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along in a couple of minutes. Asher is in my English class and needs help on an assignment. Asher, this is Laura O’Malley.”
    Asher nodded in her direction. Laura remained uncertain, but Lucy steered her toward the house. Behind
    Asher’s back, my sister mouthed, Liar . Then she was gone, shutting the front door behind her. It took me a moment to realize she meant about my involvement with Asher. I flushed and met Asher’s gaze head-on. Better to get this over with.
    “What’s up?”
    His lip curled. “Your hand. Let me see it.”
    It was childish, but I held out my left hand, knowing it would provoke him.
    “Your right hand, Remy. It’s not wise to mess with me.”
    I widened my eyes in innocence. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
    My right hand went up this time. He stared in disbelief at my unblemished flesh for what felt like an eternity. To lighten the mood, I wiggled the fingers at him and he scowled. Then, he looked relieved and leveled a considering look at me.
    “Your palm was burned last night. Like mine.”
    It wasn’t a question, so I said nothing.
    “You absorb the injuries you heal.”
    I didn’t confirm or deny his guess.
    “I don’t get you.” He moved close enough to touch me. “Why won’t you talk to me?”
    I raised one brow as if to say, Really? You have to ask? Shifting my weight from foot to foot, I sighed. “This . . . us . . . it’s too complicated.”
    He nodded once as if he’d come to the same conclusion.
    Glancing over his shoulder, I glimpsed Lucy ducking out of sight in the front window. When I reached to take the bags from him, he let them go without a fight. I stepped around him and was at the front door before he spoke.
    “Remy? I know more about you than you think. Maybe more than you do. If you decide you want answers, I’m here. It doesn’t have to be anything more than that.”
    We both knew that wasn’t true. I walked in the house and didn’t look back. A moment later his motorcycle gave a guttural roar as it sped away. The sound of that bike summed up all the temptation and danger of the boy himself. It would be so easy to cave in and tell him all my secrets, but I’d be risking everything.
    Ben, Laura, Lucy, and the small amount of peace I’d found in Blackwell Falls. Was I willing to give that all up? Because that was what could happen if I trusted Asher Blackwell and he betrayed me.
    I didn’t even have to think about the answer when I entered the kitchen and saw Lucy, Laura, and Ben arguing over dinner like they hadn’t been watching me from the window and discussing the boy on the motorcycle.
    No way am I giving this up.

C HAPTER S IX
    I dressed for school in dark brown knee-high boots over a new pair of skinny jeans paired with a deep green satin blouse I pretended didn’t remind me of anyone’s eyes. As had become our habit, Lucy and I rode to school together in her car with her talking my ear off the whole way. I refused to be nervous about seeing Asher again and was determined to stay away from him for my own good.
    The first temptation of the day occurred as soon as we pulled into the parking lot. Asher lingered a few spaces over, leaning against his black motorcycle—a vintage Indian according to an envious Ben. The black helmet he held in one hand had tousled his long, wavy hair. All lean muscle, he stood in a rare beam of sunlight and for once, a flirting hussy wasn’t attached to his side. His eyes glowed hotter than the weak sun as he stared at me, daring me to walk to him. Giant monarch butterflies flitted about in my stomach.
    Lucy whispered, “Down, girl. Put your tongue back in your mouth.”
    The distraction worked, though it hurt to tear my eyes from him. Looking up at the cloudy sky, I said, “Okay. I can do this.”
    It didn’t sound convincing, even to my own ears. Lucy shook her head in pity. “Are you sure you want to?”
    She didn’t know why I’d decided to avoid Asher, only that I had. That was reason enough for her. Glad