

Itoldherwhy,andthatI'dbrokenthingsoff…
Sheheavedasigh."Well,thatwasstupid.Thinkofwhatitcoulddoforyourimage.Hollywood

heartthrobobsessedwithmutegirl?Damn,don'tbestupid.Marrythegirl."

Offended,I'donlybeenabletoeatafewbitesofmypulledporktacobeforeIwasreadytotoss

mybeerinherdirectionandprayitblindedherenoughformetorunoutoftherestaurant.

"What?"She'dshruggedherwaif-likebody."It'sgoodPR."
"Soisgivingmoneytothehomeless."
She let out a loud snort. "Hardly. That shit never goes viral. But this? This is social-media

gold.IfIwereyou,I'dgobackandplaynice,atleastuntilwehearbackaboutyourlastauditionwith
Spielberg.Hey,maybethey'llevenmakeyouanambassadorfortheblind."Hericy-blueeyestwinkled
withexcitement,asIwassureherbrainwasmakingplansformyfuturepresidency.

"Themute,youmean?"Icorrected,takingasipofmyIPA.
"Deaf?"Shewavedherforkintotheair."Allthesame."
I'd never realized how horrible a person my publicist was until that very moment. Sure, she

was one of the best in the business, she'd made grown men cry, and had fired her own sister over
somesortofcoffeemachinefiascothatwasstillwhisperedaboutaroundtheofficesinLA.

"Head in the game," Pris teased, jerking me back to the movie set. Her brown hair fell in

wavesaroundhershoulders.

"Sorry."Icoughedintomyhand,carefulnottotouchmyface.Damn,didtheyhavetocakemy

face with so much makeup? Apparently, Demetri and Nat's whole love affair had taken place when
Demetri was extremely tan, meaning my face felt two shades too dark for my liking. I tasted
ChapStickandbronzereverydamntimeIlickedmylips.

"Also…"Prisleanedin."…thanks,forwhateveryoudid."
Sighing,Ileanedback.Thelockerdoorwashardandcoldagainstmyback.Wewerefilming

onsiteatSeasideHigh,andIcouldn'twaittogetoutofthere."Yeahwell,Inearlyshitmyselfinfront
ofawhale.So,you'rewelcome,Iguess."

Priscoveredherfacewithherhands,hershouldersshakingwithlaughter."Shemayhaveleft

thatpartout."

"Blessherwhale-fightinglittleheart."
"But…"Pris'seyestwinkledwithamusement."…Iassumeditmusthavebeenabigdeal.Ihad

noideaitwasawhaleofawhopperbut…"

"Hilarious." I scratched my chest, trying to numb the pain still making its presence known

right where my heart kept beating. Getting her out of my head was a near impossibility, especially
whenpictureshadsurfacedthismorningofZaneandDaniinanembracethatlookedahellofalot
morethanfriendlyalongwiththecaption,NewCelebrityBestie?

Pristouchedmyshoulder.
Iflinchedinsurprise.
"Hey,youokay?"
"I'm…great."
"Yeah,youlookit.Great,happy,abittootanformytastebut—"
"You guys ready?" Jaymeson jogged over. "We only have the high school for the next few

hours,soIneedyoutobringyourA-game."Hewaslookingrightatme,asifI'dbeenbringingmy
C-gameorsomething.Isuppressedaneye-roll.Whatever.

"Wegotthis,"Prisansweredforme.
IpushedthoughtsofDanifrommyheadjustasshehappenedtoappearbehindcamerawith

Jay. He handed her some headphones. Great, so now she could hear all the dialogue and heavy
breathingweemitted.Iwonderedifshecouldhearmyheartraceorthefactthattheminutehereyes
metmine,mybreathinghitched,makingmecoughwildlyinhersister'sfacelikeIwasdiseased.

Danifrownedthenstartedmadlytypinginherphone.Asmilebrokeoutacrossherface.
ThatbetterbeDemetritextingher.
Asifsummonedbymyjealousy,Demetriappearedbyhersideandpulledherinforahug.His

pregnantwife,Alyssa,waswithhim.Shequicklygrabbedsomeheadphones.

Two minutes later, Alec and his wife Nat made their way onto set; they must have gotten a

sitterorsomethingbecausetheywererarelywithouttheirlittleElla.

Great,Ihadafreakingaudiencewatchingme.
"Nostress."Prisbreathedinthroughhermouth,outthroughhernose."Wegotthis.It'sjusta

kissingscene,right?"

"It'sprom,"Isaidinaboredtone."I'mprettysureI'msupposedtorockyourworldhere."
ThenexthourwentbysopainfullyslowthatIfeltlikeaturtlecookinginthehotsun.
"Cut!"Jayyelled.
"Dude…"Demetriwalkeduptome."…youlookgoodasme."
"Oh,I'msorry.Arewefriendsagain?"
Hesnorted,runningahandthroughhisbleached-blondhair."Ofcourseweare,nowwehave

acommonenemy."

"Who?"
"Zane," Demetri seethed as Zane walked on set, his aviator sunglasses low on his nose. His

eyes brightened considerably when he saw Dani rush toward him in a flourish then grab his hand,
tugginghimtowardJay.

Theextrasonsetstartedwhispering.
Whydidn'ttheywhisperaroundus?
"Dude, girls don't react like that to us, not anymore," Demetri said, apparently reading my

mind."Guy'sgottago.Yousethiscaronfire.I'lllurehimouttotheocean."

"Anddowhat?Drownhim?"Iclenchedmyfists.
"I'msorry.Didyouhaveabetteridea?"Demetriturnedhisbluegazeonme."Let'sbehonest,

youandIdon'texactlyscreamviolencelikehedoes.Hewalkslikehecouldtakeahit,damnit,and
myfaceisworthtoomuchtorisk."

Irolledmyeyes."He'sjustaguy.He'llgetbored."
"Oh,shit,"Demetrimurmuredunderhisbreath."Welldone,Casanova.Youjustpissedheroff

again."

"What?Whatthehellareyoutalkingabout?"Ifrowned.
"Yourgirlhadjustputherheadsetbackon,andmymoney'sonherhearingonlythelastpart

ofourconversation."

Ilookedforher,butshehaddisappeared.
Well.Shit.
Thedoortothegymslammed.IchasedafterDaniasifmylifedependedonit.Shewasinthe

middleofthedesertedhallway.Itsmelledlikepencils,bleach,andsweatyteenagers,withalingering
hintAxebodyspray.

"Hey…"Itouchedhershoulder."Youdidn'thearthewholeconversation."

Itwasasifshedidn'tevenhearmywords.Instead,hereyesweretrainedonaglasscasewith

trophies.

ThemainpicturewasofHomecomingCourttheyearbefore.
She'dbeentheJuniorPrincess.
StandingwithElliotinthesexiestlittlecheeroutfitI'deverseen.Itwasn'tsomethingIshould

probablyhavenoticed,butIdid.Hersmilewashuge,thecrownonherheadnearlyfallingoveras
Elliot'shandhelpedkeepitonherhead.Hissmilematchedhers,itwasdisgusting,likeakicktothe
gut.

AndthenIsawthetrophies.
Somanytrophiesforthecheerleadingsquad.
AndatleastthreeforDaniforcompetitivecheerleading.
Backflips,pyramids,groupphotos.Shewasgorgeousinallofthem;thegirlinthepictures

wasn'tthegirlI'dbeenspendingtimewith.Itwasasifshewasacompletelydifferentperson.

"Imissher,"Daniwhispered."Idon'tthinkI'veeversaidthatoutloud.MaybeI'vebeenafraid

if I said it, it would make my reality that much more cemented in my mind, make it last or
something." She hung her head; pieces of blonde hair covered her face so I couldn't read her
expression.

"Idon't,"Iwhispered."Irefusetomissaghost,someoneIneverknew."
Hershouldersslumped.
"ButIdohaveanotherconfession."Ipulledherhairback."Imissyou.TheyouIknownow."
Shedidn'tsayanything.
"Look,Dani,I—"
"Thereyouare!"AvoiceIkindofwantedtoforgetexistedscreecheddownthehalls."Jaysaid

wheretofindyou."

Notetoself:KillJaymesonlater.
Jo-Joslinkeddownthehall,herheelslikeahammertomyskull."So,goodnews!Igotona

fewepisodesofthatscary,fairytaleshowthatfilmsinPortland,soIcamedowntoSeasideforthe
weekend."

Howinthehellwasthatgoodnews?
"Great,well…"Iforcedasmile."…Ihavetowork,soenjoySeaside."
"Whoa!" Jo-Jo gripped my bicep, her eyes glued to the muscle before she squeezed then

leanedtowardme."Ithoughtwecouldhangouttonight."

"Ihaveathing,"Ilied.
"Actually," Dani piped up, "your schedule's pretty clear. Should I make reservations for you

guyssomewhere?"

IpurposefullysteppedbackwardontoDani'sfoot.
Sheyelpedthenpushedmeoff."Sowhereareyoustaying,Jo-Jo?"
"Oh…" Jo-Jo shrugged. "… hopefully at Hotel de la Lincoln." This was followed by

screechinglaughter.

Ifeltmyentirebodygorigidwithdreadaspartsofmyanatomywentcompletelylimp.
"Wow,"Danicroaked."Okaythen.I'lljustfinishtherestofthestuffonyourlistthengetoutof

yourway,Linc.Gladyouwon'tbebored,withJo-Jotohangwithyou."

Damnit,shehadheardme.
Dani walked off. I watched as her Converse faded from my view, and then the gym door

slammedbehindher.

"Ithoughtshecouldn'thear?"
DearGod,peoplereallyneededtolearnthedifferencebetweenmutenessanddeafness.

IjerkedawayfromJo-Jo."I'mprobablyneededbackonset."
"Yay! I'll watch." She looped her arm in mine, and I briefly contemplated gnawing my own

armoffsothatIcouldgetfree.

Instead,Isaid,"Can'twait,"inthedriest,mostsarcastictoneIcouldmuster,whichtohermust

havebeenadeclarationofundyinglove,sincesheletoutanothersquealandpulledmecloser.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

Dani

HOA, SLOW DOWN THERE."

ANE SLID

my can of Coke Zero away and sat on my lap. How the hell had he

found me on my balcony, and why did he always insist on invading my personal space? Ugh, first
thingtomorrow,Iwasbuyinghimapackofshirts.

"Uffff."Ipushedathisback."Whyareyousoheavy?"
"Iworkonmyfitness,"heteased."Also,notmovinguntilyoutellmewhythere'stwoempty

cans in the trash and a third sitting here like you're trying to get drunk off caffeine, Splenda, and
caramelcoloring."

"AmIboring?"Iasked,genuinelycuriousifthatwaswhatmylifehadcometo—fromlifeof

thepartytotheparty-endingsadgirl.

"Allthetime,"hesaidseriously."ButIliketorture,soIhangoutwithyouanyway."
"Youhavenofriends,"Ipointedout.
Heopenedhismouth.
"Andthemarshmallowbunniesdon'tcount.Wealreadydiscussedthis."
Hegrinnedshamelessly."You'renofun."
"See!"Iyelled.
Rolling his eyes, Zane grabbed my hands and kissed them. "I've known you, what? Three

days?"

"Feelslikeyears,"Igrumbled,reachingformycan.
Heswattedmyhandoutofthewayandstood.
"What?"Istaredathistallform.
"YoumissLincoln,right?"
"No,"Ilied,mycheeksheating.
"Upyougo,Pinocchio."Heheftedmetomyfeet."Nightonthetown.We'recrashingwhatever

date-from-hellLincoln'son,andI'mgoingtostealthegirl."

"Jo-Jo?"Iburstoutlaughing."Youdon'twanttodothat,believeme."
"I'vehaddateswithworse."Zaneranhishandsthroughhisdarkhair."Trustme,Lincmaybe

freshmeat,butI'mnewermeat.Ergo,Istealthegirl,andleaveyoutimewiththeguy."

"Sohecanwhat?"Iwhispered."Rejectmeagain?"
"The girl has a point." Zane tapped his chin. "Or we could grab ice cream downtown, do a

strategicwalk-byoftherestaurant,thengotobedearlylikewinners."

Inoddedmyheadandlaughed."Iespeciallylikethewinningpart."
"Sowhythelongface?"Zaneshrugged.
"Maybeweshouldjustgetitoverwith.We'dbegoodtogether,right?"
"IthinkI'mmissingakeypartofthisconversation."Zaneopenedthedoorthatledbackinto

thehousefromtheupstairsbalcony."Fillmeinwhileyoufindyourshoes?"

"Sex."Inoddedseriously."We'rebothvirgins,orwell,technicallyyouare,I'mnotbutthat's

notthepoint!Myfirsttimewashorrible."

"Saythatlouder."Zaneshushedmewithhishand."Seriously."
"Maybeitwouldbeeasier.Justgetitoverwith."
"Nope."Zaneshookhishead."Areyouevenhearingyourself?Ishouldneverbetheguyyou

getitoverwith…with."

"But—"
"Andyou'rebetterthanthat.Iwouldneverhavesexwithyou.You'rewelcomeforthat."

"Shouldn'tIbeinsulted?"
"Nope."Hesighed,tossingmysandalsatmyface."Ifthere'sanythingI'velearnedit'sthis.You

savorlife.Youdon'tjumpintoitandwishforittobeover,becauseyouneverknowhowmuchtime
you'regoingtobegiven.Youshouldnevergetanythingoverwith—nomatterhowscaryitmaybe."

Igrumbledandpulledonmysandals."Fine."
"Geez,remindmenevertogiveyoulifeadvice."
"Sorry."Igrimaced."Badmood…toomuchsoda…"
Heheldouthishandagain."Whichiswhywe'reeveningitoutwithsugar!"

CECREAMWASA

goodidea.Thenagain,mostofZane'sideasweregood.Ihadaweirdsuspicionhedidn't

really have many friends. I rarely saw him texting anyone, and when I asked about his family, he
lockeduplikeavault.Itwasweird,someonethatfamousnotreallyhavinganyone.Ihadtowonderif
thereasonhehatedstayingalonewasbecausehewaslonely.

Maybe that was why I felt comfortable around him, or as comfortable as a girl could get

around a mega-hot celebrity. He was so easy to be around that I forgot how famous he was, which
nearlycausedanearlyonsetheartattackattheicecreamstore,oneoftheemployeesstartedcrying
andactuallyhandedoverherbra.

Withoutbreakingstride,Zanetookit,signedhisnameonthestrap,handeditback,andgave

thegirlatwenty-dollartip,allthewhilerememberingmyorderandgettingextramarshmallowson
his.

"Youevergoingtotellme?"Iasked,nudginghimintheside.Hetoweredovermesoitwas

morelikeI'delbowedhiship.

Zanelickedhisvanillaicecreamasifhewasmakinglovetothespoon."About?"
"The marshmallow thing," I answered, tossing my cup into the trash and wiping my sticky

handsonthelastofthenapkins.

"Oh."Zanenoddedeagerly.
Iwaited.
"Not a chance in hell." He flashed a grin and stopped walking, his gaze traveling to the

outdoorpatiooftheCrabShack.

Jo-Jowassittingundertheumbrellatwirlingadrinkinherhands,whileLincolnlookedready

tojumpoverthelittlewroughtironfenceandmakearunforit.

"Hedoesn'tlikeher.Atall."Zanelaughed.
"Iknow."Igiggled."Buthedeservesit."
"That?"Zanepointedwithhisspoon."Nomandeserves."
Lincolnthrewhishandsintotheair,tossedafewbillsontothetable,thenleftJo-Jopoutingin

thecorner.Swearing,henearlycollidedwithanothercustomer.

"Lincoln!"Zaneyelled.
"Traitor,"Imutteredundermybreath.
Lincoln swung his gaze in our direction, and his face turned an angry red. "Hey." His eyes

rakedmybodyinbeforehefinallymanagedtogiveZaneatinynod.

"Ouch."Zanerubbedhisstomach."Wow,musthaveeatentoomuchicecream.Canyoutake

Danihome?"

I didn't have time to kill Zane, because as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he was

alreadywalkingbackwardtoward…notwhereourcarwasparked.

"Sure."Lincoln'shoarsevoicepulledatsomethinginmychest,oureyeslocked,andZanewas

completelyforgotten.

"Seeya,"Zanecalled.
DarkcircleslinedLincoln'seyes.Helookedrough."Youwanna…"Hesquintedatthesunset.

"…youwanttogoforawalk?"

Inodded.
Wewalkedinsilenceforawhile,sidebyside,nottouching,buthisbodyheatwasanintensely

tangiblething,reachingoutandsearingmewithhisnearness.Whycouldn'tIlikeaguylikeZane?

Instead,IwascursedtolikeLincoln.
"Okay, here's how this is going to work." Lincoln said once we reached the edge of the

boardwalk, where the sand met the cement. "I'm going to give you three seconds to run. Then I'm
takingoffmyshoesandgoingafteryou."

"Um,what?Why?"Myheartskippedabeat.
He turned his grey gaze on me. "It's a metaphor." His voice lowered. "I want to chase you,

Dani."

Isuckedinabreath.
"Iwanttocaptureyou."
"Isthisacatch-and-releasething?"Itriedtotease,butmyvoicehadturnedallbreathy,andthe

tauntfellshort.

Itdidn'tmatterbecauseheignoredme."One."
IhurriedlyflippedoffmysandalsandstartedrunningasIheardhimyelltwo…thenthree.
Ididn'tmakeitfar.
Until he was lifting me into the air and walking me away from the people and toward the

sunsetand…theocean.

Oncethewaterreachedhisfeet,hesetmedownandtiltedmychintowardhisface,hisfingers

brushingagainstmylips."Caught."

"Yeah,"Iwhisperedascoolwaterrushedovermyankles,"IguessIam."

CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN

Lincoln

SLIDHERDOWNMYBODY,

feelinggoodforthefirsttimeintwodays.Hell,Ifeltmorethangood.

"So now that you're caught, no more running," I whispered, my mouth meeting hers in a

tenderkiss.

"Youhurtme."Danipulledback.
Ileanedforwardwantingmore."Iknow."Ourforeheadstouched."Butit'snotbecauseIdon't

wantyou.Atleastletmeexplainmymadness."

Shechewedherlowerlipandgaveonesolidnod.
Igrabbedherhandandstartedwalkingwithheralongtheshore."It'sbeentwoweeks.That's

howlongI'veknownyou,andthoughmyplayboystatusisn'texactly…workinginmyfavorwhenit
comestoyou,Iwanttodothingsright.IwanttotakeyououtonadatebeforeIhavesexwithyou."

Danistoppedwalkingandlookedup,liftingonesexy-as-sineyebrow."Justonedate?"
"Areyouaskingbecauseyou'reeagerorbecauseyouthinkI'mgoingtodoonedatetomake

myselffeellessguiltythenfindtheclosestdarkareaIcanseduceyouin?"

"Uhhh."Hercheeksblushedbrightpink.
"More than one date," I answered before she could embarrass herself further. "Maybe three,

four,ten—Whoknows?Imayevenlikedates."

"Whoa!Youdon'tknowifyoulikedates?"Danidroppedmyhandandpeeredupatme.She

gasped."You'veneverbeenonadate?"

"WhereIwasincontrolofit?"Ishookmyhead."Nope,you'dbeafirst."
"Whatiswithyoucelebrities?"Danimutteredunderherbreath.
"Whatwasthat?"Iasked,totallyconfused.
"Nothing."Shegrabbedmyhandagain."Ithoughtitwasbecauseofmyage…thewholenot

wantingtosleepwithme,orevenbecause…"Shesighedandstoppedwalkingagain."…ifIstopped
talkingagainforsomefreakreason,itwouldembarrassyou."

I pulled her into my arms. "Seriously? How could you even think that? If you never talked

another day in your life, you'd still be you, just less vocal." I kissed her cheek. "You could never
embarrassme."

Danibeamed.
AndIcouldn'thelpit;Ihadtokissheragain.Ithadbeenforty-eighthours,andIwasalready

thirstingforanothertasteofher.

Ourmouthsmetsoftly,andthenwithalaugh,Iliftedherintotheairandlaidherdownonthe

sand, falling with her, balancing my weight on my elbows as I hovered over her. Sand went
everywhere,butitwasthelastthingonmymindassherespondedtomykiss.

Ibreathedherin,tastedeverypartofher,andselfishlyjustwantedmore,eventhoughIknewit

wassmarttogoslow,toatleastwaituntilherbirthdaybeforeIchangedherlifeforeverbyclaiming
herinfrontoftheworld.

Shebrokethekiss."Imissedyou,too."
Smiling against her mouth, I kissed her again, and when the breeze started turning chilly, I

coveredherwithmybodyandcontinuedheatingherupwithmorekissesuntilmymouthwasswollen
frommakinglovetohers.

Myphonebuzzedinmybackpocketforthemillionthtime.
Finally,Ilaybackonmyelbowsandpulleditout.AfewmissedtextsfromDemetriandJay.
"Your family." I showed her the screen. "I should bring you home before they send out a

searchparty."

"Or…"Danishrugged."…youcouldtakemetoyours."
I froze, my body instantly latching on to that idea like it was the best thing I'd heard since

discoveringself-servefrozenyogurt.

"Jaywouldkillme."Yet,Iwasstillarguingwithmyselfaboutwhyitwasagoodidea.Itwould

keepherawayfromZane.

"Probably."Danilaughedasshegotupanddustedsandfromherjeans."Okay,fine.Takeme

homebeforeJaymesoncallsthepolice."

"I'msureZanetoldhimwhereyouwere."
Dani gave me a look. "Kinda my point. Besides, if our picture somehow ends up getting

everywhereagain…"

"Shit."Irubbedmyeyes,asIrealizedwhatmypublicistwoulddo."Dani,youneedtoknow

something,andbeforeyoufreakout,letmeexplain."

Hereyesnarrowedintotinyslits.
"My publicist wanted me to pretend to be in a relationship with you because she thinks it's

goodformyimage.Itoldhertokissmyass,whichI'msureshe'sstillpissedabout,butthelastthingI
wantisforhertothinkI'musingyouorforthattosomehowspread.Youthinkwecan…"Itriedto
think of a careful way to word things. "… not necessarily hide, but keep this a secret until your
birthday?"

Dani'seyebrowsshotup."So,likesecretfriendswhokiss?"
Iexhaledinrelief."Exactly."
Shenodded."Soclose,Linc,youwereso,very,veryclose."
"Close?"
"Youcan'tkissmethenaskmetokeepitasecret.Eitherwe'retogetherorwe'renot.Myage

shouldn'thaveanythingtodowithit.Plentyofpeopledatewithanagegap.Yougetmenowornotat
all."

"Okay,first…"Ijumpedtomyfeet."…you'reoverreacting."
Sheglared.
"Second,Iunderstandwhy.It'snotbecauseI'mashamedofyou.It'sbecauseI'mprotectingyou.

There'sadifference."

Shouldersslumping,shenoddedherhead."Fine,butifwe'redoingthiswholefriends-thing,

wedoitalltheway.Nokissing,noholdinghands,nothing.Oncewe'reactuallydating,youcankiss
meallyouwant.Youcanevenchaseaftermeinthesandalloveragain,butuntilthen…"Sheheldout
herhand.Ithinkshewantedmetoshakeit."…friends."

Igrippedherhandinmine.Itwassosmall,frail."YouknowthelastthingIwanttodoisshake

yourhand."

Shenodded.
"Strippingyounakedseemslikeabetteroption."
Dani'seyeswidened.
"And that—" I tugged her against me. "—is why I'm trying to protect you. Because you're

young,inexperienced,beautifulandpure.Andtryingtokeepmythoughtsonthestraightandnarrow
maydamnwellkillme."

"Areyousaying…Itemptyou?"Aslow,salaciousgrinspreadoverherface.
"Youhavenoidea."Isaidinagruffvoice."Butsure,yeah.Friendsfortwoweeks.Howhard

canitbe?Imean,youandZanearefriends."

"True."
"Why…"Iswallowed."…areyoufriends?"

"He'seasytotalkto,andhedoesn'taskmetokeephimasecret."
"Lowblow."
"I'm just saying." Dani swiped her sandals and started walking back toward the boardwalk.

"Plus,it'seasytobefriendswithsomeonewhenyouaren'twaitingforthemtokissyou,though—"
Herfaceturnedbrightred.

"Dani."Istoppedwalking,mybloodpumpingfuriouslythroughmybody."Didhe?"Icouldn't

evengetthewordsout."Didhekissyou?AllIsawwasareallyclosehug.Tellmeitwasahug,Dani.
Tellme."

"Look."Danipointedup."Themoon."
"Sonofabitch!"Iyelled,kickingthesandwithmybarefoot.Thedesiredeffectofhavingthe

kickcooldownmyangerhadn'tworked.Notbyalongshot.SoIkickedthesandagainthenstarted
pacingbackandforth.

"Hedidn'tmeanit,"Danisaidinaboredvoice."Ithinkinhisowntwistedwayhewastryingto

helpme."

Istoppedpacingandfacedher."Bykissingyou?Howthehellisthathelpful?"
Dani'sfacebrokeoutintoabrightgrin."Itgotyourattention,right?"
"Dani, listen to me very carefully." I braced her shoulders with my hands. "You could wear

camouflage and hide out in the bushes, and you'd still have all my attention. It doesn't take much,
believeme."

"Wereyoutryingtoberomantic?"
I sighed. "Sorry that the fact that Zane freaking mauled you with his mouth has me off my

game,butyeah,Ithinkromancewasthegoal."

"Didn'treachit,Linc,"sheteased.
Sighing,Ireleasedherandthenreachedforherhand,butshepulledback.
"Nope."Danisighed."Friends,remember?"
Irritated,Ikickedthesandagainaswemadeourwaybacktotheboardwalk."Imaycometo

hatethatwordbeforethetime'sup."

"Isthatmybirthdaypresentthen?"Daniasked.Oncewereachedthecement,shedroppedher

sandalsandkickedthesandoffthem.

"Adate?"Iaskedconfused.
"Oryoupoppingoutofmycake…singing…"Sheshrugged."…shirtless."
Ilaughed."Imayaswellrideinonawhale…mesinginginpublic?Youdon'twantthat.The

worldisn'treadyforthat."

"Areyouthatbad?"
I leaned in like I was going to kiss her, stopping right before her lips. "Actually, I'm that

good."

"I'llbelieveitwhenIhearit."Shecrossedherarms.
"Guessyou'llhavetotrustme,friend."
Hereyesnarrowed."We'llseehowlongyoulast."
"Older,"Iaddedfallingintostepbesideher,"alsomoremature.Icantotallyhandleit."
"Right."
"Domeafavor?"Iwalkedhertomytruckslowly,tryingtoeaseherintothefactthatIwas

goingtodriveherhomeinitandhopeforthebest."LeavethedoorunlockedtonightsoIcansneak
inandsmotherZanewithapillow."

"No!"Sheburstoutlaughing."He'smyfriend!"
"AndwhenyousayfriendyoumeanitdifferentthanwhenyousayI'myourfriend…right?"
"Well…" Dani hesitated, chewing her lower lip while my heart plummeted to my knees. "I

guessyou'llfindout."

Damnstupididea.

CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT

Dani

Y THE GIANT SMILE ON YOUR

face, I take it my plan worked," Zane said the next morning, as he poured

himself a cup of coffee and tossed two marshmallows on top. He turned around and stretched his
coffeeabovehishead,hisabmusclesbasicallystretchingawaveofgoodmorninginmydirection.

I'dalreadygivenuponhimwearinganythingbutpantsinthehouse.Itwasabattlejusttoget

himtowearashirttothestore,letaloneintheactualcomfortofmyhome,whichhenowreferredto
ashishome.PartofmewonderedifJaymesonhadadoptedhimorsomething.

"Yes." I swiped a marshmallow from the top of his coffee and popped it into my mouth. "It

worked.Buthewantstobefriendsuntilaftermybirthday."

"Ha!"ZanesmackedmyhandbeforeIcouldreachintohiscoffeeagain."PoorLinc'sgoingto

beinaworldofhurt.IthinkIshouldhelphimbysendingencouragingteam-buildingtextslike'There
isnoIinteam,butthereisoneinkiss.'Ormaybethisone."Zaneclosedhiseyes,thensnappedthem
open. "'It's not the destination. It's the hot, wanton, sweaty journey.' Yes…" He nodded, and a self-
satisfiedsmirkjackeduponesideofhismouth."…Ilikethelastonebest.Quick,takeoffyourshirt
soIcansendhimdirtypicturetextswiththem."

Irolledmyeyes."Notachance."
Hepouted."You'renofun."
"BecauseIwon'ttakeoffmyshirt?"
"Adirtytextadaykeepsthedocaway."
"Yousureyou'reavirgin?"
"I'm a virgin, not a priest." He rolled his eyes then went to the pantry to grab a few more

marshmallows.

"Zane…"Ifrowned."…maybeyoushouldhavesomethingotherthansugarforbreakfast."
Hisgazeneverleavingmine,hepoppedthreemoremallowsintohismouth,chewedslowly,

swallowed,thengrinned."Youweresaying?"

"Protein?"Ioffered."WhatifImakeyoueggs?"
"Mandon'tneedwomanmakeeggs."Hesmackedhischest."Manmakeownfood!"
Iwaitedforhimtostoppoundinghischestthengrabbedtheeggsfromthefridgeandhanded

themtohim.

He stared at the eggs like they were born from an alien then stared at the stove. "Step aside,

woman.I'mhuntingandgatheringhere."

Withalaugh,Isteppedoutofhiswaythenwentbackintomyroomtofinishgettingready.
IstillhadthirtyminutesleftbeforeIwouldbeneededonset.Igrabbedasweaterbecausethe

beachalwayshadachillybreezeandswipedsomelip-glossonmymouth.

BythetimeImadeitbackintothekitchen,Zanehadsetouttwoplates,bothpiledhighwith

eggs, and had somehow either killed a pig or discovered the bacon in the fridge and fried it up as
well.Twoglassesoforangejuiceweresetonthecounter,andhe'dbutteredtoast.

"Youcan…"Ipointed."…cook?"
"What made you think I couldn't?" He gave me a look of disbelief. "Damn, are my abs that

distracting?"

"Youeatmarshmallowsforeverymeal,"Isaidinexasperation."I'vebeenworriedaboutyour

nutritionforthreedays!"

"Please."Zanerolledhisgorgeouseyes."JustbecauseIdon'teatwhenyou'rearounddoesn't

mean I don't eat. How else could I look this good? Marshmallow diets don't produce muscle, high

school.Don'tschoolsteachyouanythinganymore?"

Ignoring him, I sat down, grabbed a piece of toast, and nearly screamed in protest when he

droppedamarshmallowonmyeggsfor"addedtexture."

"Seriously."Ipushedthemallowawaywithmyfork."Whatiswithyouandthesethings?"
Zanewentstillbesideme,hisfacepaleashestareddownathisplate.Jawrigid,hegrippedthe

countertop with both hands as if he was thinking about splitting the granite in half. Then he very
slowlyturnedtostareatme."Idon'ttalkaboutit."

I'dneverseenZanelooksohaunted,soserious."Maybeyoushould."
Hehesitated,staringdownathisplatebrieflybeforesayinginahoarsevoice,"Theywereher

favorite."

Ireachedacrossthetableandgrippedhishand."Who?"
Hisentirebodyshutdownashegavemyhandonesqueezebeforereleasingitandattacking

hiseggswithfervor.Whenhewasfinished,hewasstilltense.

Iwantedtoaskhimwhereshewas,whathadhappenedtoher,butIwasalreadygoingtobe

late,andsomethingtoldmethathewasn'tabouttoopenupandhaveatherapysessionwithagirlhe
hardlyknew.

"Go." Zane sighed then flashed me a happy smile. "I'll hold the fort down here. Any special

requestsfordinner?"

"Areyoucookingforme?"
"Well, I'm assuming I'm cooking for both you and Linc, considering he probably wanted to

murdermelastnight."

"Smotheryouwithapillowactually."
Hewavedmeoff."Details."
"Spaghetti,"Ianswered.
"Messyforadatemeal,butokay."
"Notadate,"Icorrected."Friends,remember?"
"Oh,Ireallycan'twait,Dani."HisgrinwasevilasIranoutthedoorandtowardmyJeep.
Fourteen days was nothing. I knew I would be fine. Besides, my day was going to be insane

sinceJayhadaskedifIcouldassisthimaswell.

ANI!"

AYMESON YELLED MY

name over the radio. I'd been toying with the idea of tossing the irritating

blackobjectintotheoceanforthepasthour.BeingJaymeson'sassistantwasworsethanbeingLinc's.
At least Linc liked order; he made lists for crying out loud. Jaymeson didn't know what he needed
untilheneededit,anditwasalwaysrightthen,inthatmoment.ButpagingmewhileIwasusingthe
restroomwasanall-newlow.HedidafreakingcountdownovertheradiountilImadeittohistrailer,
thankfullywithouttoiletpaperattachedtomysandal.

"What?"IheavedinexertionasIburstintohistrailer,onlytoseehimcalmlyeatingChinese

foodwithchopsticksandbarelymanagingtwograinsofriceperbite.

"I'mhungry."Heyawned."Chinesefoodsucks,butthat'sallPriswantsnowthatshe'spregnant.

Ithinkit'sthesalt,whichisreallybadforyou,butwhenIsaidthattoher,herfacegotveryred,andI
felt fear tremble in my—" He winced. "Let's just say pants. See how I'm learning to censor myself
whenitcomestoyou?Bloodybrilliantofme."

"Oh,you'rebloodysomething,"Isaidinatersevoice.

"Question…"Heliftedachopstickintotheair."Whenyouweren'ttalking,wereyouthinking

allthosesnarkythings?"

"Yup."
"Feelgoodtosaythemoutloud,doesit?"
"Youhavenoidea."Isighed."Jay,Istillhaven'tgottenlunchforLinc,andheactuallypaysme.

Didyouneedanything?"

Jaymesonfrowned."Iledwiththat…I'mhungry."
Ipointedtohisricebowl."Youhavefood."
"Iwantahamburger!"hegrowled."Nomorerice.Riceisforpregnantpeoplewithnotaste

buds.I'maman.Idemandbeef."

Icountedtothreethenliftedmyhandsintheair."Fine.I'llhaveaburgerandfriesdeliveredto

yourtrailer,juststoppagingme.Ineedtoeattoo,youknow."

"No."Jaymesondroppedhischopsticksintothebowlandsetitonthecounter."IfIkeepyou

busyenough,youwon'tbespendingasmuchtimewithLincoln,meaninghekeepshisdirtyhandsoff
you."

Aslowburningfuseofangerlitinsideme."AndifIwantthemonme?"
Jaymesongavemeapointedglare."Whatif…?"Hisshouldershunched."Damnit.I'malready

turningintoafather."

Iexhaledandtookaseatbesidehim."Howdoyoufigure?"
Jaymesonglancedup,hiseyessparklingwithtears."Whatifyoustoptalkingagain?WhatifI

can'treachyou?Whatifhehurtsyou?Iworryaboutthesethingsconstantly,asifI'mnotalreadyat
mywits'end,sanity-wise."

ItookJaymeson'shandinmine."Don'tfocusonit.Itrynotto.IfIthinkaboutnottalking,Ican

almostfeeltheblockcomingupagain,mytonguefeelsheavyinmymouth,Istartsweating…panic
setsin.Honestly,I'mtryingnottothinkaboutitorwhattriggersit.Ijustwanttolive.Youshouldtoo.
Besides,he'salreadyhurtme,andIstillhadwordsafterthefact.Theyweremeanonestoo.Ithinkhe
evenflinched."

"Didyouyell?"Jaymeson'sgazeturnedhopeful.
"Loudly."Inodded."Asmartmanwouldhavetakencover."
"Buthe'snotsmart."
"He kissed me instead." I smiled at the memory. "Which was probably a better choice,

consideringhadhejustwalkedaway,Iwouldhavethrownmyshoeathishead."

"Iforgethowmatureyouare."Jaygrinnedandpulledmeinforasidehug."Fine,goassist

him,butifheasksfor…"Hischeeksreddenedashecoughedintohishand."…youknow,thatsort
of…help,justsayno."

"Oh,sowhenheasksforamassage,that'scodewordforsex?"
"Always."Jaymesonnodded.
"AndwhenheasksifIwanttotakemyshirtoffsohecanseewhatthelighting'slikeinhis

trailer?"

"WHAT?"Jayjumpedoutofhisseat.
"Kidding."Ismirked."Hewouldneverdothat.We'refriendsnow."Ispatthewordlikepoison.
"Yeah, right." Jaymeson growled. "And I'm a virgin school girl. I highly doubt this whole

friend-charadewilllastlong.He'saman."

"Onewhohasnervesofsteelandpatiencetomatch."Itriedtokeepthepoutoutofmyvoice.
"Ifhecan'twaitforyou,"Jaymesonwhispered,pullingmeinforanotherhug,"thenhedoesn't

deserveyou."

"Thanks,Jay."

"Now…"Hesqueezedmybodyonelasttime."…gogetmyburger."

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

Lincoln

DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH OF

a creature of habit I was until Dani started working for me. It was semi-

embarrassing to give her daily lists of my weird quirks that, up until now, I'd never realized were
evenodd.

I only wanted my blinds open in the morning. I had to have them closed, blanketing me in

darkness around six at night if I was still on set. The Today Show always had to be playing when I
walkedin.Andcoffeeneededtobeavailableatalltimes.

Nottoobad,ifyouaskedme,butthen,thewholeSkittlesthingwasnextonthelist.Ineeded

Skittles at all times. And if my bowl for some reason became empty, I felt… panicked. Great, so
Skittlesweremycomfortfood.

AddinonlytwobrandsofbottledwaterI'ddrink.
And the special laundry detergent, and I seriously felt like a freaking diva. I was trying to

rewritemylistforherforthenextday,crossingthingsout,tryingtomakemyselfseemlesslikea
tyrant,moreeasygoing,whensheburstintomytrailerwithabagofhot,steamingfood.

"Please,"Isaidinahoarsevoice,"letthatbeahamburgerandfries!"
Danigavemeatiredsmileandplacedthebrownsackonthetable."Gocrazy."Withahuff,

shesatonthecouchandheldherheadinherhands."Hey,ifIaskedforathirty-minutebreak,would
youfireme?"

"Youhaven'ttakenabreakallday?"Iglancedattheclockonthewall."Dani,it'snearingtwo

intheafternoon.Youstartedworkatsixandhaven'tstoppedmovingsince."

Sheletoutaquietyawn."Iknow,butJayneededmetoday."
"Comeagain?"
"Mybrother-in-law,"sherepeated,"neededmebecausehisassistant'ssickorsomething."
"Jay'sassistant—"Ilaughed."—isn'tsick."
"No?"
"No.BecauseJay'sassistantdoesn'texist.He'sneverhadanassistant."
"No!" Dani let out a pitiful groan. "No, no, no." She punched the couch. "So I've been at his

beckandcallfornoapparentreason?Ikeptprayinghisassistantwouldhaveamiraculousrecovery!I
wasonmyknees,Linc!"

Iburstoutlaughing."Seemstomelikehe'stryingtokeepyoutoobusyandtiredtobewith

me."

Dani curled up on the couch and laid her head on the pillow, tucking her hands under her

cheek."Well,hesucceeded.I'mexhaustedandhungry."

Withasigh,Iopenedthebagoffriesandliftedonetoherlips."Eat."
Sheopenedhermouth.
Andendedupeatingmyentirelunch.
NotthatIcared.Feedingherwas…kindofnice.Infact,justhavinghernearmewasnice.It

calmedmebetterthananysortofyogashitoralcohol.Herpresencealonewasenoughtomakemy
headclear.

"Thanks,Linc,"shewhispered,hereyesclosed."Youdidn'thavetofeedme."
"ButIwantedto."Ikissedherforehead,mylipslingering,tinglingwiththeneedtotasteher,

lickthesaltfromherlips,doanythingbutpullawayandgobacktowork.

"Smallnap?"sheasked,eyesstillclosed.
"Takeaslongasyouneed.Ipayyou.Jaydoesn't."Ikissedheronelasttimeandmademyway

outofthetrailer,bodyaching,heartclenching.Whenhadithappened?Howhadasmall,seventeen-
year-oldgirlwiggledherwayintomylifeintheshortspanoftwoweeks?

Panic set in when I realized we'd only film for another two months, and then I'd be out of

Seaside.

Iglancedbackatthetrailer.Somethingtoldmethatwasn'tgoingtohappen,andthatSeaside

wasgoingtoclaimonemorefromHollywood.Huh,maybetherewassomethinginthewater.

PAGHETTI."

STAREDDOWN

attheplatelaterthatnight."Youcookedforus?"Zanewascurrentlyshirtless,

sportingapinkapronwithcupcakessplatteredalloverit.

"Why does everyone assume I'm without domestic skills?" Zane asked aloud. "It's somewhat

offensive."

"Idon'tknow,man."Ieyedhimupanddowninhesitation,"Maybeit'stheskulltattoosonyour

armsandthepiercednose?"

"What, this old thing?" Zane pointed to the stud in his nose and heaped a pile of pasta onto

Pris'splatethatdoubledthesizeofJaymeson's."Eatingfortwo."

It was probably the last meal any of us would have together before filming ended. Our

schedulewasgoingtobeinsaneoverthenextfewweeks,whichIwassemi-thankfulfor,considering,
wheneverIhadanyfreetime,IjustwantedtomaulDaniandstealherawayfromsociety.

"Thanks,Zane."Danireachedupandsqueezedhishand.
SparksofjealousysurgedthroughmeasIeyedtheirhands.IknewZanewasn'tthetypetotry

toseduceherawayfromme,butitwasstillZane.Thesameguywho,whilewalkingdownthestreet,
gave an elderly woman a heart attack, then upon noticing her not breathing, started chest
compressionsandsavedherlife.Hewasoncegiventhekeystothesmalltownhewasrecordingin.

Hewasknownforhislooksandtalentasmuchashiscrazysexcapades.ThelastthingIwanted

wasashirtlessZanewalkingaroundthehouse.

"So…" Jaymeson cleared his throat. "… I know all of our schedules have been intense, and

thingsareabouttogetcrazierwithPrispregnant."

Pristouchedherstillflatstomach,beaminginmydirection.
"AndwithZaneneedingsometimeoff,wethoughtitjustmadesensetohavehimstayherea

littlelongerandhelpout."

"Helpout?"Isquinted."Whatas?Amanny?"
"I'dbeabadassmanny,"Zanesaidinaseriousvoice."Iraisedmysisters.Literally."
Hehadsisters?
IexchangedaconfusedlookwithDaniwhileJaykepttalking.
"So,we'reextendingZaneanopen-endedinvitationtostayaslongashe'dlike.Ofcourse,you

needtopitchin,butitmayinspireyournewalbum.Plus,goingbacktoanemptyhomeinMalibu…"
Jay'svoicetrailed."…doesn'tsoundlikethemostinspiringthingI'veeverheard."

"ClimbEverest,"Iinterjected."There'syourdamninspiration."
"Oh,Ididthat…"Zanemetmygaze."…twice."
"Proveit."
Hedid.
Bypullingouthisphoneandshowingtheentiretablepictures.DaniwassoengrossedInearly

fake-chokedinordertogainbackherattention.

Friends.Theywerejustfriends.
Likeus.
Shit.
Mypalmsstartedtosweat.
He'dnevertoldhershewastooyoung.
He'dnevermadeherfeelsmallandstupid.
NO,becausefreakingZaneAndrewswasasaint.
Double.Shit.
"Dani."Isaidhernameabitloudly.
AlleyesturnedtomeasIofficiallylostmytrainofthought.Theonlythingonmymindwas

"Marryme,gotoVegas,leaveallthoughtsofZanebehindbeforeImurderhim."

"What?"Sheleanedbackagainstme.
Finally.
Zanesmirked.
"Nothing."Isighedkissingherhead."Sorry,justtired."
"I'dlovetostay."Zanesaidloudly."Youguysarelikefamily,andit'salwaysgreattohave…"

HeeyedDanilikeshewasdessert."…friends."

"Slumberparty."Daniwinkedathim."Perfect."
"Thelastonewasmyfavorite,"hewhispered.
"You'rehavingslumberparties?"Ishouted."Jaymeson,dosomething!He's—he's—he's—"
"Beingnice?"Prisfinished."Danistillgetsnightmares,youknow."
"No." I felt stupid and ashamed. I hadn't known. And I felt like an ass for being jealous, but

mainlyIfeltlikeaselfishassbecauseIwantedtobetheonecomfortingher,notZane.

"Youcancometoournextone,"Zanesaid,allseductiveglancesvoid."Promise."
"Doyoupainttoenails?"Iasked,tryingtolightenthemood.
"Onlymine."Danilaughed."AndZane'swhenhefallsasleep."
Zanerolledhiseyes."Onetime."
Justhowmanydamnslumberpartieshadtheyhadtogether?
"Thanks,guys."Zanestaredintohisglass."Fortheinvitation.Ireallylikeithere.Youwere

right,Jay."HeandJaymesonsharedalookIcouldn'tdecipherasJaymeson'sfacesoftened,likehe
feltsorryforthebastard.

"Happytohaveyou,man."Hisvoiceevenbroke.Whatthehell?
IglancedbackatZane,hopingtoclueintotheunderlyingmessagethatwasn'tgettingspoken

outloud,buthewasbacktoshovelingfoodinhismouth,andIwasleftwonderingiftherewasmore
totheguythanI'doriginallyassumed.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

Lincoln

HE NEXT TEN DAYS FLEW BY

inablur.EvenifI'dwantedtoseduceDani,Iwouldn'thavehadtheenergy.It

tookallIhadtoevenshoweratnight.Iwasputtinginfourteen-hourdaysalongwithPris.Theonly
reason I ate was because Dani was incredible and made sure I always had snacks in my trailer. She
evenhadafewextrasetsofclothesbroughtinwithessentialsfrommyrentedhouse,sinceitseemed
stupidformetogobacktothehouseandsleepforonehourbeforebeingneededbackinmakeup.

The schedule was wearing on me, wearing on everyone — even Jay, who rarely raised his

voiceattheactors.Thelastpersonwho'dforgottenalinegotcompletesilence,whichmeantJaywas
aboutreadytolosehisshit.

Theweatherwasn'tcooperating,probablybecausewewereshootingwhatwassupposedtobe

takingplaceinthesummer,inthefall.Thetouristseasonhadbeenwaytoobusyforustochanceit;
plus,itwouldhavebeenbasicallyimpossibletoblockoffpartofthepublicbeachesforfilming,and
thelastthingweneededwasteenagerswithcameraphonesleakingfootage.

IfinishedmylastlinewithPris.Hereyesweretired.Hell,itwasprobablyharderforherthan

itwasforanyone.Shewasatleastpregnant.Jaymeson'sonlyexcusewasthathewasbothdirecting
andstarring.

"Cut,"Jaymesonsaidinatiredvoice."Linc,forthisnextshot,canyouturntowardthecamera

more."Ishiftedmyfeettotheright."Stop,rightthere,great,okay,deliverthosesamelines."

Itstartedtorain.
"We'refilmingthroughit!"Jayshoutedasthemarkwasset.
"Action."
"Whatdoyouwantmetosay?Pickme?Overmybrother?"Iranmyhandsthroughmyhair;

the rain started pouring, water dripped from my eyelids down my cheeks as Pris reached for my
wrist.

"Please,"shebegged."Don'tmakemechoose.Ican't.Iloveyouboth."
"Bullshit!"Iyelled,jerkingawayfromher."That'simpossible,andit'ssick.Shit,it'slikethe

pastisonrepeat."Iturnedtowardthecamera,myeyeslockingwithDani'sasshehandedJayawater
bottle.

"Thepast?"Prisplacedherhandonmyshoulder."Talktome.Whatdoyoumean?"
Isnortedindisgust."Youshouldaskmybrother."
MyshirtstucktomybodylikeasecondskinasIclenchedmyfistsanddeliveredthelastof

mylines,nottakingmyeyesoffDani.

"I love you. Not that my love means anything. Not when you compare it to his, but…" My

voicebroke."…Iloveyou."

"Cut,"Jaymesonsaidquietly.
Theentiresetwassilent.
Iwasn'tsureifthatwasagoodthingorbadthing.Itcouldreallygoeitherway.Thankfully,it

went the right way as Jay stood, clapped twice, and nodded his head in approval. "Good job, Linc.
Thatwasbrilliant.Really,reallybrilliant."

"Thanks."Myemotionswereallovertheplace.Iwasovertired,overworked,soakingwet,and

Iwanted—noIneededDani.

Sheeyedmeupanddown,herhungrygazedrinkingmein.
AndIlostallabilitytostayback.Whenhereyeslockedonmine,Ijustsnapped.Therewasno

otherwaytoexplainit.Bloodsurgedthroughmyveins,andmyeyesstruggledtotakeinherbeauty

asherhoodedeyesdamnnearclosed.Herbody,evenfromthisfaraway,Icouldtell,eruptedinhead-
to-toe goose bumps. Her thin white tank top was drenched; a pink bra peeked through, teasing me
beyondmycontrol.

"I'llbeback,"IcalledtowhomeverwouldlistenasIstompedtowardDani,grippedherbythe

wrist,andpulledherbehindme.IweavedusbetweenaseriesoftrailersuntilIknewwewerealone.

Ilookedleftthenright.
"Linc,whatareyou—?"
"Screwfriendship,"IgrowledbeforeIslammedmymouthagainsthersinarough,desperate

kiss.RainpeltedoffourbodiesasIsuckedherlips,licked,thenangledmyheadsoIcouldtasteher
more—getmore.Ijustwantedmore,damnit.

Dani wrapped her arms around my neck, interlocking her fingers and tugging me closer to

herlittlebody.Istillwasn'tcloseenough.Everykissbecamenomorethanatease.Igrippedhershirt
withmyhand,twistingittopullhercloser,exposingherskin.Myhandmetherhotflesh,andIdidthe
unthinkable,somethingI'dneverbeenaccusedofinmylife.Ifreakingblewthewholespectrumof
PDAoutofthewaterandtriedtoremovehershirt.

Inaparkinglot.
Clearly,shewasn'tabouttostopmeeitherwiththewaysherockedherbodyagainstme.She

mightbeyoung,possiblyinnocent,butshemadeupforitwithenthusiasm,anddamn,thatenthusiasm
wasgoingtokillme.

Ibrokethekiss,andtookastepback,chestheaving.
DanireachedformejustasIreachedforheragain.
Mymouthwasbackonhersinaninstant,clamoringtodrinkherin,beggingforanysortof

releaseshecouldgive.

"Well,well,well."Amalevoicechuckledinthedistance."Icertainlydon'tkissmyfriendslike

that."

Slowly, I pulled back from Dani and turned to my left, where Zane was standing, holding a

box of donuts and a coffee. "Thought Dani might need a break, but I think she's going to like your
breakmorethanmine."

"Damnright,"Imuttered.
"Lip-gloss." Zane pointed to my mouth. "Some pink right on the corner. Other than that, I'd

neverknowyouwerejustmaulingJaymeson'slittlesister."

Iglared.
"Inbetweentwotrailers."Hegrinned."Inbroaddaylight."
"Iknowwhattimeitis,"Ispat."Can'tyoubecharmingelsewhere?"
"Ofcourse."Zanenodded."I'mlikethegoodfairyofcharm,justwavingmy…wand…"He

winkedatDani."…allovertheplace."

"Keepyourwandinyourpants,youbastard,"Isnarled.
"Hey,Dani,isityourbirthdayyet?"Zaneignoredme."Because,bymycalculations,westill

havethreedays."

Danireachedformyhandthensqueezed."Threedayssoundsright."
"Hmm."Zanedidn'tmoveaninch.
Rollingmyeyes,Igrabbedthedonutsfromhishandsaswellasthecoffee."Youcangonow."
"Sorry." Zane shrugged, not looking the least bit sorry. "But I've just nominated myself

chaperone."

"Good,becauseIjustnominatedmyselftothetaskofbeatingtheshitoutofyou."
"Youfindthem?"Jayroundedthecorner."ThankGod,Ithoughtmystaractorhaddrownedor

something.You'reneededonset.We'regoingtore-shootthelastsceneonemoretimeatadifferent

angle."Jaygavemeapointedlook."Asin,rightnow.Today."

"Runalongnow,Linc.I'vegotthis."Zanewinked.
Cursing under my breath, I pulled Dani in for a chaste kiss on her cheek then whispered,

"Leaveyourwindowopentonight,Rapunzel.I'mclimbingin."

Hercheeksturnedpink,butshegavemeanaffirmingnodbeforeIwalkedoff,leavingheryet

againinSaint'sclutches.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

Dani

EWASN'TCOMING.

It'snotlikehespecifiedatimetoshimmyupmydrainpipe,butIassumeditwouldbebefore

midnight.Itwasalready12:05.Withasigh,Ishiftedtoturnoffmylampwhenasmallstoneclattered
againstmywindow.Giddy,Ijumpedoutofbed,hurriedovertomywindow,andpulleditopen.

Therehestood,lookingupatmywindow,facesexyandgleaminginthemoonlight.Be still

my heart, my pulse, my body… Heck, be still everything. He was so gorgeous it was unfair. "Hey,
Romeo."Ilaughed."Whatbringsyoubymywindowsolate?"

"Iwashopingtogetlucky."Lincwinked.
Istartedtoclosemywindow.
"Joke!"heyelled."Itwasajoke!"
Ipoppedmyheadoutandcrookedmyfinger."Aren'tyougoingtoclimbup?"
Lincwaswearingahoodedblacksweatshirt;hepulledthehoodoverhisfaceandshovedhis

handsintohispockets."Actually,Iwashopingyou'dcomedown."

"It'smidnight!"
"Actually…"Hecheckedhiswatch."…it'snearing12:08,butwho'skeepingtrack?"
Iwas.Embarrassinglyenough."WhydoIneedtocomedownthere?Inthecold?"
"Ibuiltafire."
"You'refromLA,sowhenyousayyoubuiltafire,youhavetounderstandthatIassumeyou

hiredsomeonetodigyouahole,throwfirewoodinit,andlightamatch."

"I'm a guy. Playing with matches is basically right up there with discovering your hand can

maketheshapeofagun."

Hehadapointthere.
"So?"Heheldopenhisarms."Don'tleavemehanging.Plus,Ihaveasurprise."
"Really?"
"You'llneverknowunlessyoucomedown."
Ichewedmylowerlip.JaymesonwouldkillmeifIwascaughtoutwithLincoln,especially

sincehe'dwarnedmethatverynighttokeepmydistance,andwhenIaskedwhy,he'dsaid,"BecauseI
saidso,that'swhy."

ItwasliterallylikemyfatherhadpossessedJaymeson'sbody.Heevenusedthedadvoiceand

stompedofflikeitwasmyfaulthewasgettinggrayhairorsomething.

"Fine,"Icalledback."Givemeafewminutes."
Ithrewonapairofskinnyjeansandasweatshirt,pulledmyhairbackintoaponytail,andhid

theblondelocksunderaYankeescap.I'ddiscoveredhowtosneakoutthedayImovedin;itwasn't
hard.Eachlevelhadabalconywithstairs,soallIhadtodowasmakeittothebalcony,aboutatwo-
footjump,andIwasalreadyrunningdownthestairsandintoLincoln'sarms.

"Ooof!" He let out a curse as I tackle-hugged him. "Wasn't expecting you to pack such a

punch."

"StrongerthanIlook."
Hepaused,cuppingmyfacewithhishands."Yes,youreallyare."
"So…"IclearedmythroatsoIwouldn'tfocusonthetenderwayhewaslookingatme,orthe

waymyheartdidcartwheelsinmychest."…where'smysurprise?"

"Followme."Hegrippedmyhandandledmedowntotherockycliffsthatlinedthebeach.We

carefullyfoundthemaintrailasthesoundfromtheoceangrewlouderwitheachstep.

"This…"Lincolnstoppedinfrontofagiantbonfire,completewithtwolawnchairs,enough

blankets to keep us warm during a blizzard, and what looked like snacks with a canister of either
coffeeorhotchocolate.

Istartedtowardcamp,buthejerkedmeback."Notsofast."
"What?Why?"
"Wenevercelebrated,youknow."Hisvoicewasbarelyaboveawhisper.Theoceanthreatened

todrownhimout."Youtalking,youbeingabletotalkinsteadofhavingtotexteverything.Nobody
speaks about it. It's almost like you've been talking this whole time, but I feel moments like that
deservetobementioned,theydeservetobecelebrated.Sotonight…we'recelebrating."

Tearswelledinmyeyes,becausehe'dfoundtheonevulnerablespotthatI'dpushedbackinto

my subconscious, ignored, because paying attention to it freaked me out with worry that it would
comeback,onlyworsethistime.

"Thanks—"Iheldasobin."—fordoingthis."
"And…"Lincdugintohispocketandpulledoutanecklace."…sincemilestonesaresupposed

toberemembered,Ihadthismade."

Itwasasmallgold-chainednecklacewithalittleplateanchoringthefront.OnitwasthedateI

startedtalkingagain.

"Ican'tbelieveyoudidthis."Igrabbedthenecklace;itwasheavyinmyhands.Holycrap,it

hadtoberealgold.Noguyhadevergottenmeapresentbefore."It'sbeautiful."

"Yeah well, I won it at the arcade downtown, and wouldn't you know? It was the exact date I

waslookingfor."Hewinked.Ilovedthatabouthim,hisabilitytomakelightofsomethingthathad
been nothing but darkness for so long, it was hard to remember light had even existed in the first
place."Wantmetohelpyouputiton?"

Nodding, I handed him the necklace and turned as he slowly fastened it then kissed my bare

neck."Perfect."

Hewasperfect.
Orprettydangclose.
"So,what'sonthemenu?"
"Ohthat?"Hepointedtothecanister."Alcohol,soIcangetyoudrunkandhavemywaywith

you."

Irolledmyeyes.
"Or…" He nodded. "… hot chocolate, though they were completely out of marshmallows at

thestore.

Ismiledtomyself."Yeah,IthinkIknowwhy."
"Goodlooking,I'llgivehimthat…"Lincstartedpouringthehotchocolateoutofthethermos

andintotwocups."…butodd,don'tyouthink?"

"Eh,weallhaveourthings.YouhaveSkittles.Hehasmarshmallows."
"Havingacandyobsessioniscompletelynormal,"hesaiddefensively.
"It'sallsugar.Allweird."Itookmymugfromhishandsandsipped."Hmm,homemade?"
"Yes, I slaved over a stove, boiled water, and added those little packets into the water, then

stirred.Blood,sweat,andtearssweetheart."

"Itshows."InoddedseriouslyasItriedtokeepthesmilefrommyface.
Hehelduphishand."Papercuttoprovemyworth."
"Aw,"Igrabbedhisoutstretchedhandandkissedit."Better?"
"Always."Hiseyesflashed,andIthoughthewasgoingtokissme.Instead,heglancedbackat

thefireanddroppedmyhand."So,howarethings?"

"Smalltalk?"

"Yup."Hesippedhishotchocolate.
"Really?"Iwasabitsurprisedhewasn'talreadykissingmeandtellingmeallthereasonswe

shouldn'tbetogether,yetmakingitimpossibleforustobeapart.

"Friends have small talk… and friends that kiss… well, they need to fill the time with

somethingotherthankissingsothatfriendsdoesn'tturnintosomethingelsebeforeoneorbothare
ready."Itfeltlikehewassayingthatmoreforhisownsakethanmine.

"I'mready."
"You're…not."Hefrowned,staringintothefire."So,I'llaskagain.Howarethings?"
"Things are… good." I nodded, trying to play along. I'd always been bad with small talk,

especiallyaftertheaccident,whenwordsweresomuchmorethanthingsyoutossedintothecosmos
justtohearyourselftalk.Wordsheldmeaning;theyheldpower.

"Youhesitated."WhenIlookedup,Lincwasstaringrightthroughme.
Ituckedmyhairbehindmyear."DidI?"
"Ireallywanttoknow."
Iletoutahuffofbreath."Thingsarefine,exceptwhenIgotosleep.Then,notsogood."Just

thinkingoflastnight'snightmareoftheaccidenthadmeshiveringalloveragain.ThistimeIwasin
thedriver'sseat,anditwasmyfaultwehittheothertruckheadon.

"Howso?"Hescootedclosertome,then,asifgivingup,pulledmeintohislapandcovered

uswithablanket.

Icuddledintohischest,feelingmoresecureinhisarmsthanI'deverfeltinElliot's."Igoto

bedhappythatI'vebeentalkingallday,relievedthatwhentheoldladyatthecrosswalkaskedmewhat
the time was, I didn't completely freak out and then, when I close my eyes, it's like I'm either
experiencingtheaccidentalloveragainor—"Igulped."—Itrytotalktoyouandfail,andyouwalk
away."

"If I was going to walk away, I would have walked," Lincoln said simply. "I'm here. Right.

Here."Hisarmsbracedmeharder."Asfortheno-talkingthing,Ithinkit'snormalforyoutohavethat
fear.Itmakessensetome.Youliterallyjuststartedtalkingagain,andyou'reafraidthatit'sgoingto
getrippedawayfromyou,stolen."

Justlikemyparentswere.
ButIdidn'tvoicethat.
Hetensedbeneathmeasifreadingmythoughts.MaybewithLincIdidn'tneedtovoicethings

like that because he knew me well enough to know what was going through my head, which
admittedly,soundedcrazyconsideringithadonlybeenaroundthreeweeks.Buthewasoneofthose
people,thetypethathadsuchamagnetic,yetfamiliar,pullthatyouwerepowerlesstostayastranger
forlongerthantwenty-fourhours.

"You'll never be able to move forward," he whispered, "until you stop looking behind you."

Hislipsgrazedmyneck."Youknowthat,right?"

"Isthatlifeexperienceyou'respeakingfrom…orjustwisdombecauseyou'reold?"
Hisgood-naturedlaughtervibratedagainstmyback."Justpromisemeyouwon'tputmeina

homeformytwenty-secondbirthday…"

"Dangit!IknewIshouldhavehiddenthosebrochuresforSeasideManor!"
"Veryfunny."Linckissedmesoftlydowntherightsideofmyneck;hislipslingeredovermy

pulse."AndI'mspeaking,from…experience."

Itiltedmyheadandglancedupathim,raisingmyeyebrows.
"Why,Lincoln,whatdoyoumean?"hesaidinaridiculousfalsettothatwasmeanttorepresent

myvoice."Tellmeyourdeepest,darkestsecrets."

Irolledmyeyes.

"You were thinking it. I was just voicing it for you." He smiled as I made myself more

comfortableinhisembracewhilekeepinghisfaceinsight."Sometimesitseemsstupidtosharemy
story,likeitisn'ttragicenoughtobeimportanttoanyonebutthenine-year-oldkidwhohadtolive
throughit,youknow?"

"Yeah." I played with the thread of the blanket, twisting it around my fingers until my

circulation started to get cut off. "I still feel like that. I mean, my parents died, but at least I had
parents."

Linc grunted. "Some days, I wished my parents would get in an accident. At least one bad

enoughthatmygrandmawouldhavetocometakecareofus,orbetteryet,we'dbeabletogolive
withher."Helookeddisgustedwithhimself."It'shorrible,admittingthatoutloud.Confessingthatmy
prayersatnightwereformyparentsnottocomehome,whileyourprayerswereforthemtocome
homeunharmed.Twistedinareallysickway."

Mybodytensed;Icouldn'thelpit."Didtheyhurtyou?"
Linc'seyesdidn'tmeetmine.Hewatchedthefireashespoke.Maybethememoriesweretoo

painful;maybehewasafraidthatifIlookedintohiseyesI'drunorseetoomuch."Ourskinwasn't
marredbyphysicalabuse.Oursouls,well,thatwasanentirelydifferentthing.It'ssadwhenyoubreak
yourkidssomuchontheinsidethattheywishyouwouldjustbreakthemontheoutsidesotheycould
atleastexplaintotheirteachersorotherfamilymembershowbaditis.Butasakid,it'salwaysyour
voteagainsttheadults,andwithnobruises,noscars…who'sgoingtobelieveyou?Ican'tevencount
howmanytimesmyparentswouldsaythattous.'Who'sgoingtobelieveyou?'"

Feelingsicktomystomach,Ialmostdidn'twanttoask.ButLinckepttalking,andforonce,it

was nice to hear about someone else's pain, not because it made mine hurt less, but because I was
honoredtoshareitwithhim.Painrecognizespain,andhiswassuddenlysoevidentonhisfacethat
myheartthreatenedtobreak.HadIreallybeenthatblind?ThatwrappedupinmyselfthatInolonger
recognizedwhensomeoneelsewasstruggling?Betteryet,whensomeoneelsewasstuckinthesame
pitIwasandtryingdesperatelytoclawhiswayout?

"Itwasn'tbadatfirst.WhenIwaslittle,theyboughtmylove.AsIgrewolder,Irealizedthat

havingthelatestintechnologywasacrappysubstituteforamom'shug.Icanstillrememberasking
herforahug,thelookonherface.Damn,Imayaswellhaveaskedherforapetalien.Shelaughed
andtoldmeonlygoodboysgethugs.IaskedherhowIcouldbeagoodboy,abetterboy,andyou
knowwhatshesaid?"

Ishookmyhead.
"Figureitout."
Igasped.
"Iwasfive,andbecausemoneywassuchabigthinginourhouse,Ifiguredthatthebestthing

to do, to be a good boy, was to earn my keep. I started doing chores around the house, got a job
deliveringnewspapers,andformymom'sbirthday,IboughtherthemostexpensivenecklaceIcould
find.Ievenconvincedmysistertopoolhermoneywithminesowecouldsurpriseher.Thedayof
mymom'sbirthday,weranintoherroom,soexcitedtogiveherthepresent,onlytofindourmomin
bedwithanothermanandanotherwoman.Mydadwasawayonbusiness."

Icoveredmyfacewithmyhands."Whatdidyoudo?"
"Well,sheyelled…"Lincflinchedasthoughhearingitalloveragain."…andtoldustoget

the hell out, which we did. Later that morning, when she was finally sober enough to speak to us
without yelling, we gave her the present, and she threw it in the trash." His voice shook. "My
parents… are both, quite possibly, the most selfish human beings in the history of L.A., and that's
sayingalot.Ifithadn'tbeenformygrandparents,I'dprobablybejustlikethem.Asitis,mysister,
well,shetakesaftermymom,whileI'dliketothinkIfavormygrandfather."

"Linc…" My voice was heavy, emotional. "… I can't imagine a mother treating her son that

way.Imean,whyevenhavekids?"

"Taxwrite-off?"hesuggestedinajokingtone."Iaskedmygrandmotherthat,andshesaidit

was a competition thing. Having kids was about keeping up appearances, showing everyone how
perfectandrichshewas."

"Linc,nooffense,butyourmothershouldbeshot."
"Ha." He lowered his head then looked at me out of the corner of his eyes. "Probably. Then

again,she'dprobablysurviveandsomehowgetamedalmadeinherhonorforgoingthroughsucha
difficulttrial.Ifanything,itwouldmakehermorepopularinhercircleoffriends,andthat'sthelast
thingthisworldneeds—forherselfishnesstospreaditsuglytentaclesthroughoutsociety,choking
thelifeoutofmorepeoplebyjustbeingtouchedbyherpoison."

Iwassilent.
"Sorry."Heswore."Thatwasuncalledfor.Nomatterhowhorribleofapersonshewasoris,

it'snoexcusetoputherdown.Thatmakesmejustlikeher,andthelastthingIwantistobeassociated
withamonster."

"Whyacting?"Iaskedafterafewminutes."Imean,don'tgetmewrong.You'rereallygoodat

it."

"Remindmetosignyourbralater,"hejoked.
Ismirked."WellifIwaswearingone…"Ifroze.Wherehadthatcomefrom?
Lincoln'sentirebodywenttaut."Areyoutryingtokillme?"Swearing,headjustedmeonhis

lap."Playwithfirelongenough,Dani.JustrememberIgaveyoufairwarning."

"Sorry."
"No,youaren't,"hegrowled,"butforyourbenefit,I'lljustkeeptalkingaboutmyselfsoIdon't

thinkaboutyouorthe…brasituation."Heclearedhisthroat."So,acting…"

"Yeah." I leaned back against his chest as he wrapped his arms tighter around my body. The

heatfromthefirewasnothingcomparedtotheheatemittingfromhim.Itwasenoughtosetmeon
fire — in the best way possible. I'd only ever read about this type of feeling or seen it on TV, and,
quitehonestly,IneverthoughtI'dexperienceitinsucharealway,butthereIwas,sittingonLincoln
Greene'slapinfrontofaroaringfire,dreamingaboutafuture,thinkingaboutafutureforthefirst
time in months. It felt so good; I wanted to live in that moment forever. As it was, I knew I would
treasureitevenlonger.

"My grandparents finally clued in to my parents' insanity, but they knew if they came down

hardonmyparents,they'djustmakeitsowecouldn'tvisitanymore,sotheybasicallyenrolledusin
everysinglesummercampyoucouldpossiblythinkof.WhenIwasseven,Ididoneofthoselocal
dramacamps.Iwasimmediatelyscoutedbyanagent,whostupidlycontactedmymom,creatingstars
in her eyes like you wouldn't believe." Linc sighed. "The good news was that I actually liked the
escape.Acting'skindoflikereading.Foronebriefmomentintime,youcanbesomebodyelse.You
canfeeltheirpainorridyourselfofyours.Youexperiencelifeinacompletelydifferentway.Itwas
mytherapy,"headmitted."Itstillis."

"Andyourparents?"Icouldn'thelpbutwonder."Whatdidtheythinkaboutit?"
"Ah,myparents."Linc'stonewasbitter,detached."Theyfreakinglovedit.Suddenly,Ihadall

the attention I'd never gotten but had always been desperate for. Within a few years, I was making
more than my parents combined, and that's saying a lot. Let's just say Angelica quickly learned the
easiest way to get attention was to do the same thing, so that's our Cinderella story of how we got
startedintheentertainmentindustry."Asifstuckinamemory,hisvoicetookonafarawaysound."I
thinkthat'swhyAngelicaactsthewayshedoesnow.Anyattentionisstillattention,youknow?"

"Wow." I thought on his words, hesitant to ask him anymore, since I could tell by his rigid

body language that his family was a sore subject, for good reason too. "I'm glad." I kept my voice
peaceful,calm,eventhoughmyheartbrokeforhim.Ihatedpity.Ifiguredhewouldtoo.Whenyou've
beenonthereceivingendofstufflikethatforsolong,yourealizehowmuchitsucks,howmuchyou
reallyjustwantsomeonetosay,"Wow,thatblows"andmoveon."Nomatterhowyougotintoacting,
it'syourcalling.Soreally,ifyourparentsweren'tsocrazy…"

"Iwouldn'tbesittinghere.Infrontofthefire.Withthemostbeautifulgirlintheworld."
"Layingitonkindathick,"Imurmured.
LincolnshiftedmesothatIcouldseehimagain.Theoutlineofhisfacewasseductiveinthe

flickeringfirelight,hisfulllipssoclosetomineIyearnedforataste."It'snotaline,Dani."

Self-conscious,Itriedtoduckintohischest,buthegrippedmychinwithhishand,tiltingmy

facetowardhis."Youare…absolutelygorgeous."

"Oh…"Iswallowedmynerves."…sothat'swhatattractedyou?AndhereIthoughtitwasmy

inabilitytospeak."

"I'vehadenoughwhinywomentolastmealifetime."Hechuckledsoftly."Soifyoueverstop

talkingagain,knowI'llbeokaywithit."

"Areyoucallingmewhiny?"
"Iwouldneveraccuseyouofthat."Hesmiled,hiswhiteteethflashinginthedarkness.Itwasa

tie between burning up from the fire or the way he looked at me as though he meant every single
wordhewassaying."Besides,you'remoreofanegotiator."

Nodding,Iletoutaweaklaugh."I'mokaywiththat."
Webothfellsilent.Mybodyleanedtowardhis,andhismouthdescendedtowardmine.
"Idon'twanttobeyourfriendanymore,"hewhispered,hislipsbrushingagainstmine."ButI

kindoffeellikeaweakassgoingbackonmyword."

"Weakass,"Irepeated."Ilikeit."Ilickedmylipsininvitation.
"Really?"Heletoutalowgrowl."Stoptemptingme,orI'mgoingtotakeabite."
"Good."
"Aghhhhh."Heletoutafewcursesbeforepullingawayandhelpingmetomyfeet."I'mgoing

toignorethoseseductiveeyesandgetyoubacktoyourroombeforeIdosomethingstupid."

"AmIthestupidinthisscenario?"
"No."Hetookanotherlookatmeandgroaned."Thatwouldbeme."
"Linc…"Igrabbedhishand."…Ilikeyou."
"Ohgood,becauseforasecondthere,Iwasworriedaboutyourfeelingsandreallydidn'twant

tohaveoneofthoseawkwardconversationswhereIaskedtobeyourboyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"
"WaybetterthanElliot,Icanpromiseyouthat."
"You'vemethimonce,andalreadyIhavethisweirdsuspicionthatifyoumethimforasecond

time,he'dhaveanaccidentorsomething."

"Iwasthinkingsomethingfreak,nothingfatal.Youknow,like,'Ohshit,sorrythatyouraninto

thatpole,man,Ireallydidn'tmeantopush.'"

Laughing,Ipickeduptheblanket."YousoundlikeZane.Helikestotossoutthreatstoo."
"Zane."Lincspathisname."Canyoufindanewfriend?"
"Idon'thavethatmany,soIcan'treallybepicky.Besides,hestaysupatnightwithme—"
"I'lldoit."Lincsaidquickly."Howhardcoulditbe?Guardingyourdreams?"
"Hard."Iswallowednervously."EspeciallywhenIseethatstupidcaragain."
"Thecar?"
"TheonethatscaredmerightbeforeIstoppedtalking.Iremembereveryvividdetail.Demetri

too.Iknowitwasn'tthecar'sfault;Iwasjustspooked,butstill.Iseethatblackcarinmydreams,and

it'slikeI'mrelivingitalloveragain,IwakeupthinkingI'mgoingtostoptalkingagain."

"Dani…"Lincolntossedsomesandontothefire."…Isaynexttimeyouseethecarinyour

dream,youthrowsomethingatit.Attackwhatmakesyouafraid.It'stheonlywaytoconquerfear.You
runatit."

"IfonlyIcouldcontrolmyselfinmydreams."
Smiling,hepulledmeinandnestledmeagainsthisbody."Let'sgetyouhome,andmaybe,ifI

staythenight,you'lldreamofmeinstead."

"Takingguarddutyseriously,aren'tyou?"
"I take everything regarding you very, very seriously." Linc kicked sand over the fire,

extinguishingitashewrappedanarmaroundmeandkissedmyforehead.

"Thanks," I whispered. We walked hand in hand back to the beach house. It was easy getting

backintomyroom,andLincwastallenoughthatallhehadtodowastakealongstepandhewasat
mybalcony,makinghimselfcomfortableinmyroom.

"So…"Hiseyesfellonthebed."…sleep."
"Yeah."Iyawned."ButIsleepnaked,soturnaround?"
"What?"Hehissedthroughhisteeth.
"Kidding." I patted him on the shoulder. "I'm going to go throw on a pair of really baggy

sweats."

"Doesn'tworkifI'malreadythinkingaboutwhat'sunderneath,"hegrumbled.
"Sleep,"Isaidagain,probablytoconvincemyselfasmuchashim.
Lincletoutalongexhale."Right,Imeanit'snotlikeI'veeversleptwithagirlandnot…slept

withher."

Myeyebrowsrose.
"Icandoanything.Really,I'mnotZane,Ihaveself-control."
Thejokewasonhim,consideringoutofalltheguysI'dmetinmylife,Zaneclearlydeserved

amedalinthatdepartment.

"Weonlyhaveafewhoursuntilwe'reneededonsetanyway."Ishrugged."Let'sputthemto

gooduse."

"Bysleeping,"hesaidforthethirdtime.
"Isiteasierifyoukeepsayingitoutloud?"
"Hellyes."Heranhishandsthroughhishair."Right,okay."Morenodding."Good."

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

Lincoln

NE,"

GRUMBLEDSOFTLYTOMYSELF.

"Two."

Thingswerebad;youknewtheywerebadwhenyouwereactuallycountingpigsinorderto

fallasleep.IsawWilbursfloatovermyheadoneafteranother.Inamedthem,Inumberedthem,and
whenthatdidn'twork,Iputtheminfunnyclothes,allformyownboredamusement.

I'dbelyingifIsaiditwaseasybeingnexttoDaniwhilesheslept.Myeyeswerewideopen,

staringupattheceilingthat,honesttoGod,mademewanttopuke.

Zanehadputaposterofhimselfaboveherbed.
Hiswayofguardingherfrombaddreams,apparently.AccordingtoDani,hesaidhisposter

waslikeanIndiandreamcatcher.

ItonlybotheredmebecauseitwasZane,everyfemale'sdream.Somethingaboutthewayhe

walked,evenhisvoice,drovewomeninsane,mysisterincluded.Ijustdidn'twantDanitobeanother.

I'dneversufferedfromjealousy.
BecauseI'dneverhadtofightforwhatIwanted.
Untilnow.
Eventhoughfightingsucked,itwasahellofalotbetterfightingforsomethingthangettingit

withoutearningitinthefirstplace.

I turned on my side. I wanted to earn her in the worst way possible. I wanted it to be hard,

becauseIknewifitwaseasy,itwasn'treal.

Anditfeltreal.
Tooreal.
I'd never let anyone in before. I was a loner by heart. Acting day and night, making money,

pouringmysoulintomyrolesandlivingadetachedlifeofmeaninglesssex.

Inretrospect,IhadnoideahowthehellIgotthroughlifewithoutgoingonantidepressants.

Moneyonlylastedforsolong;andsex,well,itwasgreatinthemoment,butwhenIlookedbackon
thelastfewyears,Icouldn'tevencounttherealfriendsI'dhad.

NowIhadDani.
Andbyassociation,AD2,thewives,Jaymeson,andZanesincehewasapparentlynowadopted

intoourweirdlittlefamily.

Itfeltsodamngood,butmyonlyfearwasruiningit.PushingDanitoohard,notbeingableto

controlmyselfandjustselfishlytakingherbeforeshewasready.

Itwasn'tthenumberanymorethatbotheredme.
Itwasthefactthat,atmyage,IwasinanentirelydifferentplaceandthelastthingIwantedwas

to project that onto her. Damn it, she needed to go to college, do stupid shit, make mistakes, all
withoutthewatchfuleyesofmeandtheguys.

Offeringherfreedomwouldcomeatthecostofmyownheart,Ifeltlikeacompletenutjob

forevencontemplatingthingslikethatwhileshelaynexttome,hersoftbreathingallbutmakingme
wanttowhimperandpunchsomething.

Mybodyscreamedforher.
Andmyheart,well…itkeptremindingmethatIneededtokeephersintact,andifIhadany

hopeofdoingthat,Ineededtogoslow.

Likeasnail.
Bethesnail.Ha,mynewmotto.Shit.
Daniturnedonherside,thenyawnedandopenedhereyes.Ifroze,hopingshewouldn'tslap

me,orworseyet,screamandwakeupJaymesonbecauseIwasstaringatherlikeawide-eyed,horny
teenager.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, voice husky. The moonlight spilled onto the bed, casting a silver

shadowacrossherhair,makingherlooklikesomeimmortalbeing.

Mybodyrespondedimmediately,soIscootedaway,givingusspacebetweenourbodies."Not

really.Itriedcountingpigs,butyouknowhowthatgoes.Maybeifyouweretextingme,Icouldgetto
sleep.Imissmytexts.Promisemethatjustbecauseyoucantalknow,youwon'tstoptextingme."

Rollinghereyes,shereachedformyface."Promise.Nowsleep."
"Ican'tjust…sleep,"Igrumbled."Ifeel…everylittlenoiseyoumake,andImayactuallydie

staringatyou."Groaning,Iturnedonmyback."Prettysurethingsjustgotcreepier.Didn'tthinkthat
waspossibleafterbeingcaughtstaringatyouwhileyouslept,butI'veslumpedtonewlows."

Withasigh,Danithrewoffthecovers,movedtostraddleme,andliftedhershirtoffherbody.
"Uhhh."Myhandswenttohersidesasifbeckonedbyherskin.Ididn'tletgo,butIalsodidn't

move."Whatareyoudoing?"

Danididn'tanswer.
AndIreally,reallyneededhertosaysomethingbeforeIdidtheunthinkable.
Shemovedagainstme,takingtheleadbypinningmyhandsabovemyhead.What.The.Hell.I

wastrapped,andIwasn'tsureifIshouldfightbackorjustkissher,ordieonthespotfrompleasure
assheleaneddown,givingmethemostamazingviewofthevalleybetweenherbreasts.

"Linc."Hertonguesnuckout,lickingtheoutsideofmyearbeforeherhotmouthtrailedkisses

downmyneck."Sometimes,thinkingisoverrated."

"No."WhythehellwasIstillfighting?
Shenibbledabitharderandthenpulledmyshirtoff.
I let her. I was too weak to fight anything, probably too weak to even have sex with her, but

maybethatwasagoodthing.I'dbeenspendingsomuchenergytryingtokeepmyhandsoffthatIwas
officiallydefenseless."Youdon'tknowwhatyou'redoing.You'llregretitinthemorning."Words.I
neededmoreconvincingwords."Dani,Jaymesonwillkillme."

"He won't know," she whispered against my mouth. "Give me one good reason we should

stop."

"Prison,"Imoanedagainsthermouth."NotthatIthinkyou'dturnmein,butIwouldn'tputit

pastDemetri,Alec,orJaymeson.Hell,they'dprobablyframeme."

"You'renotgoingtoprison."Shelaughed,herbreathhotonmychest."Stopbeingweird."
"Thefirsttime,"Iblurted,"isreally…difficult."Holyshit,IwasprettysureIjustquotedthe

videofrommymiddleschoolhealthclass.Damnyou,Mr.Resik!

A man can only take so much. It's true. I never planned on being seduced; I should have

thought of it, but instead I'd spent all my energy on practicing self-control, even making sure my
kisseswerebrief.

Ha,thejokewasonme.
Danipausedoverme,thenslowlyunzippedthejeansI'dbeenuncomfortablysleepingin.
"Dani…"Igrabbedherhands."…Iuh—"
Hereyebrowsshotup."Youwhat?"
"I'mavirgin?"
"Nice."Sheactuallylaughedinmyface.
"I'mscaredofbeingnude?"
"Anevernude?"
"Damn,IthinkImayloveyouforreferencingArrestedDevelopmentrightnow."
"Everwonderhowtheyhadkidsifhealwayswearstheshortjean-shorts?"

"Daily."
Danismirkedthencontinuedtounzip.I'dneverreallypaidattentiontothesightsorsoundsof

beingintimate.Iwasmoreofagetin,getiton,getout,sendthemhome.Butthesoundofazipper?
Damnnearimpossiblenottohearthat.IwasafraidJaymesoncouldevenhearit.

Andthengettingjeanspulledoff?Theyscratchedagainstmylegs,againstthebed.
Itwasloud.
Notatallquiet.
I gulped once my jeans were tossed onto the floor and nearly had a seizure when Dani

droppedherwhiteshortstojointhem.Iwassuddenlythankfulshewasonlyjokingaboutthesweats;
thewhiteagainsthertanskinwas…jawdropping.

Closingmyeyesdidn'twork,becausetheminuteIlaidbackagainstthepillows,sheclimbed

backontome,grabbedmyhands,andbasicallyforcedmetotouchher.

Thethreadhadsnapped.
Thecontrolwasofficiallygone.
I waved goodbye as it floated away from my consciousness. I embraced Dani, swearing to

neverlethergo.

"Wedothis,youleaveme,Iwillchaseyou,"Igrowledagainsthermouth."AndImeanthatin

themostthreateningwaypossible.I'mnotlettingyougo."

"Good."Hereyeswateredwithtears.
"Doingthiswithyoucan'tbeaboutscratchinganitch.Iwasthatguyonce,butwithyou?Iwant

tosavor."Ibrushedakissacrosshermouth."Doyouunderstandthat?"

"Just…don'thurtme,"shewhispered,alltracesofseductiongone.
Itriednottoreadintoittoomuchbutwastoodamncuriousformyowngood."Hassomeone

hurtyoubefore?"

"Elliot."Shepushedmebackdown,layingherbodyacrossmineasIcuppedheratthewaist

andpulledhercloseacrossmyskin."Aftermyparentsdied,Ithoughtitwouldmakemefeelbetter."

"Killing him," I said in a serious tone, "would probably help me sleep better at night. The

bastardprobablydidn'tevenknowwhattodowithyou,didhe?"

Shescrunchedupherface."Ithurtandwasoverinlikethreeminutes."
"Whatanidiot."Isworeviolently."Tellmeheatleastheldyouafterwardortoldyouitwas

goingtobeokay."

"Heputonhisclothesandleft."
Myfingersdugintoherarms."Nooffense,butyousleptwithaboy."
"Iknow,"shesaid,hervoicesoundingconfused.
Ikissedhermouthhardthenpulledback."I'maman."
Shenoddedandthenveryshylymurmured,"Caretoproveit?"
"Thoughtyou'dneverask."Icapturedhermouthagainandagain,eachkissgoingdeeperand

deeperasourbodiesslidagainstoneanother.Minuteswentby,maybeanhourwhilewekissed;while
Imadesuresheunderstoodtheverymeaningofthewordsavor.

Lipsbruised,shecameupforairthentuggedmebythehairbackdown.Withalowgrowl,I

didthebestIcouldatkeepingthingsslow;atmakingsureshefelteverycaressofmymouth.Every
time my body came into contact with hers, I paid special attention to the moment, adding as much
pleasureasIcouldwithmytongueandhands.

"Nightstand,"shewhisperedagainstmymouth.Ourbodieswerestickywithsweatastheairin

theroomturnederoticwithourtangledbreaths.

"Huh?"
Sheblushedandavertedhereyes,mumbling,"Protection."

"I'mtornbetweenyellingatyouforhavingcondomsandembracingyouforbeingsmart.But

callingitsmartmeansit'sokayforyoutoengageinsexualactivities,andatthispoint,I'mpissedyou
evenknowthedefinitionoftheword."

"What?" She shook her head in confusion. "Why are you suddenly turning into Jaymeson?"

Ohgood,mentioningherbrotherinbedwasalreadybadenough.

"Protective," I growled nipping at her lips. "And you're mine, so… any other guy touching

youreallypissesmeoff.Hell,hejustwentthroughpuberty!"

"Killingthemoment."
"Good,becauseI'mgoingtokillhim,"Isnarled,slammingmyfistintothepillowthenkissing

herhardonthelips."Youknow,wedon'thavetodothis."

"Yeah,wedo."
"No…"Ipulledback."…wereallydon't."
"Foronce—"Shelockedeyeswithme."—Iwanttodosomethingonmyterms.Notbecause

mytherapisttellsmeto,notbecausepeopleareworriedaboutmeorfeelsorryforme.Iwantthis.I
wantyou.Don'ttellmeIcan'thaveyou.Don'ttellmeIcan'thavetheoneIlove."

Stunned,IcouldonlystareatherandprayI'dreallyheardwhatIthoughtI'dheard.
"Didyousaylove?"Ibarelymanagedinachokedwhisper.
Daninoddedslowly,hereyesneverleavingmine."Thatsoundedselfish."
"Kind of," I agreed softly. "But since I'm part of the selfishness, I'm really in no position to

complain."

"Makelovetome."
Istared.Hard.Andinonekiss,sealedbothourfates."Okay."

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

Dani

EWASNOTHINGLIKE

LLIOT.

LLIOT

hadbeen…aboy.Lincolnwasallmuscle,amanwhohadfilledoutin

placesIdidn'tevenknowguysfilledout.Iwasdesperateforhim,notbecauseIwantedtomakethings
goaway,butbecauseIfeltalivewithhim.Ifeltlikeme.

ThemeIusedtoknow.
Theonethatsmiled,theonethatlaughed,theonethattalked.Hehadseenthemute,buthe'd

alsoseenthegirlbeforethemuteness,theoneI'dmissedsomuchitbroughttearstomyeyes.

Butmostofall,heembracedthemboth.
Somethingthatnobodyhaddoneuntilnow.
Itwasfreeing,givingmyselftosomeonesocompletely.
"Dani," Linc whispered, his mouth meeting mine in another searing kiss that had my body

trembling.Sensationsrockedthroughmeasheflippedmeontomyback,bracinghimselfoverme,
the muscles in his neck twitching as his arms flexed, his body weight being held up so he wouldn't
crushme.

LincolnGreene.Was.Gorgeous.Stormygreyeyeslockedwithmine.Hislipstwitchedintoa

seductivesmile.

AndthenIfelthim.
Allofhim.
Andsuddenlydecideditwouldn'twork.Iwasinsane,right?Thiswouldnotwork.Atall.Nope.

Nothappening.

He must have noticed my panic because he pulled away and kissed me again, making me

forgeteverything,includingmyownname.

Withawhisperofdevotion,hisbodymovedagainstmine.Withonequickthrusthetuggedme

againsthim,fillingme,claimingmewithsuchcompletenessthatIgaspedaloud.

Hewentstill."Areyouokay?"Theconcerninhiseyeswasmyundoing,breakingmyheart

thathewassooppositeofElliotandanyotherguyI'deverknown.

Withanod,Ireacheduptokisshim,causingablindinglygoodsensationtobuildwithinmeas

hepulledmeclosertohimandslowlymovedwithpurposefulstrokes,asiftakinghistime.

Savor.
He'dsaidsavor.
AndIthinkIwasfinallyunderstandingwhatthewordmeant.
Iclosedmyeyes.
"Nope."Hechuckledwickedly."Open."
"Huh?"Disoriented,onlyabletoconcentrateonthefeelingbuildinginsideofme,Ishookmy

headandsquintedathim."What?"

"Keepthemopen,"hecommandedsoftly."Andonme.Watchmewatchyousoyouknowwhen

thisisover,thatyou'llhavenothingtoregret,becausethelookI'mgivingyounowisthesameone
I'mgoingtogiveyouafter,andthedayafterthat,andthedayafterthat."

Tearspooledinmyeyesasourmouthsfusedtogetherinahungrykiss.Mybodyshuddered

uncontrollablyashethrustonelasttime,leavingmeboneless,weak.

Chestheaving,hekeptourpositionstangledlikeapretzelandlockedhisgazeonmineagain.

"Areyouokay?"

Inodded,nottrustingmyvoice.
"Good,"hesmirked,"becausewestillhaveafewhours."

"What?"Inearlyshrieked,"Youmean—"
"You'remine,"hesaidsimply."AndI'myours.That'swhatImean.Ifyouthoughtthiswasa

one-timething?OrthatI'dleaveandforgetyourname?Youhaveanotherthingcoming.Idon'tsay
wordsjusttohearmyselftalk,andIdon'tmakefakepromises."

My face broke out into a grin that hurt my cheeks. "You're kind of great, you know that,

right?"

"Notnearlyasgreat…"Hekissedmewithexquisitetenderness."…asyou."

WHATTHESHIT

screamingsoundedalotlikeJaymeson.

I jerked awake, my blurry vision taking in the tossed clothes in the room: mine, Linc's, and

thenmybra,proudlydisplayedatJaymeson'sfeet.

By the look of rage on his face, I guessed we were screwed, and I was going to find Linc's

bodybelly-upintheocean.

"Linc."Ielbowedhimintheside.Hewaslyingonhisstomach,huggingthepillow.
With a yawn, he blinked his eyes open. "Hey there." He reached for my head and pulled me

downforakiss.

"Release the minor," Jaymeson said in an eerily calm voice that literally sounded like he'd

channeledaforty-year-olddadandwascurrentlybeingpossessed.

Linc'seyeswidenedinpanicbeforeheveryslowlyturnedover,thenpulledtheblanketupto

coverthefactthathewasnakedandwaved.

Right.Hewaved.AtJaymeson.
Hemayaswellhavepointedagun.
Jaymeson lunged for the bed but was pulled back by a very calm Zane, who was cheerfully

holdingabowlofLuckyCharmsinonehandwhileclutchingJaymeson'sshirtintheother.

"Should have locked the door," Zane said under his breath, releasing Jaymeson and dipping

his spoon into the bowl. A few marshmallows tumbled from the spoon. I imagined the freak had
pickedoutallthehealthypartsofthecerealandtossedtheminthetrash.

"Youbastard!"JaymesonpointedhisfingeratLincoln."She'sachild!"
"Bullshit!"Lincshoutedrightback.
Iflinchedattheloudnessofhisvoice."She'sanadult,andshe'sbeenthroughahellofalot

thesepastfewyears.Damnit,lethermakeherowndecisions!"

"Right!"Jaymesonstompedtowardus."She'sbeenthroughhellandback.Doyoureallythink

she'sinherrightmindtomakesuchbigdecisions?AndyoucomerollingupintoSeasidelikesome
bloke whose shit doesn't stink, and you think I'm going to let you? Seduce her? My SISTER?" The
sisterpartwassaidonashriek.

Prischargedherpregnantselfintotheroom,tookonelookatthesituation,andyelled,"Out!

Allofyou."

Jaymesonturnedtoglare.
She glared right back. "Jaymeson, so help me, if you ever want to see me naked again, you

willgetoutofthisroom.Now."

"Ha…" Zane shoveled another bite of cereal into his room. "… I think I'm going to love

Seaside."

"Bloody asshole." Jaymeson stomped off, shoving Zane through the door then slamming it

behindhim.

"Linc,youhaveexactlyfiveminutestogetyourclothesbackon,jumpoutthatwindowbefore

myhusbandseesyou,andmakeittothesetallinonepiece,"saidPris,holdingouthisjeans."Think
youcandothat?"

Lincpulledmeclose."I'mnotgoingtojustabandonDani."
Pris's face softened. "You aren't abandoning her. You'll see her later today. I'm not cursing

your existence and banning you from our house, though I'd appreciate it if you actually walked
throughthe door sowe could superviseall bedroom activity beforeit happens, butI'm too late for
that.Sorightnow,justletmetalktomysisterandplease…leave."

Linckissedmeonthetemplethenslowlygotoutofthebed,snatchinghisjeansfromPris's

outstretchedhand.Sighing,sheturnedaroundwhilehequicklygotdressedandmadehiswayoverto
thewindow."DoIreallyhavetogooutthisway?"

Pris'seyebrowsrose."Thewindowmeansyoulivetoseeanotherday.Thedoormeansyou

maygetshot.JaylivesinAmericanow.Heboughtagunanddoesn'tunderstandwhatthesafety'sfor
so…"Sheliftedoneshoulderinashowofunconcern."…yourchoice."

"Window,itis,"hemuttered,givingmeonelastcomfortinglookbeforeloweringhimselfto

thebalcony.

Whenhewasgone,Iwantednothingmorethantohideunderthecovers.ButPrisveryquietly

walkedovertome,satonthebed,andburstintotears.

Ididn'tknowwhattodo.
Iwastheoneintrouble,right?Theonewhoshouldbecrying?NotthatIregrettedanything

exceptforthefactthatJaymesonhadwalkedinonus.

"Pris…"Igrabbedherhand.
"I'msosorry,"shesobbed."Ishouldhavebeentheremore.Ishouldhavebeenpresent,instead

ofjust…"Shewavedherhandsintotheair."…beenthesister.Damnit,I'mthemomnow,andI'm
goingtobeamom,andI'mmessingupwithyou.HowamIsupposedtodoitrightwithourchild?"
Hereyeswerered-rimmedalready.

"Whoa,whoa."Ipulledherinforahug,keepingthesheetwrappedaroundme."Pris,thisisn't

aboutyou."

"Youhadsex!"shewailed."WithaHollywoodheartthrobwho'sleavinginafewmonths,and

youlovehim,oratleastyouthinkyoudo,andhegotyoutalkingagain,whichisgreat,andIlove
himforit,butIhatehimforleaving.He'sgoingtoleave,andyou'regoingtobeheartbroken,stop
talking, and maybe stop eating again, and we're going to be left picking up the pieces that he trail
blazedthrough.Damnit,LincolnGreene!"Shepunchedthemattresswithherhand.

Isnappedfrommydumbfoundedstate."Pris,geez!Atleasttakeabreath.You'returningblue

andthat'sbadforthebaby."Ishookmyheadandgrabbedherhand,butthewordsjustkepttumbling
fromher.Wordslikeheartbroken,rich,playboy,bastard.Prishadneverbeenonetooverreact,soI
knew part of it was her hormones and the other part guilt. I knew guilt well. Oh, did I know it. I
squeezed her hand and whispered. "He's not like that. Do you really think he'd risk everything? His
career?HisrelationshipwithJaymeson?Justsohecouldsleepwithme?"

"Yes." She nodded, wiping away a few tears. "That's exactly what I think, Miss Forbidden

Fruit."

Guiltgnawedatmychest.IfeltbadforlettingherdownandguiltythatIwasmoreupsetabout

gettingcaughtthananything.ButIwasoldenoughtomakemyowndecisions,right?

Hewouldn'tleave.
Lincolnmightbealotofthings,buthewasn'tthatguy.
Irefusedtoputhiminthatcategory.TheElliotcategory,theonewhotookwhatyouoffered

andthendumpedyoutheminutethingsgothard.

"Right now…" I gripped her hand tightly. "… I don't need a mom. I need a sister. I need a

friend. You can't undo what's been done, and I wouldn't want you to in the first place. He… You're
right."Tearswelledinmyeyes."Ilovehim."

"That'sgreat."Pris'svoicewasweak."Itreallyis.AndI'dlovetosithereandsupportyou,but

I have a bad feeling about him. Don't take me wrong. I don't think he's a bad guy, I just… What
happensifthingsgobacktothewaytheywere?Icouldn'tcarelessabouthim.Icareaboutyou.Iwant
youhappy,andIcan'thandlelosingyouagain."

"Thendon'tpushmeawaybecauseIsleptwiththemanIlove,"Isaidsoftly."Andtrustmeto

makemyownchoices.Canyoudothat?"

"No." She laughed through her tears. "But I'll try. You know… sex with an actor, not the

smartestchoice."

"Um,you'remarriedtoone."
"Married,"shesaidsoftly."Imarriedhimfirst."
Allthebloodleftmyhead."You—youwhat?"
"Jaymeson and I… we were married first. Committed. After Dad died, there was this weird

unsaidthing,usbeingapastor'sdaughters.Jaymesoncouldn'tdoit.Hejust…feltlikehewasdoing
thingswrongeverytimehekissedme.LikeifDadwasstillalive,hewouldhaveaskedpermissionto
dateme.Hewouldhavedonethingsright.Iwassobrokenaftertheirdeath,soworriedaboutyouthat
thelastthinghewantedwastoaddmoreguilt.So…weeloped."

"Ididn'tknowthat,"Isaidmoretomyselfthantoher.
"Youdidn'tneedto…"Sheshrugged."…butyou'reright.What'sdoneisdone.Ijust…Ihope

youknowwhatyou'redoing.You'reseventeen,youhaveawholelifetolive,thingstoexperience,but
ifyou'resurehe'swhatyouwant,Iwon'tstandinyourway.Justdon'tletapersoneverhavethattype
ofcontroloveryou,whereyou'resoinvestedinthemthat,iforwhentheyleave,youloseapartof
yourself.Okay?"

Mylowerliptrembled."Okay."
She was quiet for a minute. Then a smile crossed her features, softening her face. "Now…"

Shesighed."…I'mgoingtoplaythepartofthebestfriend."Priscrossedherarms."Howwasit?"

Ihidunderthesheetthenletoutan"Amazing."

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR

Lincoln

EXPECTED

AYMESON TO FIRE ME.

Hell, I would have fired me. Did I have any regrets? No. But it was his

sister-in-law.Hisunderage,gorgeous,sister-in-law,whomhereferredtoashislittlesister.Damnit,
whathadIbeenthinking?

Inhishouse?
Undertheirroof?
Anditwasn'tlikeIcouldsaysheseducedme,eventhough,ifIwasonetoplaceblame,I'dbe

pointing my finger in her direction. She straddled me! Naked! What was I supposed to do? Sing
nurseryrhymesandclosemyeyes?Holdmybreath?

Iwasinandoutofthemakeuptrailerwithinminutes.
Wewerebackonsetatthelocalhighschool.Themoviewasbeingfilmedinweirdchunks,so

technically, even though we'd been filming for a few weeks, we were just now filming the opening
scene,whereNatsawAlecandDemetriforthefirsttime.

Withasigh,Imademywayontothesetandsatinmychair.
Iwasthereformaybetwosecondsbeforeahandslappedmeinthebackofthehead.
"What?" I jerked to attention and glared as Demetri crossed his arms and stared daggers

throughme."Why'dyoudothat?"

"Youknowwhy,"hewhispered.
Inarrowedmyeyes."No,Ireallydon't."
"You'retoostupidtolive,then.WhichmeansI'mgoingtohavetoletAleckillyou."
"WhyAlec?"
"He'ddobetterinprison."
"Asopposedtoyou?"
Demetripuffedouthischest."I'mtoopretty."
"Whyareyouhere?Onset?"
"Ivolunteered."Hesighedheavily."AndDani'safraidJaymeson'sgoingtokillyouthenbury

thebodysomewhereinthewoodsoutpasttheoldSmithplace,underthecabinbythefifthtree."

"That's…"Icoughed."…scarydescriptive."
"Hemayhaveletthelocationslip."
Itensed.
"LikefivetimeswhenhetextedmeandAlectobringshovels."
"She's old enough to make her own decisions. Seriously," I growled. "And it's not like I'm

goingtoleaveher.Sheisn'tlikethat.I'mnotlikethat.Itwasn'tabangandhigh-fivemoment."

"Bangandhighfive?"
"You know," I shrugged, "Bang, then give positive reinforcement by a high five before

leaving."

Demetri stared, then very slowly, with judgmental eyes shook his head. "To think, bigger

whoresthanmyselfactuallystillexistinthewild."

"You?"
"Reformed." He nodded. "But you…" A finger jabbed at my chest. "You're not married.

Therefore, you're a slippery fish, one that can flap out of her grasp and swim off into the ocean,
leavingustopickupthe…"Hefrowned."NotsurewhereIwasgoingwiththatmetaphor."

"Meeither,"Imuttered,givinghimaside-eye.
"Ican'tbelieveIactuallyagreedtohelpprotectyou."

"Whatareyougoingtodo?Takeabulletformeorsomething?Nooffense,butifJaymeson

wantstoendmylife,Ihighlydoubtyoustandinginthewayisgoingtodoanything."

"Half brother." He nodded seriously. "He'd never off his own family. Besides, he's English.

Violencetohimisforgettingtosaysorry."

Iburstoutlaughing.
JaymesonploppedintotheseatonmyothersidefollowedbyAlec,who,armscrossed,stood

infrontofme,blockingtheviewoftherestofthecrewthat,bythetemperatureintheroom,hadall
butshuffledawayfromourlittlegroup.Great,nowitnesses.

"You'reluckyshelikesyou,"Jaymesonsaidinalowvoice."Andyou'reluckymywifesaid

nottokillyou."

Iresistedtheurgetotugatmycollar."I'llhavetowriteherathankyoucard."
"Youwon'twritehershit."Jaymesonelbowedme."Andyou'lldowelltoremembertokeep

yourhandsoffmylittlesisterundermyroof."

"Sorry."Isighed."Ireallyam,thatwas…"Ishookmyhead."…disrespectful,andIdoregret

thatpart."

Alecvisiblyrelaxedinfrontofme.
Jaymeson still looked ready to spit nails at my face, but instead, he gave me a long, very

hostilelookbeforestandingup,grabbinghisheadset,andbarkingorders."Extrasneededonset."

IletoutthebreathI'dbeenkeepingin.
Alechadn'tbudgedfromhisspotinfrontofme.Instead,hiseyesnarrowed."I'mnotoneto

passjudgment,believeme."Hisblueeyeswereicyintheirstrippingofallofmycomfort."Butifyou
breakherheart,Iwillfindawaytobreakatleastoneortwobonesinyourbody.Understand?"

"Yeah."Wasitwrongtorespectthemmoreafterbeingthreatened?Shedeservedthattypeof

family,thetypethatdidn'tgiveashitaboutwhoIwasorwhatIrepresented.

Itwasoddlyrefreshing.
"Lincoln!" Jay shouted. "Don't make me tell you twice. Or do you need a minute before we

shootthenextscene?"

"Nope."Istoodquickly."I'mgood."
Demetrigrabbedmyshoulder,pullingmeback."Remember,inthissceneIwalkwithadead-

sexyswagger."Heslappedmyass."Makemelookawesome."

"Watch and learn," I said under my breath as I mentally prepared myself for the next scene.

There were no lines, but sometimes, those were the hardest scenes, ones where you had to let your
bodylanguagespeakforyou.

For some reason, I was so keyed up, so energized, that I was nearly bouncing on my toes

waitingforthescenetobeslated.

AndthenDaniappearedbehindJaymeson.Shewinkedandthenslowlylickedherlips.Little

seductress.

Hellyes,Icouldwalkwithswagger,becauseIwaswalkingtowardthecamera,towardher.
Upuntilthen,I'dbeendistracted,abitmorehesitantinmywork,butasJaysaid"Action,"Ihad

anepiphany.Iwaswalkingtowardher,thegirlIcaredfor,thegirlIcouldfallinlovewith.Agirl
whoIwoulddoanythingtokeep.

SoIwalked.
AndwhenIfinished,Ilandedadeadlysmirkinherdirection,andclenchedmyfistsasJaysaid

"Cut," and Demetri said loud enough for everyone to hear. "Holy shit, that was hot." And then, of
course,"Iknewhecoulddome."

"Nomoretalking."AlecshookhisheadatDemetriwhileJayleveledmewitharespectfulnod.
"Good."Jayrelaxed."Thatwasreallygood."

ComingfromJay?ThatwaslikelandingonthemoonanddoingbackflipsontoMars.
ImetDani'sgazeonelasttimebeforewemovedtothenextscene.
IfIhadherwaitingformeattheendoftheday,Ireallyhadeverything,didn'tI?

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE

Dani

ILMINGWASGOINGLATEAND

Iwasexhaustedafterbeingkeptupmostofthenight,soIgrabbedthelastof

theSkittles,pouredthemintothebowl,madesurethatLinchadthewaterhewanted,double-checked
theblindstomakesuretheywereclosed,thenwenttoletmyselfoutofthetrailer.

ThedooropenedrightbeforeItouchedit,andsuddenlyLincandIwerechesttochest.
Mybreathcameoutinalittlegaspasheliftedmeintohisarmsandkissedmesoundlyacross

the mouth, while simultaneously locking the door behind him. I didn't have time to respond as he
walkedmebackintothesmallbedroomthentossedmeontothebed.Hisshirtwentflying,thenshoes,
jeans…gone.Andhewasstandingbeforememuchlikehehadthenightbefore,naked.

"Goodday?"Ibreathed,sittinguponmyelbows.
"Itjustgotbetter."Helickedhislips,eyingmeupanddownbeforecrookinghisfinger.
Slowly,Igotoffthebedandapproachedhim,liftingmyhandsintotheairashepulledoffmy

T-shirt,thenfusedhismouthwithmine.

"Goodday?"Herepeatedmyquestion.
"It'slooking up." Itugged his headdown to mine again,my hands tanglingin his long hair,

pullinghardasIangledmybodyagainsthis.

Laughing,hetossedmebackontothebed,leavingmetopullofftherestofmyclothes.Then

he joined me again, all traces of laughter gone as he kissed a trail down my stomach. I laced my
handsintohishairagain.

"Ihave…"Hekissedthenlickedtheticklishspotnexttomybellybutton.
Mylegsshook,whilemybodyjerkedtowardhim.
"…fiveminutes."
"Wecanbefast."IassumedhemeantsexsoItriedtugginghisbodybacktowardmine.
"Fiveminutes,"herepeated,hisheadloweringfartherandfarther.
MyeyeswidenedasIrealizedwherehewasgoing.
"But,sweetheart,Ionlyneedtwo."
Actually,hegotitdoneinone.
Butthatwasbesidethepoint.
"Tellme,"Iasked,mybodystillwrackedwithtremors."Doyouputthatonthebackofyour

headshot?'Causeit'saskill.Itreallyis."

"Ifigureditwouldbepresumptuous,andthenwhatwouldhappenifacastingdirectorasked

metoproveit?"hejoked,tossingmemyshirt.

I quickly put on my clothes, but it was so hard; each time I put on an article of clothing, he

pulledmeinforanotherkiss.

"Idon'twanttoleave,"hegrumbled,"butJaywantstogetthisscene,andthetide'soutand—"
Ishushedhimwithanotherkiss."Go,I'mgonnaheadhomeanyway."
Aregretfullookcrossedhisface."I'lltrytohurry."
"Artneverhurries,"IcorrectedinmybestJaymesonvoice.
"Accentneedswork."Hewinkedthenpulledmeinforanotherkiss."Iprobablywon'tseeyou

untiltomorrow.Thenagain,that'syourbirthdayparty…sodamnit,whenamIgoingtohavealone
timewithyou?"

"We'llworkitout."Ilaughed."It'snotlikeyou'releavingtomorroworsomething."
Hetuggedmybodyroughlyagainsthis."ThankGodforthat."
"Havefun,exceptwhenyou'rekissingmysister.Ihopethosescenessuck."

His eyebrows knitted together as he gave me a concerned squeeze on the shoulder. "Does it

botheryou?I'msorry,Iswearit'sacting.It'snot—"

"Linc," I said, allowing some irritation into my tone, "I live with actors. I know the way it

works.Don'tworryaboutme."

"Ido."Voiceearnest,hekissedthetopofmyhead."Somuch."
"Iknow."Iscrunchedupmynose."NowgobeforeJayaddsanotherreasontokillyoutohis

list."

"Right."Hehesitated,kissingmeonelasttimebeforeleavingthetrailer.Iswallowedagiddy

shriekandflippedoffthelights,thenmademywayhome.

O…"

ANETOSSEDA

marshmallowintotheair,caughtitbetweenhisteeth,chewed,andswallowed."…

you had a fun night. Care to share intimate details of how you seduced poor Lincoln out of his
designerjeans?Oristhatasecret?"

Itossedthepillowathisface."Ididn'tseducehim."
"Ha."Zanewaggedafingeratme."Forshame,lyingtoyourbestfriend."
"Demetri'smybestfriend."
"Right,butwetalkedlastnight,andyousaidnowitwasatiebecauseI'msogood-looking."
"Iwasdrunk."
"Onhotchocolate?"Zanecackled."Oh,highschool,I'mgoingtomissyouwhenyoumarry

Linconyoureighteenbirthday,moveintohisloveshack,andstarthavinglittlechildren.Ireallyam."

"Married?"Irepeated,incredulous."You'rehigh."
"Neverdonedrugs.Ihavetooaddictiveofapersonality.Besides,whydodrugswhentheycost

somuchdamnmoney?"

"You'rerich."
"Right. And I'll stay that way because I don't do drugs." Zane glanced at the TV, and his

expressionfell,likesomethinghadjustsucker-punchedhim.Itriedtolookintime,buthe'dalready
changed the channel. "So, details, or am I going to have to play back the nanny-cam I put in your
room?"

Ifeltmyfacepale."Zane…"
"Fine." He handed me a pink marshmallow. "So if there really was a tape, which there isn't,

becauseI'mnotafreaklikeDemetri…"Anotherjabatmybestfriend,becauseheapparentlythought
the position was open for negotiation. "… I wonder if it would be Lincoln attacking you with his
tongue,orpoor,innocentlittleDani,seducingtheshitoutofhim,basicallydragginghimbythehair
into her king-size bed." A satisfied smile crossed his features as he sat back against the couch and
crossedhisarms.

"You'llneverknow,"Isaid,tossingmyheadinashowofconfidence.
Heraisedaneyebrow."Ialreadydoknow.BecauseIknowLinc,andthelastthinghewoulddo

wouldbehavingsexwithyouwhileJaymeson'snextdoor.That'slikeaskingtogetabullettotheass."

"Imayhave…"Iwavedmyhandintheair."…encouraged…"Ialmostchokedonmyspit."…

alittlebit."

Zanegrinned.
Man, he was pretty and, of course, still shirtless. One day a girl would housetrain him, and

she'duselittlemarshmallowtrailstodoit.

"Lookatyou,growingup,makingbiggirlchoices.Man,it'slikeonedayyou'respeakingin

fullsentences,thenextdayyou'regrabbingamanbythe—"

"We'rehome!"Jayshouted.
"Donotfinishthatsentence,"IwarnedZane,horrified.
"Dad!"Zanejumpedoffthecouch."Howwaswork?"
Jaygroaned."Zane,seriously.Wearclothes."
Zane looked down. It hadn't occurred to me how many clothes he wasn't wearing until he

stood. Boxers? No shirt? But he was wearing wool socks and still, still he looked good. "What's
wrongwithmyuniform?"

"Uniform?" Jay and Pris said in unison while I watched the exchange with vested interest. If

theywereconcentratedonhim,theyweren'tthinkingaboutme.Andthen,ithitme.

"Holycrap,we'resiblings!"Isaidaloud.
Zanewinked."Sis."
"Ew,mybrotherkissedme!"
"YOUKISSEDHER?"Jayshouted.
PrisgrabbedJaymeson."Wedon'tknowthat.Don'taccuseuntilweknowthedetails."
Zaneburstoutlaughing."Aw,shit,Ireallyloveyouguys.IknowIkeepsayingthat,but…"He

offeredJaymesonamarshmallow."…it'strue."

Jaymeson looked like he was about one second away from choking Zane with the spongy

treats.

"Accident,"Ipipedup."Zanewas,uh,provingapoint."
Zane turned, his eyes evil as he added, "Why yes, I was teaching young Dani the perils of

lettingacelebrityseduceher.Well,don'tsayIdidn'ttry,guys."

Inarrowedmyeyes."Traitor."
Hetossedmeamarshmallowlikethatwouldmakeeverythingbetter.
Pris,verywisely,kissedJaymeson,whisperedsomethinginhisearthatclearlydistractedhim

enoughtoleaveusaloneandgoupstairstotheirmastersuite.

"You're welcome." Zane joined me back on the couch. "Now, Housewives or Game of

Thrones?"

Wesharedalookthensaidinunison,"Thrones."
Ifellasleephalfwaythroughthefirstepisodeandwokeupafewhourslaterinbed.
Zane.
Oneday.
Verysoon.
I hoped he'd find someone who took care of him the way he took care of everything and

everyoneelseinhislife.

He'd stocked the kitchen, not just with marshmallows, but with food in general. He'd labeled

plasticcontainers,hadbasicallyforcefedmebreakfast,andhadalwaysmadesureIwasokay.

Hewasperfect.
Notmyperfect.Notforme.
But…perfect.
Which meant he was trying really hard to either hide a flaw or ignore whatever had caused

himtolandinSeasideinthefirstplace.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX

Lincoln

WOKEUPWITHAREALLY

badfeeling.Itcontinuedthroughouttheday—Dani'sbirthday.Icouldn'tshakeit,

maybebecauseforthefirsttimeinmylife,Iwashappy.Thathadtomeansomethingwasgoingtogo
tohell,right?

Filmingwasshortformethatday,whichwasgoodsinceIwantedtogetreadyforthebirthday

bonfireonthebeach.MycarhadfinallyarrivedfromMalibu,whichmademelessstressed.Iknew
shehatedmytruck,soIwasgladthatIcouldfinallydriveherplaceswhereshewouldn'tbewhite-
knucklingthedoortheentiretime,thinkingweweregoingtogethit.

Mycellphonebuzzedinmypocket.

Dani:Youlike?

Attachedwasapictureofherinashortblackdress;shewasturned,showingmethescooped

back.

Ifrownedandexpandedthepicture.Hertattooseemedsofamiliar.I'dseenitthenightinDepot

Bay,ithadlookedlikerandomshapesandletters.Itwasinaweirdplace,rightaboveherankleand
belowhercalfintheback.Impossibletoseeunlessshewaswearingsomethingshortandwasturned
around, unless you knew it was there. The last time she'd worn a dress, her heels had straps that
wrappedaroundherlegs,gladiator-style,soIhadn'tnoticedit.Andeverytimewe'dbeentogetherI'd
beendistracted—byhermouth,breasts,neck,basicallyeverydamnthingabouther.

Istaredharderatthepicture.Whythehelldiditlooksofamiliar?Andwhydiditbotherme

thatitlookedfamiliar?

Shrugging,Itypedatextbacktoher.

Linc:Sexy.ThinkJaymeson'sgoingtoletyououtofthehouse?
Dani:Oh,don'tworry.IaskedZanetospikehissodatonight.He'ssuper…happyrightnow.
Linc:DrunkJaymesonismyfavorite.WhenIgotthepart,wetookshotswithJaymesonuntilhe

startedplayingtheairguitar,thensangtoahouseplant,thinkingitwasPris.Ihaven'tseenhimdrink
sincethen.

Dani: Ah yes, the house plant. She threw it out after the, er, gestures he made toward it. The

plantwasRalph.

Linc:Ralphwasviolated?
Dani:JaytriedtokissRalph,flashedhim,thenpeedontheplant.
Linc:PoorRalph.
Dani:Poorme!Iwitnessedthefirsthalf.

Ifrowned,staringatmyphonebeforetyping.

Linc:Youwerehome?WhenIvisited?

Sherespondedrightaway.

Dani: Probably. I tended to be holed up in my room a lot back then. And I would remember

meetingyou.

Linc:Same.
Dani:Seeyouinafew!

Linc:Okay,beautiful.Andhappybirthday!
Dani:EIGHTEEN!

Iletoutasighofrelief.IknewIwasn'tgoingtogotoprison,butitstillfreakedmeoutshe

wasunderage;atleastnowitwaslegal,andIdidn'thavetofeelasguiltywhenthoughtsofhernaked
bodycrossedmymindabilliontimesaday.

Taking one last glance in the mirror, I straightened my tie, grabbed her gift, then headed

towardthebeach.

ThepartywasinfullswingbythetimeIarrived.AlecandNatmusthavegottenasitterfor

theironeyearold.ShewassittingonhislapnursingabeerandtalkinganimatedlytoagirlI'dnever
seenbefore.Shehadlong,redhairandreallyprettyskin.Curious,Iwalkedtowardthegroup.Atall,
big guy, who looked like a football player, wrapped his arm around the redhead. I stopped in my
tracks.

"Noshit,"Imumbledundermybreath.
"I know," a male voice said to my right. "Still pisses me off too. Do you even realize how

muchproteinItakeinonadailybasistolooklikethatguy?"

Frowning,Iturnedandburstoutlaughing."Gabe?"
"Liveandintheflesh."Hereturnedaneasygrinandpulledmeinforahug."Howyoubeen,

man?"

"Good."Wewalkedtowardthegroup."Ididn'tknowyouandJaywereclose…"
"MorelikemeandDemetri,"hecorrectedwithachuckle."Iflewinlastnighttodothefinal

musicvideoforthesoundtrackwiththeguys.Aftertouringwiththem,thefansbasicallydemanded
wedoanothersongtogether,sohereIam."

GabeHyde,orAshtonassomepeoplestillcalledhim,wasoneofthebiggestpopstarsonthe

planet. He'd gone into hiding for reasons I still didn't know, and had appeared back on the scene a
littleoverayearago.He'dtouredwithAD2,gottenmarried,andhadbasicallybeensplashedonevery
tabloidsincethen.SometimesheevengaveZanearunforhismoney,whichwassayingalot,since
Zanewaseverywhere.

"So…"Ipointedtothebuiltguywiththeblondhair."…isthatWesMichels?"
"Star quarterback for the Seahawks," Gabe huffed. "Hell, yeah. I had the guy write me down

his exact workout routine along with his diet. I lost weight, and he put on twenty pounds of pure
muscle."Hesighed."SometimesatnightIwanttokillhim."

"Wow,violent."
Gabelaughedthencrookedhisfingeratashortgirlwithdark,wavyhair.Sheweavedherway

throughthecrowdandjumpedintohisarms.

"Saylor…"Hesetherdownonthesand."…thisisLinc—"
"LincolnGreene."Hergrinwashuge."Iknowexactlywhoyouare.Thelastmovieyouwere

in—"Sheshookherhead."—IswearIcriedfortwodayswhenyoudied."

"Thanks…"Ilaughed."…Ithink."
"Hated you." Gabe looked heavenward. "She watched the movie five damn times, and each

timeIhadtoconsoleherandremindherthatitwasamovie,thatyouweren'treallydead."

"Alive."Iwinked."Promise."
"Well…"She sighed. "…it was reallygood. I got reallyexcited when Ifound out you were

goingtobepartofthismovieseries."

IglancedaroundthefireasDemetriandAlyssaroastedmarshmallows.Zanewasapparently

explainingtheperfecttwistofthestick.Wesandtheredheadlaughedatsomethinghesaid,whileJay
andPristookseatsnexttoDani,whowasconcentratingahellofalotharderthananyoneelseonher

marshmallow."Yeah…I'mreallythankful."

Atthatmoment,Jaymesonlockedeyeswithmeandstood,shouting."Youstealherawaytosex

her,Ikillyou."

Gabebackedup."Dani?"
DanirolledhereyesandshovedherstickintoJaymeson'sface.Hebarelycaughtitbeforeit

metasandydeath.Butshewasalreadyrunningtowardmebarefoot.Icaughthermidairandkissed
herlongandhard."Happybirthday."

"Nowitis."Shekissedmeagain.
GabeandSaylorbothstaredatmelikeI'dlostmymind.
"Yeah,yeah.Iknow.Ibreakherheart…youbreakme."Irolledmyeyes."Messagereceived."
"Actually…"Gabeclearedhisthroat."…Iwasgoingtosayyoubreakherheart,ItellWesand

histeamtobreakyou,buttoeachhisown."

Weswavedusover,hisgrinhugeasheglancedbetweenme,Dani,andJay."So…howlong

hasthisbeengoingon?"

"Underhisroof."Zanecoughedintohishand.
Iglared.
Wesburstoutlaughing."Idon'tknowyou,butIthinkIreallylikeyourightnow."
Iheldoutmyhand."LincolnGreene."
Theredheadblushed."Rememberthatmovie,Wes,theoneIcriedover."
"Oh…"Wes'ssmilefell."…thatmovie."
"Look,I'msorry!"Ithrewmyhandsup.
He burst out laughing. "I'm kidding. Great flick, wanted to kill you for making my wife cry

andactuallycontemplatedburningthedamnthing,but…"

"Atoast!"Zanestoodonastump."Tofamily."
Daniquicklyhandedmeacupofsomething,andIlifteditintotheairasweallmadeatoast.
"Andtothebirthdaygirl,"Isaidafterwedrank."Eighteen.How'sitfeel?"
Sheglancedaroundthefire."Perfect."

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN

Dani

ALKONTHEBEACHWITHME?"

Lincheldouthishandtome.Withagiddylaugh,Igrabbeditandfollowed

himdown closer tothe shore, whileeveryone behind us wasbeing serenaded byAD2 and Gabe. A
fewyearsago,ifsomeonewouldhavetoldmethatmysisterwouldbemarriedtoJaymeson,andon
my eighteenth birthday I'd have some of the most famous celebrities in the world singing around a
beachfireinmyhonor,IwouldhavelaughedintheirfaceorthoughtIwashallucinating.

Theirvoicesweredrownedoutbytheroaroftheoceanaswemadeourwaytotheshore.My

barefeetsquishedagainstthecoldwetsand.Lincdidn'tsayanythingaswewalkedhandinhandfor
whatfeltlikeamile.Finally,hestoppedandturned;hiseyeslituplikeheknewasecret.

"Doyouwantyourpresent?"
"Youwalkedmeawholemilefromthewarmthofthefiretogivememypresent?"
Heliftedmyhandstohislips,kissingbothofmywristsbeforedroppingthemandreaching

onehandintohispocket.

Hisreddish-brownhairblewinthewind,castingashadowoverhisface.Ishivered,partially

becauseIwascold,andpartiallybecausehewassobeautiful.I'dalwaysthoughtso,butseeinghim
standing before me, no secrets between us, nothing but excitement over what could happen in the
future,didsomethingtome.Butterfliesspreadthroughoutmystomachasheliftedalongjewelrybox
inhishand.

Asmallboxwouldhavefreakedmeout.
Butthisoneseemedtoobigtohavesomethinglikearinginit.
Cautiously,Ireachedforit,buthejerkeditbackandshookhishead."Akiss,andthenyouget

yourpresent."

"Oh,soIhavetopayformyowngift?"
"Yup." He leaned down, brushing a kiss across my lips. "Okay, your debt's paid. Open your

gift."

Tentatively, I pulled it from his hand and slowly lifted the lid on the black box. Inside was

anotherbox,thisoneblue.Tiffanyblue.

"Oh?"Iglancedup."Tiffany's?"
"Ihadtohideitsoyouwouldn'tknowrightaway."Henoddedasifhewasbrilliant.
Ipulledthelidbackandgasped.Asmallsilvercharmbraceletcaughtthemoonlight.
"It's a charm bracelet," he said in a low voice, "with a purpose. I hope you don't mind, but I

talked to your sister about…" He gulped. "… about you before the accident, about the things you
liked,whatyouwereinvolvedin.Cheerleadingwasobviouslyabigdeal."Hepointedtoamegaphone
charm. "And I added the crown because you were a princess. Still are, if you ask me." The crown
danglednexttothemegaphone.Hisvoicebroke."Iaddedthecarasawaytoshowhowyousurvived
throughahugetraumainyourlife."Hepointedtothenextchain."Thisisacross,representingyour
parents—whattheydid,whattheystoodfor."

Tearsblurredmyvisionashekepttalking.
"Iaddedthepentorepresentyourmutenessandyourabilitytotextandwritenotes,whichfar

surpassesanyoneI'veevermet."

Ichokedonasob.
"Andfinally…"Hepointedtothelastcharm,anopen-centeredheart."Iaddedtheheart…the

oneyougavemetheminuteyousaidyes.SymbolizingthatI'mgivingyouminetoo.I,uh…"Lincoln
clearedhisthroat."…Iwashopingtobridgethegapforyou.Combineyourlifebeforetheaccident

withyourlifenow."

Ihadnowords.
And, for once, I didn't want them. I wasn't trying to speak, embarrassed because I couldn't.

Because, sometimes, words were the last thing you needed, especially when they couldn't do your
feelingsjustice.IjumpedintoLinc'sstrongarmsandkissedhimwithallthepassionI'dbeenkeeping
inside,wrappingmyarmsaroundhisneck,drinkinghimin,makinglovetohimwithmymouth.

"So,"hesaidgruffly,pullingbackonlyenoughtotalk,thoughhislipsmovedagainstmine."I

takeityoulikeyourgift?"

"Iloveit."Ikissedhimagainandagain."It'sperfect."
"Zanegotyouapetpig.Arealone,"hepointedoutjokingly.
Iburstoutlaughingandkissedbothcheeks."Right,that'slikeaneighteen–year-old'sversion

ofapony.Igetit,butthis…"Ihoppedoutofhisarmsandheldoutmywristwhileheslowlyfastened
thebracelet."…isabsolutelyperfect."Igrinnedupathim."You'reperfect."

"Hardly."Heshookhishead,histoneserious.
"Youare!"Isaidinaconvincingvoice."Now,let'sgoshowZanehowawesomeyouare."
"Oh, can't wait." Linc picked me up and started running. I squealed as my body slammed

againsthistheentirewaybacktothebonfire.

"Wow…" I nearly fell over when he set me back on my feet. "… good cardio. Remind me

nevertoraceyou."

"Showingoffagain?"Zanelookedupfromtheguitarhewasholdingandwinkedatme.
Iblushed,mainlybecauseitwasZane,andIjustcouldn'thelpit."He'salwaysshowingoff."
"Is it true Jay caught you guys?" Gabe asked, as conversation fell completely silent, and he

waspinchedinthesidebyhiswife."What?"Helookedaround."Demetrisaidto—"Heglared."Seeif
IinviteyouforChristmasnow."

"Youhaveto."Demetrigrinnedshamelessly."Yourwifelikesmymashedpotatoesbetterthan

yours."

"Youspikedmine,"Gabeexplainedinanangryvoice."Withsalt."
"Ican'thelpitifyoucan'tusemeasuringspoons."
Alyssa,Demetri'swife,rolledhereyesandcoveredDemetri'smouthwithherhand.
Ismiledatherthencoveredmyyawnwithmyhand.
"Earlydaytomorrow."Jaymesonstood,glaringatLincbehindme."Wehavetobeonsetby

four."

Groanswereheardaroundthecampfire.
"Wait."Iraisedmyhand."Everyone'sonsetatfour?"
"Yeah."Prisgavemeanapologeticlook."Thefinalmusicvideoshootstomorrowmorning,

andtheweather'ssupposedtobecrapintheafternoon.Weneedsunlight."

"Wrongcity,"Ipointedout,whileeveryonechuckledandstartedcleaningup.
"So…" Demetri approached us and wrapped an arm around me. "… your gift is an Apple

watch, because I'm that badass, but I left it in my car. I'll walk you and Linc out so I can grab it,
alright?"

"Sure."IwavedgoodbyetoeveryoneandfellintostepbetweenDemetriandLinc.
Theybothtoweredoverme.
Andwereequallymatchedinsizeandstrength.
ItalmostfeltlikeIwasgettingescortedbacktotheparkinglotbybodyguardsinsteadofmy

twobestfriends.

WhydidIalwayshaveguysasbestfriendsanyway?IglancedupatDemetriwhowasgiving

Linctheevileyetwitchasiftosay,"Grabherhand…Isliceitoff."AndLincseemedtobeascasual

asever,handsstuffedinhispockets,thoughhisarmkeptcollidingwithmine.

"Guys…"Istoppedwalking."…can'tweallmakeupandbefriends?"
"Hesleptwithyou."Demetrispatoutthewordhe.
"Andyou'reasaint?"Lincburstoutlaughing."Please!AllIneedtodoisInternet-searchyou

and—"

"Hey!"Demetriyelled."Wearen'ttalkingaboutmypasthere!"
"Butmine'supfordebate?"Linc'seyebrowsshotup."Howisthatfair?DidAlyssa'sparents

freakoutoveryourreputation?DidNat's?Hell,didtheprincipalevenbataneyelash?"

"Several…"Demetrismirked."…actually."
"Cockyass,"Lincmuttered."NowonderIplayyouwell."
IburstoutlaughingasIlookedbetweenthem.Theywereevenstandingthesameway.Itwould

behilariousiftheyweren'tateachother'sthroats.

"Guys,Iloveyouboth."
"YOULOVEHIM!?"Demetrishouted.
WhileIgroanedintomyhands.
"Present,"Ifinallysaid."Givememypresentsoyoucangokissyourwifeandblowoffsome

steam."

"And I will be the only one doing that this eve!" Demetri nodded seriously then pointed

betweenthetwoofus."She'sstill…like…"Hepinchedthebridgeofhisnose."…she'slikeasister,
man…Just…"Heglancedatme,hisfacesorrowful."…justdon'thurttheonlysisterIhave."

"YouhavePris."
"Shh."Demetriwavedhishandatme.
"AndNat."
"Dani!"Iexpectedhimtostomphisfoot."Notnow!We'renegotiating,alright?"
Iheldupmyhands.
"Iwon't,"Lincsaidinaseriousvoice."Iswearit."
"Alright."Demetri'svoicelostmostofitsvenomashestartedwalkingtowardhisnewwhite

Escalade,apresenthe'dboughtforAlyssawhenhefoundoutshewantedtostartafamily.

Oncehepulledmygiftout,heveryslowlywalkedovertomethenhelduptheApplewatch.It

wasthegoldone.

Theexpensivegoldone.
Thathadbeensoldoutformonths.
"Dem—"
"Nope!" He held up his hands. "No give backs. Plus, it's easy to spend money, but gifts that

comefromtheheart…"Hepointedatmycharmbracelet."Thosemeanthemost.Besides,yourold
watchwasshit,andyou'realwayslate."

"Amnot!"Iargued.
"Aretoo!"theguyssaidinunison,theirvoicesnearlyidentical.
ThistimeIdidbustuplaughing,whileDemetriandLinchidtheirsmilesbehindtheirhands.
"Friends?"LincheldouthishandtoDemetri.
Demetriexamineditlikeitwasdiseasedbutfinallyshookitfirmlyandleftusalone,whistling

ashejoggedbacktothegrouponthebeach.

"He's…"Ishrugged."…somethingelse."
"He'sagoodfriend."Lincpulledmeclose."Youshouldgettobed.Plus,Iheardfromavery

reliablesourcethatthere'schocolatecakewaitingforyouonthecounter."

"Fromyou?"
"Bingo." He kissed my nose. "But if it's covered in marshmallows by the time you make it

home,justremember,thosearen'tme."

"Zane."IlaughedthenfrownedasLincstartedwalkingtowardablackBenzAMG.Amemory

flickeredinthefurthestpartofmymind.

Istoppedwalking,myeyessquintingasLincgotcloserandclosertothecar.Thenthelights

flickedasheunlockedthedoors.Heturnedaroundandfrowned."Youokay?Ithoughtyou'dbehappy
IbroughtmycarbackfromMalibusoyouwouldn'thavetorideinthetruck."

The shrieking sound of tires peeling out of a driveway hit me hard between the temples. I

coveredmyearswithmyhandsandsqueezedmyeyesshutasmymindwentbacktothatnight…

"Dani!"Demetrishouted."Waitup.Youforgotyourphone."Hejoggedtowardmejustasatall

figuregotintoaniceblackMercedeswithCaliforniaplates.

Iglancedbutthoughtnothingofit.Jaymesonalwayshadpeoplevisitinghimfromoutofstate.

IwashavingmovienightwithDemandLyssbecauseJayhadsomesortofmeeting.

IfrownedasDemetricaughtuptome.Myeyeswerestillonthecar.
"Damn."Hewhistled."That'sanexpensiveone."
"Hmm."Ishruggedandtriedreachingformyphone,butDemetrihelditabovehishead."Gotta

catchit!"

"Oh, I'll catch it," I threatened as I jumped, somehow lost my footing and tumbled down the

smallhillthatopenedupintoJay'sdriveway.

"Hey!"Demetriyelledoverthehill."Areyouokay?Didwespikeyourjuiceboxagain?"
"Haha!"Icalledback,tryingtostand,andthenthelightstotheMercedesflashed,reminding

meoftheaccident,ofthemomentbeforemylifeshatteredrightinfrontofme.

ItwaslikeIwasbackinthecaragain.
Andmydadwasdriving.
"Dad!"Iscreamed.
Thecarswerved.
ButIwastoolate.IfIwouldhavewokenupsooner,Icouldhavesavedhim.Icouldhavesaved

Mom.

ButIwastoolate.
"No!" I shrieked as the black car surged toward me, its lights blinding me as I turned and

coweredonmystomachinthegrass.Wasthatmyscream?WhywasIscreaming?Itwasn'tlikethecar
wasgoingtohitme.Butitwassoloud,sobright.

"Dani!"Demetrireachedme."Dani!"
Buthewastoolate.
Traumaalwayscomesback.Italwayscomesback.Andit'suptoyoutoeitherletitwinorfight.

"Dani!"Lincolnshoutedmynameoverandoveragain,butIcouldn'thearhim.Icouldn'thear

anythingbutmyownscreamasIcoveredmyearsandstaredatthetear-stainedsandinfrontofme.

"What'swrong?"Demetriwasatmyside.Icouldfeelhishandsonmyback,whileLincwas

tryingtocupmyface.

"Idon'tknow!"Lincshoutedhysterically."Shesawmycarandjuststartedscreaming!"
"Yourcar?"Demetrirepeated,hisvoicecalmerasmyscreamsturnedintosilentsobsagainst

hischest."Whatcar?Youhaveatruck."

"What?"Linc'svoicewashoarsefromyellingmyname."Ibroughtmycarupbecauseshe's

scaredoftrucks.It'srightthere."

DemetritensedthensworeviolentlyjustasWesmetathisside.
"Take her to Jay's." Demetri got up, and suddenly I was being lifted into muscled arms and

carriedaway.Tearsblurredmyvision.Iopenedmymouthtospeak,tosaysomethinglike,"I'mokay,
justfreakedoutthatLincolnhasthesamecar,"butthewordsdiedonmylips.

Becausemybrainwasfiringfasterthanmywords.
Andithadalreadyputtwoandtwotogether.
LinchadbeentherethenightIlostmyvoice.
Hewastheonewhohadtriggereditinthefirstplace.
"How's that for irony?" I heard Demetri curse again and then fighting, like people were

throwingpunches.

Thekeytomyvoicehadalsobeenmycurse.
"Shh,"Weswhisperedinacalmingvoice."It'sgoingtobeokay,Dani.Ipromise."
Butitwasn't.
Itwassofarfrombeingokay.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-EIGHT

Lincoln

HEY WOULDN'T LET ME SEE HER.

Demetri had been in and out of her bedroom for hours. They even let

marshmallow man in, or at least he was able to peek his head through the door while I stared
helplesslyatthedoorknob,willingittotwist,prayingshewouldwalkouttome—betteryet,runinto
myarmsandletmeholdher.

Damn it. I was trapped in the living room, driving myself insane with worry. Wes, Gabe,

Saylor,andKierstenleftwithAlecandNat,meaningjustDemetri,Lyss,andtherestofusremainedat
Jay'shouse.

I pressed my fingers to my temples while I tried to eavesdrop on the conversation Pris was

havingwithDani'stherapist.

Itallseemedsowrong.
Tobetalkingaboutherlikeshe'ddied,whenshewasintheotherroomfreakingbreathing!

Shewaseighteen!Andtheyweretreatingher—

Likeshewasbroken.
Itwasn'tthewayIwouldtreather.
Guiltstabbedmeinthechest,eventhoughIknewintheoryitwasn'tmyfault.I'dstartedacar,

andithadscaredher.Endofstory.

But at least the secret to the tattoo on the back of her leg was solved. Apparently it was too

brief for me to actually put two and two together, but the minute Demetri explained everything, I
knew.ItalsoallowedhimtogetatleasttwopunchesinbeforeAlecpulledhimoffme.

Itouchedmybleedinglipandwincedasthestingingcontinued.
"Okay, thank you." Pris tossed her cell phone onto the counter. "Her therapist says that she

shouldbefine.Wejusthavetobemorecarefulwithherknowntriggers."

"Bullshit."Ijumpedoutofmyseat."Thelastthingsheneedsisforherentirefamilytotreat

herlikeshe'saninvalid!Soshefreakedout.Itsucks.Believeme,Ifeellikeshitaboutit,butusingkid
gloveswithherisn'tgoingtomakeeverythingbetter!Itenablestheissue!"

"It'saseriousissue!"Jayshouted.Myearsbegantoring.
Zaneclearedhisthroat.Alleyesturnedtohim."I'mwithLinc."
"ThankGod,atleastoneofyouisthinkingclearly."
"Zanehasknownherforexactlytwoweeks!"Demetri'svoicewasevenlouderthanJay's."And

Linchasknownherforwhat?Four?"

"Letmetalktoher,"Ipleaded.
"No!"PrisblockedmywaytoDani'sdoor."Youcouldmakeherworse.Shecouldneverspeak

again.Ijustgotherback."Tearsfilledhereyes."Ijustgotmysisterback."

Didtheymissmyroleinthat?Seriously?
Sighing,IlookedtoJaymesonforhelp,buthewasstaringatthefloor.Alyssawastheoneto

stepforward;she'dbeenquietthewholetime.

"Dem…" She looked back at her husband. "… I'd like to think I know a few things about

trauma,andLinc'sright.She'snevergoingtogetoverituntilshefacesit,acceptsit.Soweprotecther
now.WhathappenswhensheseesanothercarlikeLinc's?Whatifwemakeitworsebymakingher
afraid of her triggers? We have to do our best, and our best isn't protecting her, by enabling. It's
lettinghergo."

"No."TearstumbleddownPris'sfaceassheshookherheadviolently.
Jaymesonhunghishead.Wewereatastandstill.Nobodymadeamove.

Priswasstillblockingthedoor.
Anddesperationwasalreadykickingin.
AndIrememberedthedayonthebeachwhenI'dchasedDani,whenItoldherI'dkeepchasing

heruntilIcapturedher,untilshewasmine.

SoIpulledoutmyphoneandstartedtypingvigorously,prayingherphonewaswithherinher

room,prayingmywords,foronce,wouldbeenough.

Linc:I'msorry.

Imovedtothefarthestpartoftheroom,tryingtostealthilytypesothatnobodysaw.Jaymeson

washoldingPriswhileshecried.AlyssaandDemetriwerearguingoverwhattodo,andZane'seyes
weretrainedonmyhand.Henoddedhisheadoncethenverycarefullyblockedmybodywithhisby
lazilyleaningagainstthekitchencounter.

Dani:Metoo.

Cursingtomyself,Itypedagain.

Linc:Youletmeinbefore.Letmeinagain.Please.
Dani:I'membarrassed.

Irolledmyeyes.

Linc:Becauseyoufreakedout?Everyonefreaksout.Shit,IwasafraidofthedarkuntilIwas

fifteenbecausemymomusedtoteasemethatsomecrazymanwasgoingtostealmeaway.Shemade
meafraidofSanta,Dani.WhatkindofmonstermakesyouhateChristmas?

Dani:That'shorrible!
Linc:Weallhaveissues,butthereallygreatthingaboutfamily?Westicktogether.AndIknow

thatbecausemygrandparentsnevergaveuponus,evenwhenIwasapunkteentryingtorebelandget
highattheneighbors,Grandpaswattedmyassandtoldmetogetgoodgrades.Familystickstogether.
Youhaveanincredibleone.

Iwaitedforananswer,butmyphoneremainedsilent.Afterseveralminutes,itbecameclear

shedidn'tplantoanswer.

Isighedthensentanothertext,onethatmighthavebeenharsh,butharshseemedtobewhatshe

needed.

Linc:Yourparentsaredead.
Dani:Iknow.
Linc:Theyaren'tcomingback.

Afewsecondswentby,andthenmyalertwentoff.

Dani:Iknow.
Linc:Lifeisscaryashell,butI'dratherbelieveyouweresparedforareason,maybesothaton

youreighteenthbirthdayyoucouldmakeastupid,spoiled,Hollywoodactorgiveuphisheartandfall
inlove.Selfishly,I'dliketothink,thatmaybe,justmaybe,there'sabrightside,andthat'sus.

Shedidn'ttextback.
Shit.Ishovedmyphoneintomyjeansandfacedthewall.Ibangedmyheadslowlyagainstit

asIfoughttokeepmyemotionsincheck.Rammingmybodythroughthedoorwasn'tgoingtohelp
anyone,except,itwouldmakemefeelahellofalotbetter.

Theroomfellsilent.
Hell,they'dfoundoutIwastexting.Slowly,IturnedandnearlyfellonmykneesasDanistood

beforeme,herfaceredandblotchywithtears.

Sheopenedhermouth,andIcouldtellshewasstrugglingwithspeaking.Prismadeamove

towardus,butJayheldherback.

Daniclosedhereyes.
"No,sweetheart,"Iwhispered,"keepthemopen.Lookatme.It'sonlyus."
Tearsspilledontohercheeks.Noddingslowly,sheopenedhermouth."I'd…"Hervoicewas

hoarse,gravelly."…I'dliketothinkthattoo."

Mykneesshook,butIgrippedherbytheshouldersandpulledheragainstmychestasIkissed

herhead."It'samiracleyou'realive,Dani.You'remymiracle.Maybeitisselfishtothinkthatafter
livinginalovelessfamily,I'dfinallyberewardedwithabetterone—withyou.ButIguessinmy
messedupmind,that'showtheworldworks."

Hertearswerehotagainstmyshirt."Iloveyou."
DemetriandJayturnedaway,usheringthegirlsouttowardthebalconyandshuttingthedoor,

whichwasexactlywhatneededtohappen.Itwastooraw,andIdidn'twantthemwitnessinganymore.

Zanestaredusdownthensilentlywalkedovertohisroomandshutthedoorbehindhim.
"Dani,"Iwhisperedintoherhair,"lookatme."
Sheliftedherhead,herblueeyesswollen,cheekspuffy.
"Iloveyoutoo."
"Areyous-sure?"
Iburstoutlaughing."Pretty.Damn.Sure."MymouthmethersinawhisperofakissbeforeI

pulledheragainstmeagain;hugginghersotightitwashardtobreathe,hardtospeak.

"I'msorry."Hervoicewasmuffledagainstmychest."I'msorryIfreakedout.Ihadnoidea,it

wasyou,andIwassoangryatfirst,andIblamedyou,andI'msorry."Shehiccupped."Butitwasn't
yourfault.Itwasn'tevenmineormyparents'."Hereyescleared."It'slife."

Inodded."It'slife,Dani."
"Life…meansIleavewhat'sbehindmebehindme."
"Can'tdriveacarinreverse,"Iagreed.
"Can'tdriveacarperiod.It'swhyJaygotmeanSUV,"shejoked.
Laughing,Ikissedhernose."I'llkeepthatinmind."

CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE

Dani
Threemonthslater

T WAS HARD.

ALWAYSHATED

moviesthatendedwith"Andtheylivedhappilyeverafter,"becausethatwas

never how the real world worked. Going through hell didn't automatically give you a free pass to
happyland.ButhavingLincbymyside?Itmadeitbetter,easier,becauseIfinallyhadsomeonewho
understoodandacceptedme.

"Noway!"agirlshriekednexttome."Ithinkthat'sLincolnGreene!"
The friend started fanning herself. "Seriously, tell me he isn't the hottest thing you've ever

seen?"

"I heard he's basically engaged to some local girl back in Oregon. Damn, there must be

somethinginthewateroverthere.DidyouknowAD2bothgotmarriedtolocalgirlstoo?"

"Well." The girl with dark hair rubbed her hands together. "That's settled. I'm moving to

Oregon!"

They busted up with laughter until Linc grabbed our coffees and made his way in our

direction.Then,absolutesilence.

He handed me my coffee, brushed a soft kiss across my forehead, and whispered, "You

ready?"

"Sure."Asatisfiedsmilecrossedmyfaceasthethreegirlsdroppedtheirjawsinunisonand

watchedmewalkoutthedoorwithhishandonmyhip,shovedintothebackpocketofmyjeans.

Eatyourheartout,ladies.He'sallmine.
"So…" Lincoln threw on his aviators and gave me that perfect movie-star grin that had my

heartthumpingloudlyagainstmychest."…whereto?"

"Well…"Itappedmychin."…wehavetomeetZanefordinner,soweonlyhaveafewhours.

IsayDisneyland."

Lincgavemeathumbsdown.
"Putonahat!"Ilaughed."Please?"
"Oh,what?Whatwasthat?"Hehandedmehiscoffeethendugtwoticketsoutofhispocket.To

Disneyland.

"LINC!"Ishouted.
"Pris said your parents always promised to take you and never could, so I'm yours and

Mickey'sfortheday.Demetri,Lyss,Alec,andNataremeetingusalongwithbabyElla.It'sherfirst
trip,too."

"Aw,wecangetmatchingears."
"Great."Lincolnchuckled,buthisexcitementmatchedmine,Icouldtell.
"Thanks…"Iswallowedthelumpinmythroat."…fordoingthisontheanniversaryoftheir

death."

"Baby…"Linctookhiscoffeefrommyhandandkissedmeonthecheek."…Iwillalwaysbe

hereforyou.Always."

Istaredhardintohisgreyeyes."Iknow."
"Good." He brought my hand to his lips. "Now let's go get this over with so I can take you

backtomyhouse.WeonlyhavethreeweeksbeforeweneedtogobacktoSeasidetore-shootthelast
two scenes that your drama king of a brother-in-law is convinced will look better if we just used a
differentcameraangle."

"Genius,youmean?"Iarchedmyeyebrows.

Linc refused to admit it, but this movie had so much buzz that people were even saying it

mightgainafewAcademyAwardnominationsforthesoundtrackalone,nottomentionBestDirector
forJaymeson,whichwasprettyamazingforsomeonesoyoung.

Wewalkedhandinhandbacktohiscar.
Anditfeltbetter,noteasier.Istillstruggledincrowdsandwithstrangers.Thelastinterview

LinchaddonehadmelookinglikealunaticbecauseIcouldn'tevenansweryesornoquestions,but
hehadn'tcaredand,oddlyenough,neitherhadthereporter.

Life,Iwasstartingtofigureout,wasnevergoingtobeeasy.Therewouldbeharddays,and

therewouldbegreatdays,butthemostimportantthingtorememberwasthatIwasgiventhosedays.

Andmyparentsweren't.
Somynewgoalwastolivethemtothefullest,andthankGod,I'dhadtheminthefirstplace.

EPILOGUE

Zane

EY,YOU'REFAMOUS,RIGHT?"

"Nope,"Iliedthensteeredmywayoutofthegrocerystoreline,brownpaperbaginhand,my

visionblurringalreadyfromtheextremeconcentrationittooktowalkintoastupidpublicplaceby
myself.

BythetimeIreachedmyRangeRover,Iwasalreadysweating.
MyhandsshookasItriedtohitunlockonthekeyfob.Istruggled,missingitwithmythumbat

leastthreetimesbeforemylightsblinkedandthecaropened.

Isecuredthepackageinthepassenger'sseatandputonmyseatbelt,thendroveacrosstownto

thebeachhouse.

Everyone was asleep, or I would have begged, maybe even bribed someone to come to the

storewithme.Ialwaysmadeajokeoutofit."ComewithmesoIdon'tgetsexuallyharassed."

Whenreally.
Itwasfear.
Itwasalwaysfear.
Thedoortothehousewasunlocked.Iturnedtheknobandwalkedinside,thensoftlyclosed

the door behind me, making my way into the large gourmet kitchen so I could put my stash in the
pantry.

Iwasalmosthomefreewhenthekitchenlightflickeredon.
Lincwassittingatthetable,aglassofscotchinfrontofhim,abottlenexttotheglass,andan

emptyglassinfrontofthat.

"So…"Hescootedthefullglasstowardme."…Ithinkweneedtotalk."
I rolled my eyes, shaking off the fear from being in public and presenting myself with my

usualarmor."Onekiss,Linc.Toproveapoint.Getoverit,betteryet,getoverher,andwhenIsay
overImeaninbed,thencallmelaterandsaythankyou."

"Thankyou,"Lincsaidquickly."ButnotwhatI'mtalkingabout."
Ifrowned."Then,Ihavenoideawhatweneedtodiscuss."
"You're one of her best friends. She worries about you. Therefore, I worry about you. She

doesn'tsleep…Idon'tsleep,sosityourassdownandtellmewhyyou'rereallyhere."

"Because God hasn't taken me home yet?" I offered sarcastically. "How much of that scotch

haveyoudrunk?Behonest."

"Zane."
"Getlaid,callmeinthemorning,thingswilllook…up."
"Zane."
InearlygrowledasIturnedandgrippedthecounterhardwithmyfingertips."What?"
"Whyareyouhere?"
Loaded question. And I would lie. I would continue to lie as long as Jaymeson allowed it.

"Because.Ifindtheseabreezepositively…exhilarating."

"Truth?"
"Yup."IchokedontheliemorebecauseIactuallylikedhim.
"I'llbelieveitwhenIseeyouactuallyvisittheocean."
Caught.Istaredathimdumbly."Ivisit."
"Byyourself?"
Myentirebodyseized.

"That'swhatIthought."Heknockedonthecounter."Night,Zane.Youknowwheretofindme

ifyouneedme."

"Mybestfriend'sbedroom?"
Linc'sbodytensed."Don'tmakemepunchyou.Again."
Hewalkedaway.
Whichwasgood,becausehadhestayedanylonger,he'dhaveseenthesweatpoolingaround

mytemples,thetremorsthatwrackedmybody,andthetwitchinghand.Withacurse,Istompedback
intothepantry,grabbedanentirebagofmarshmallows,anddugin.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

RachelVanDykenisthe New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of
regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at
Starbucksandplottinghernextbookwhilewatching"TheBachelor".

She keeps her home in Idaho with her husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers. She

lovestohearfromreaders.

YoucanconnectwithheronFacebookat

facebook.com/rachelvandyken

orjoinherfangroup

Rachel'sNewRockinReaders

.Herwebsiteis

www.rachelvandykenauthor.com

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TableofContents

CHAPTERONE
CHAPTERTWO
CHAPTERTHREE
CHAPTERFOUR
CHAPTERFIVE
CHAPTERSIX
CHAPTERSEVEN
CHAPTEREIGHT
CHAPTERNINE
CHAPTERTEN
CHAPTERELEVEN
CHAPTERTWELVE
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
CHAPTERNINETEEN
CHAPTERTWENTY
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
CHAPTERTHIRTY
CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTERTHIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE
EPILOGUE
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR
ALSOBYRACHELVANDYKEN

Document Outline

CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALSO BY RACHEL VAN DYKEN

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