Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

and kissing each other as he guided them safely back down to

the catwalk. As their feet touched down, the light inside the lighthouse

switched on and projected the shadows of their embracing

figures out onto the choppy waves of the ocean.

?I can?t lose you,? Lucas said, pulling his mouth away from hers.

?That?s why I didn?t tell you the whole truth. I thought if you knew

how bad it was you?d send me away. I didn?t want you to give up

hope. I can?t do this if you give up on us.?

?I don?t want to give up,? Helen cried. ?But there can never be an

us, Lucas. You should have told me that.?

?Don?t say never,? he said. He brushed his face against her neck,

no longer kissing her, but unable to let her go completely. ?Nothing

is forever, and there are no absolutes. We?ll find a way.?

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?Lucas,? Helen said, frowning and pushing against his chest until

he let her go. She sat down on the catwalk and pulled him down

next to her so they could talk. ?We would hate ourselves. And eventually,

we?d hate each other.?

?I know that!? he said, his voice rising desperately. ?I?m not talking

about running off and doing whatever we want!?

?Then, what?? Helen asked softly, calming him down. ?What are

we supposed to do??

?I don?t know yet,? he admitted. He leaned back against the glass

wall of the lighthouse and pulled Helen against his chest. ?But I

will not go through another week like this last one.?

?Me neither,? she said. She rested against him, fully relaxing for

the first time in days. ?I don?t care how hard being together is,

nothing is worse than being apart.?

?What was it you told me? Decide what you can?t do and then do

the opposite?? he asked with an amused smile, pressing his lips