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slid down her cheek.
    “Jesus, Tal, don’t cry. I’m s—”
    She cut him off with a fierce shake of her head. “I’m going on my date now,” she said, and because he was starting to feel like a perfect ass, he didn’t argue the point. “I’ll be back here in an hour, and then we can discuss your call with Sarvarna.”
    She didn’t say goodbye. She just turned on her pointy heel and walked out the door. Jase went and stood by the window, watching until she exited the front of the building and turned left onto the sidewalk. He considered following her, but quickly realized how little she would appreciate the act. Plus, it wasn’t exactly like he would go unnoticed with another Shifter around. So instead, he flopped back onto his bed, and wished, not for the first time, that he had a nice alcohol or drug habit to dull the aching in his chest.

     
     

Chapter 6
     
    Talley ducked into the bathroom as soon as she got to the coffee shop. The walk from Jase’s dorm to downtown had taken a little over ten minutes, which was just enough time for her to get herself back under control. She shouldn’t have stopped by his room in the first place. She knew how he was going to react. What had she been thinking?
    Of course, she knew exactly what she was thinking. It was Jase, and he had asked her to come by at six with a pepperoni pizza, so she had.
    And you wanted to see him flip out over you having a date , the Scout voice in her head added.
    “I am so stupid,” Talley said to her reflection as she used some lotion and tissues to tame the mascara now painting her cheeks instead of her eyelashes. She had wanted Jase to flip out when she announced she had a date, but not for the reason he actually did. The part of her that was still six years old and believed in white knights and ugly ducklings dreamed of him magically realizing what a wonderful person she was and being overcome with jealousy. Instead, he had pointed out just how undesirable she was and accused her of being selfishly focused on her own life instead of their mission and the lives of their friends. She could have cleared that right up by telling him the real reason she was meeting Walker tonight, but she didn’t want him interfering. No, Walker was her mystery to solve, and she wasn’t getting Jase involved. At least, not yet.
    A tiny blond girl with pixie-like features came up to the sink next to Talley and caught her reflection in the mirror. “You okay?” she asked.
    “Oh, yeah.” Talley plastered on a smile. “My allergies are horrible this time of year.”
    Tinkerbell shut off the water and grabbed a handful of paper towels. “Yeah, I’m allergic to assholes, too.”
    “He’s not an… an…” But the girl was gone before Talley could work up the nerve to say it. It was probably for the best anyway. Talley would have just been embarrassed when she only managed a small whisper. An eighteen-year-old who was living nearly four hours away from her mother should be able to cuss without fearing the hand of God would reach out of the heavens and smite her. At least, an eighteen-year-old with a backbone would be able to.
    Talley felt ashamed for not being able to speak up and defend her friend. Jase really wasn’t what that girl said he was. Okay, so he had his moments, like tonight, but overall he was a good person. He truly cared about her, which was what made everything even harder. It would be easier to accept his actions if she thought they were out of spite or callousness, but she knew better. Jase was just trying to protect her. He didn’t mean to crush her soul into a million little pieces by telling her she was undatable. He was only trying to protect her from being used. It wasn’t his fault he couldn't think of her as a normal girl. In his head, she was the same non-gender he considered his sisters to be. He simply couldn’t imagine that she would want to be thought of as pretty, or that she would long for her first real kiss.
    Eighteen