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through clenched teeth. “I told you I wouldn’t let him hurt you.”
    I felt like he was engulfing me, his words, that is. The way he’d said them, the way he’d looked at me was almost the equivalent of him wrapping his arms around me, shielding me from all that was bad in the world. It was breathtaking and a little frightening at the same time.
    “It’s not up to you to ‘let’ anything happen where I’m concerned. I’m not your girlfriend,” I told him because it was important that I kept reminding myself of that fact. It was imperative that we both knew what our boundaries were.
    Facts and boundaries be damned, Caleb came closer, using a finger to tip my chin upward so that I was once again staring into those smoldering eyes of his.
    “You shouldn’t be his either,” he said in a low, gruff voice that raked over my skin in the softest, hottest touch I’d ever experienced.
    I sighed, because there really was no reason to be angry with Caleb. Dex had slammed the door with my arm still in the way. He’d apologized profusely and said it was a mistake, but the smirk on his face as he’d looked back at his friends proved that was a lie. I could admit that, even if only to myself. Just as I had to admit that Caleb’s protective instinct toward memade me tremble and want to fall into his arms to shelter in said protection.
    “It’s not a big deal, Caleb,” I said, hoping he would finally believe me. “I know how to take care of myself.”
    At least I’d thought I did. I’d convinced myself that it wasn’t an issue, it wasn’t as if he’d slapped me or beaten me down to the ground until I was unconscious, as my stepfather had done to my mother on too many occasions to count.
    “It is a big deal because he’s hurting you,” he insisted. “I told you I wouldn’t let that happen.”
    “Why should you even care?” I asked one of the many questions that had been on my mind for the last week or so where Caleb was concerned. “I’m not your responsibility.”
    But I sure did like that he felt like I was, that he wanted to take care of me even though it was unnecessary. I also liked the feeling of his fingers on my skin, the warmth from his body transferring slowly into mine. He must have read my mind because he rewarded me by cupping my face in both hands. It was a possessive move so I should have backed away, should have felt compelled to run as I often did whenever Dex came closer than I liked. Instead, all I could feel was the balminess, the heat spreading slowly throughout my body as if his hands were actually implanting it there.
    “He’s bad, Zoe. He will continue to hurt you if you let him, if I let him.” His lips clenched and he shook his head slightly. “You’re right, I shouldn’t care, but I do.”
    And he didn’t like that fact. I could see it in his eyes, the disappointment. I figured it was for feeling the way he shouldn’t, only because I was feeling a little of that myself. I shouldn’t be attracted to this meddling, mysterious guy and he shouldn’t give a damn about some neurotic and confused girl.
    “I can take care of myself,” I told him again. “I’ve been doing it for a long time now.”
    At first he looked like he wanted to say something else. Then his head lowered, he came closer, and for one glorious instant I thought he was going to kiss me.
    I jumped at the sound of the car horn and Caleb swore, pulling his hands away from my face. The warmth was immediately missed and as I looked across the parking lot to see Hanna jumping out of her car I actually wanted to scream for her to go back, to not have beeped that horn or pulled up in this parking lot. Because the truth was, I wanted Caleb to kiss me, more than I wanted anything else at that moment.
    I was stepping back from Caleb, who had already put distance between us, when Hanna came running over.
    “Are you okay?” she asked me, taking hold of my shoulders like she planned to shake an answer out of