I faced forward. "I'm just trying to focus on school, Cecily."

"I know, but it gets so arduous. Don't you ever want to just break free? Have a little fun?"

And I've seen girls with those fun-seeking eyes-Amelia "Sweetkisses " Vanguard had those eyes-and they led only to a bed full of stupid, stupid, stupid.

"I have a bit more to prove than others," I half-lied. "So I don't have time for fun. Walking you to Metro is already putting me forty minutes behind everyone else on our assignments." And that effectively ended all conversation.

Not that I needed to cut her off completely, I could have asked friendly questions or talked to her about myself and humdrum things such as the music I liked, but that was normalcy and I had an abnormal heart, the kind that stretched like a rubber-band and weakened with every tug I allowed someone to have.

There was only that little bit of give left and I clung to it like a kid with a kite.

So my thoughts stayed in my head, my questions in my mouth, and my eyes on the road ahead.

I would not wonder about Cecily the Cute Italian Girl.

Her Warmth on My Arm As I sipped coffee, I tried not to wonder why Everly Anne would chose to sleep on a couch in my sister's cafe, rather than her own bed. I was in the middle of a group study session, and every time I looked up, I felt as if I were putting my secret on display. I knew better than to notice her in front of Logan, but my eyes couldn't deny the desire to spy. It didn't help that there were two men sitting across from her with their mouths full of opinions about Everly's grey leggings and, "What unconscious bitches don't know won't hurt them."

I robotically called out my answers as Cecily went around the table with quizzes, not listening for the right answer, not giving a wild fuck about passing, as one of the men laughed with his friend and then stood. He took three steps to close the gap between the two sofas. His arm went on the back of the couch as he hovered over her, and it might as well have been his hand on her face. Whatever he whispered to her made his friend laugh, and then his hand lowered; his finger on the back of her legging as he trailed up to her knee.

I pushed away from the table so hastily I knocked my hand into Cecily's coffee, spilling it all over. She cursed as I stepped toward the couch, but her voice was only a fading memory as I reached the man.

"Get away from her."

He turned, the grin still sewed on his face. "Don't worry," he said, "you'll get your turn in a second."

I shoved him hard. "The fuck did you say?" I shoved him again. "Oh, what's wrong? I thought you wanted to touch someone. Touch me, motherfucker. Put your hands on me, not some innocent girl, and then see what the hell happens."

Noelle had her hands on my chest before he could react. "What are you doing, Cal?"

"That man assaulted me!" he screamed. "I wanna press charges."

"Get out of my cafe!" she yelled at him. "Leave right now!"

I pushed her hand away. "Why would you let her sleep here? How incredibly stupid are you?"

"Let who . . .?" And then she turned to see Everly Anne sitting up, fully awake. "Oh."

"Oh." I turned my attention back to the man and his loser friend. "There are ten people sitting at my table that have cut into human bodies and passed enough chemistry labs to know how to make shit look like an accident. I better never see either of you assholes within ten blocks of here again."

Once the room calmed, I sat beside Everly, fully aware of my classmate's eyes on us.

"Do I even want to know?" she asked.

I was still too riled. "Why the hell are you sleeping here? Who the fuck naps in the middle of a cafe?"

"My friend is in surgery."

"So sleep at home, where it's safe, Everly Anne!"

"Why are you so angry?"

"Because that . . ." too many eyes were on us. I breathed.

"I'll just go," she said, and then quickly corrected, "I'll go."

"No." I reached out for her arm, but she slid away. "I'll walk you home if you're leaving."

"Group's waiting for you."

"And I'm sure there are two men outside who'd love to run into you right now, Everly Anne."

I stared at her, attempting to find a cure for my anger in the softness of her eyes, but Cecily drove a wedge between us as she stood at the foot of the couch.

"We figured Everly might as well join us," she said. "Since she's who were discussing anyhow."

"It's cheating," Everly replied.