Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

was over. Cornered and still weak from having been electrocuted,

Creon cloaked himself inside an eerie shadow and ran at top speed

out of the house as soon as he could put even one inch in between

himself and Lucas, who chased him halfway across Helen?s lawn

before turning around and coming back inside.

?Are you okay?? Lucas practically shouted.

?Yeah, I just can?t . . .? Helen said as she tried to stand and then

fell back down on the ground with a woozy thump.

?What did he do to you?? Lucas asked, his voice high-pitched

with worry. He picked Helen up and tried to balance her so she

could stand on her own. ?Are your legs broken?? He suddenly reclaimed

her weight as he frantically assessed the damage.

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?No, I just . . . Hector said to use my bolts to fight, and I did, but

they went the wrong way, I think,? she mumbled. She was confused

and seeing spots.

?Why can?t you stand?? Lucas asked as he tried to get her to take

her feet again. Her heart hurt from seeing Lucas?s beautiful face

and smelling his body and feeling his hands on her. She had a

vague sense where the ground was, but the whole world was falling

over, and she was too tired for this crap. She just couldn?t do this

anymore. She needed a nap.

The next thing she knew, Helen could taste something sweet on

her tongue. Honey. She opened her eyes all the way and saw that

she was sitting on the counter in her kitchen with Lucas standing

between her knees, holding her head up and tilted back as he

drizzled honey from a plastic bear.

?There you are,? he breathed through a small smile when she

looked at him. He looked back at her with so much tenderness

Helen had to remind herself that Lucas wasn?t really interested.