Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

against her forehead. ?At least now we know we can?t be apart.?

?It was like being dead,? she said fearfully, as if even mentioning

the numbness she had felt would allow it to creep back into her

body.

?For me too,? he said in a strange, strangled voice.

?What about your mother? She won?t allow us to be together.?

?We?ll have to talk with her. We?ll have to talk to my whole

family.?

?And if they still want to separate us??

?Then we run,? Lucas said, his voice low and even.

Neither of them said anything for a while. They just watched the

beacon light flash across the foaming waves of the storm-churned

ocean. Helen could hear his heart pounding, but his grip on her

only tightened as if he was already bracing himself for the battle he

would have to fight to keep her close to him.

?They?ll chase us,? she whispered. ?They?ll think we?ve started the

war.?

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?I know,? Lucas said. ?But we won?t. We?ll keep the Truce, even if

they don?t believe that we can.?

?We don?t have to make the same mistakes that they did,? Helen

said defiantly. ?It makes me so angry that everyone assumes that

even though we know what would happen, we?ll still go out and do

the same stupid thing.?

Lucas laughed, but there was no joy in the sound.

?It?s almost as if we don?t need to live our lives or feel our feelings

at all, because someone already told us what the ending was going

to be,? he said bitterly. She could feel him tensing with indignation,

until a new and serious thought stilled him. ?Are you really willing

to do this? You know that it would mean you?d have to leave your