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stifled by my apprehension, needing to move. Unable to move. Nick's heavy gaze pinned me to the sleeping bag. For a heartbeat, I felt like I could see how powerful he was; it was all there, in his eyes, and it was incredible. Scary. Sexy.
    One deep breath later, I was able to escape. Or maybe he let me go. I scooted off the sleeping bag. An inquisitive look from him and my own thrall had me moving almost spasmodically back onto the bag. I stayed at the edge, though, and to make the space less awkward-seeming, I stretched my legs out, so my feet were just inches from Nick, who was watching me with a serious, probing expression.
    My heart pounded when he thumbed my foot through its fuzzy sock. The corner of his mouth pulled up, the sexy half smile he'd given me by the creek after I'd shot him. His fingers stroked the sock, and my toes warmed—like, they actually got warmer. I grinned, and Nick winked, and I waited for him to move his hand, but it just stayed, stroking gently down the sole of my foot, making me giggle.
    “These are nice.”
    His face had a dreamy, blank sort of expression as he folded his hand over my toes, and every inch of my lower body went molten. I closed my eyes, shocked at how affected I was by such a simple touch. Shocked at how badly I wanted his hand to move up my leg. I had the fleeting thought that this was what being human was all about, and with an apocalypse coming soon, I should probably try to experience everything I could. Then Nick's hand went away, and I peeked my eyes open.
    He looked intense. Almost startled. I could see that he was gritting his teeth, and I thought that maybe he was having the same sort of thoughts.
    “You should go to sleep.” His voice was rumbly.
    “I can't.” I didn't want to get into the sleeping bag by myself. I didn’t want him to leave me alone with my fears. “You should…lay beside me.”
    I dangled there, swaying with my heart hanging from my chest, and to my horror, Nick stood. He walked toward the door flap. He ran his hands through his hair. He shook his head. His voice was agonized when he spoke: “Milo, I…before I came here, I didn’t understand what it was like to be human. The actual experience of it. Nothing about my existence could have prepared me for the power of, just everything. Emotions, impulses, instincts. I…I’m at a loss to explain how surprising it all is. But I do understand regret. And I regret what I’ve put you through.”
    “I don’t care,” I said quickly, and I really didn’t. True, I wish the DoD weren’t on our tail, but as far as the aliens, if Nick hadn’t taken an interest in me, it seems like humanity would have definitely been destroyed. I told him this, and he said, “That’s not exactly what I meant, although I am sorry that we even saw Earth.” He was practically wringing his hands.
    “Then what do you mean?”
    “I won’t be able to stay,” he said quickly. “To protect Earth, to protect you, I’ll have to leave with Vera.” He looked at me expectantly; I stared back at him. “Once I’m gone, I won’t be able to come back.”
    I pulled my knees to my chest, hugging them as I watched him watch me—for my reaction. I didn’t feel blown away, or even surprised. I wasn’t a believes-in-happy-endings kind of girl. I’d already realized what he said was going to happen—would have to happen.
    But it did hurt. Not in any way he could see, but immediately. It was a cold ache in my stomach that spread.
    “What does it mean that Vera blew the whistle?” I asked. “Is it a call to invade?”
    I sat frozen, watching his face as it tightened.
    “Milo…no. It’s not. It’s an SOS. It means we leave.”
    “And then?”
    “Typically, we transfer data to The Rest and agree on a recommendation.”
    I nodded slowly. “And this is happening in like twenty hours?”
    “Vera will call it off. I promise.”
    “And then you’ll leave.”
    He nodded.
    “How soon?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    “But