she couldn't even bear to think about it.
"Miles." She pressed him back. "You shouldn't do this. Kissing me is"--she
swallowed--"dangerous."
He chuckled. Of course he would, because he didn't know anything about Trevor.
"I think I'll take my chances."
She tried to pull back, but Miles had a way of making her feel good about almost
everything. Even this. When his mouth came down on hers, she held her breath, waiting
for the worst.
But nothing happened.
Miles lips were feather-soft, kissing her gently enough that he still felt like her
good friend--but with just enough passion to prove there was more where this one came
from. If she wanted it.
But even if there were no flames, no scorched skin, no death or destruction--and
why weren't there?--the kiss was still supposed to feel wrong. For so long, all her lips had
wanted were Daniel's lips, all the time. She used to dream about his kiss, his smile, his
gorgeous violet eyes, his body holding hers. There was never supposed to be anyone else.
What if she'd been wrong about Daniel? What if she could be happier--or happy,
period--with another guy?
Miles pulled away, looking happy and sad at the same time. "So, goodnight." He
turned away, almost like he was going to bolt back toward his room. But then he turned
back. And took her hand. "If you ever feel like things aren't working out, you know,
with ..." He looked up at the sky. "I'm here. Just wanted you to know."
Luce nodded, already battling a rolling wave of confusion. Miles squeezed her
hand, then took off in the other direction, bounding over the sloping shingled roof, back
toward his side of the dorm.
Alone, she traced her lips where Miles's had just been. The next time she saw
Daniel, would he be able to tell? Her head hurt from all the ups and downs of the day,
and she wanted to crawl into bed. As she slipped back through the window into her room,
she turned one last time to take in the view, to remember how everything had looked on
the night when so many things had changed.
But instead of the stars and trees and crashing waves, Luce's eyes fixed on
something else behind one of the roof's many chimneys. Something white and billowing.
161
An iridescent pair of wings.
Daniel. Crouched, only half hidden from view, just feet away from where she and
Miles had kissed. His back was to her. His head was hanging.
"Daniel," she called out, feeling her voice catch on his name.
When he turned to face her, the drawn look on his face was one of absolute
agony. As if Luce had just ripped his heart out. He bent his knees, unfurled his wings,
and took off into the night.
A moment later, he looked like just another star in the sparkling black sky.
162
SIXTEEN
THREE DAYS
At breakfast the next morning, Luce could hardly eat anything.
It was the last day of classes before Shoreline dismissed the students for
Thanksgiving break, and Luce was already feeling lonely. Loneliness in a crowd of
people was the worst kind of loneliness, but she couldn't help it. All the students around
her were chattering happily about going home to their families. About the girl or guy they
hadn't seen since summer break. About the parties their best friends were throwing over
the weekend.
The only party Luce was going to this weekend was the pity party in her empty
dorm room.
Of course, a few other students from the main school were staying put over the
break: Connor Madson, who had come to Shoreline from an orphanage in Minnesota.
Brenna Lee, whose parents lived in China. Francesca and Steven were staying, too-surprise, surprise--and were hosting a Thanksgiving dinner-for-the-displaced in the mess
hall Thursday night.
Luce was holding out one hope: That Arriane's threat to keep an eye on her
included Thanksgiving break. Then again, she'd barely seen the girl since Arriane had
taken the three of them back to Shoreline. Only for that brief moment at Harvest Fest.
Everyone else was checking out in the next day or two. Miles to his family's onehundred-plus-person catered event. Dawn and Jasmine to their families' joint gathering at
Jasmine's Sausalito mansion. Even Shelby--though she hadn't said a word to Luce about
going back to Bakersfield--had been on the phone with her mom the day before,
groaning, " Yes. I know. I'll be there."
It was the worst possible time for Luce to be left alone. The stew of her inner
turmoil grew thicker every day, until she didn't know how to feel about Daniel or anyone
else. And she couldn't stop cursing herself for how stupid she'd been the night before,
letting Miles go so far.
All night long, she kept arriving at the same conclusion: Even though she was
upset with Daniel, what had happened with Miles wasn't anyone's fault but hers. She was