How could I ever be over you—or your body?

“Anne!” I shrieked.

“What? I thought I was supposed to be making this dirty?”

“I can’t handle this.” I buried my head in my hands.

“She can stop…is this really necessary?” Tiffany put a hand on my back. I made myself continue to watch Anne type.

Are you messing with me? I warn you that would be one hell of a mistake.

I’m not messing with you. I just wanted to tell you I missed you—us.

You know I miss you. I want you so bad it hurts. You don’t want to know what I’d do to have you here with me.

Does that mean you’re alone?

Yes it does. Are you?

Yes. If I wasn’t I couldn’t be doing what I’m doing.

“Anne! Stop! Stop!” I clenched my comforter to stop myself from grabbing the phone.

What are you doing? I wonder if it’s what I’m about to do.

Anne looked at me. “What answers do you need?”

I scrunched my eyes closed. “I need to know how it would work. How I could choose him. I think he knows.”

“Choose him?” Tiffany asked.

“It’s complicated.”

“I have to act now. I think I know how to do this.” Anne got all serious like she was about to work through some massive equation or something.

Let’s play a game.

A game? I’m beginning to wonder if it’s really you.

“Damn it. Tell me something only you guys would know. Make it personal,” Anne said impatiently.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes!” Anne snapped.

“We used to hook up in his old tree house when his dad was home.”

“Perfect.”

Who else would it be? You know what I dreamed about last night?

What?

Your tree house.

Yeah? What about it?

Can we play the game?

Will I like this game?

I proved it was me. Prove it’s you.

You like having sex when you know you might get caught.

All three of my friends turned to stare at me.

I’m sure I was beet red. I wasn’t sure if it was possible to feel more embarrassed. “It’s him… obviously.”

Ready for my game?

Yes.

Let’s preview what our next time together is going to be like.

So you’ve made up your mind? You want to come back to me?

There was something so hopeless about that text, it ate at me.

If you make it enticing enough.

I will, but this is boring.

Boring? I grabbed my phone from Anne. I’m boring?

I don’t want to see your words. I need to hear your voice…or even better see you. Can you skype?

Anne took the phone. No skype. I don’t want to get off my bed.

Call me. I need to hear you.

“I can’t call him! It’s okay when you are doing it, but I can’t do this. It feels like I’m cheating on Levi.”

“I can’t fake your voice…” Anne looked at me.

“What should I do?” I glanced at Hailey.

“Either we find another way or you talk to him.”

“I’d be a pretty selfish friend if I didn’t try. Jess needs me to do this.” My stomach was in knots, but I was out of options. Until I fixed the bond with Levi, the Blackwells weren’t going to give up.

I took the phone from Anne and pressed call.

“Hey, baby.” Did he have to call me that?

“Hi.”

“So where’d this all come from? Last time I saw you, you were still trying to get rid of me.”

“I told you. I was just reminiscing.”

“I do that constantly. I can’t get you out of my head. I replay our time together on repeat. I remember what every inch of you feels like, tastes like. And that kiss in the hot tub. It was hot. If you’d only let it go where it wanted to go…”

Hailey gave me a funny look. She could hear every word. I hadn’t told her about the kiss.

“I wasn’t ready.”

“You’re ready now?” His voice was so hopeful. It didn’t sound evil like the kidnapper he was.

“How would it even work?” Maybe I could get it out of him without any sex talk.

“Weren’t we supposed to be playing a game?”

“You’re the one who wanted to hear my voice.”

“And we can’t play that kind of game talking? It wouldn’t be the first time…”

I cringed. Hailey could hear, and the look on her face was not one I wanted to see.

“I’m scared.” That was somewhat honest.

“You’re never scared.”

“I am right now.”

“Why’d you text me?”

“I wanted to talk.”

“I want to believe you, but not with the way you’re acting.” He paused. “Is he with you?”

“You think I’d be talking to you with Levi here?”

“Don’t say his name!” Toby grumbled.

“Okay…”

“You’re not his. You’re mine.”

“If it helps, he wasn’t very happy to discover he wasn’t my first Pteron.”

“No, he wasn’t your first. I was. I was your first everything… I was first, and I’ll be your last. We’ll just have to forget about the little blip in-between.”

“How is it possible? Please tell me.”

“Not yet. I’d rather show you when the time comes”

“But—if you tell me now, I’ll be more likely to come.”

“Save it, Allie. You suck at this. Trying to bargain kind of kills the seduction angle. It doesn’t matter. I’ll take care of everything.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“You’re going to come with me when I tell you it’s time. You’re going to choose me, and we’ll leave all this bullshit behind us. I should be so damn mad at you right now, but I still just want you. Do you know how hard this is?”

“But none of it’s real. It’s just Pteron lust or whatever. You don’t love me. Just block it out.”

He laughed dryly. “So you know what you are?”

“Yes.”

“You’re like a drug, and I’ve been in a constant state of withdrawal since I last had you. I shouldn’t have waited. I should have just given you my ring. I wanted to give you time, do it right.”

“Are you really the Blackwell heir? How didn’t Le- he know?”

“My grandfather tried to keep it a secret, but yes, I’m the heir.”