My feet were glued to the ground. He was across the parking lot, still as a statue. It was pitch black outside, but the streetlamp cast enough light that I could tell he didn't look pleased. Nessie had told him what she told me, and he knew I had figured it out. I don't know how long I stayed there, staring at him, waiting for him to make a move. Fine, I decided. No more of this.

I slammed by car door as hard as I good and sauntered over to him. I tried to look as confident as possible to mask how utterly terrified I was. I stopped about 10 feet away.

"You lied to me." Though my voice was shaking, the distain behind it was real. He did lie to me, and I was mad. I was pissed actually.

"I did what I thought was best. For you and for myself." His voice was calm, like silk. He was trying to calm me down and it almost worked. Almost.

"No. That was purely for yourself, don't try and pretend this had anything to do with me-" Before I could finish one arm was wrapped around my waist and his hand covered my mouth. I fought back a scream.

"You don't want anything to do with me, angel. At least you wouldn't if you knew who I really am. WhatI really am." He moved his hand from my mouth and played with a strand of my hair, smoothing it out and trying to give the best evil smile he could muster.

"I know what you're trying to do, it's not going to work on me. I won't let it." I softened my voice and brought my hand up to cup his face. I watched his eyes darken from an amber hue to deep black the longer our skin made contact. "You won't make me afraid of you-"

"I don't want that, really." He sounded pained. "But you're not safe around me, in my world. I didn't tell you it was me from that night because I wanted to steer clear of you, to save you-"

"You wouldn't hurt me-"

"Lena you don't even know what it is I am, you can't say that." He said softly. I cupped his face with both my hands and got as close to him as I could.

"Tell me then."

1. Breathless

I knew Mom's promotion was riding on this night. The mayor's gala. I'd dress up as best I could, I'd make the best effort I had to support her despite my own selfish wishes. I didn't want to leave home, I didn't want to leave Rochester at all, but I knew this would make her happy, and making her happy was something I knew might make me at least temporarily happy myself. She needed this. We bothneeded this. And Maine wasn't that far, not really.

"Only a few hours, tops." Tali's reassuring words rang in my head and calmed the growing panic attack in my brain. I took a deep breath and shoved the painful memories out of my brain and focused on my surroundings. No, I wasn't seeing it again. It was gone.

I try not to think too hard about it. Mom and I never talk about it. We just moved on with our lives as best we could.

"Lena Campbell if you aren't ready in 10 minutes, I'm leaving without you!"

I zipped up my dress and hollered down, "Is that a promise?" Silence was enough of an answer.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I felt like it was as good as it would possibly get. My dress was simple, red, and modest. I smiled at the memory of Mom bringing it home to me, telling me about the gala and the possible promotion. "The mayor even talked about a scholarship for you to Dartmouth when he heard about your grades!"

The scholarship was why I felt pressured to attend. I was barely 18, I'd no doubt be one of the youngest people at this party, but my mom would break any and all social cues to save money. And I had to admit, Dartmouth sounded amazing to me, and it was a great school. It wasn't Columbia, my absolute dream school, but if it could be free, I would be more thanopen to the idea.

I slung a jacket over my shoulders and hopped down the stairs. Mom was in the living room on the phone with Shannon, Tali's mother. I felt a pain in my chest.

Tali is my best friend and has been for as long as I can remember. My mother and her father both work as detectives here in Rochester, they've been partners since before we were born. Well, they were partners. Tali's father had been murdered this past summer, and it's been weeks without a break in the case. The station was restless, it was unsettling that an officer had been murdered the way he was.

His death was hitting Tali and Shannon really hard, and to make it even worse, now my mom and I were moving away. I felt awful to leave her while she was still going through this, especially what she helped me through…

"Mom?" I asked tentatively. "Is everything okay?"

She kept the phone to get hear but turned to me and nodded. "I'll be sure to ask. You and Tali have fun, we have to get going." She hung up her cell and practically tossed the landline across the room onto the armchair in the corner. The clothes I was supposed to fold three days ago but didn't cushioned the fall. She wasn't pleased. "What was that about?" I asked her, desperate for her not to mention my neglect.

"The Captain is refusing to let me in on Brian's case and Shannon refuses to take my side." She sounded bitter, and this wasn't the first time that she'd been complaining about this.

"It's too personal Mom, it's Uncle Brian. You can't get too invested into it, you know the rules." I grabbed her purse and her jacket and handed it to her as I repeated what felt like lines in a redundant commercial. I'd said that so much to her the past four months that it my tone was no longer argumentative, but rather monotone. It felt like talking to a brick wall.

The whole ride downtown was spent with me absentmindedly listening to her list the same reasons she should be allowed on the case that she'd been supplying everyone for weeks now. Ironically, though it the idea made me feel like I would puke, I felt like I'd rather endure 70 different mayor's parties than one more car ride with her talking about the subject.

She finally let it go once the valet took the car. The mayor's residence was gorgeous. An old colonial house, it was two stories high and starch white. A marvelous balcony wrapped around the top floor, meet perfectly with beautiful columns. We were led through the house to a back patio lined with gorgeous strands of lights fitted perfectly into trees, shrubs and rose bushes. A bar was set up to the left, tables aligned gorgeously near it, and a dance floor lined to the right by a small band. Down the small staircase and out farther was a huge rose garden lined by glittering lights. I was amazed.

It didn't take long for my mother to start mingling. I did my best to stay hidden, to stay in the background. I kept my mask on, sure that if I didn't, I'd be tipped off as Detective Campbell's daughter. Mom had a plethora of pictures of me at her desk. I had a drink in my hand, and I rounded a corner near the tables, eyeing my mother speaking to what looked like an important figure when out of nowhere, a stranger bumped into me.

"So sorry miss, I didn't mean to startle you-" the smooth, soothing voice was interrupted by a tiny little noise that came from my throat when I my drink started to tip towards my dress. I could see the embarrassing moment happen before my eyes, like a play by play of every moment in my childhood. Drink tips, spills over my white dress, and I'm laughed at. I stand there mortified until I start crying and run out of the venue, ruining my mothers promotion.

But none of that happened.

As quick as I imagined it, the reality was squashed. Almost if by magic the cup was standing up straight, steadied by stone white hand. My gaze followed the hand to the arm, then up past the shoulders until my eyes rested on the owner's face.

I'd never seen anyone so beautiful in my entire life. He looked like he stepped off a Calvin Klein photoshoot. He was tall, almost toweringly so. He had dark brown hair, somehow tousled yet giving off the appearance that it was deliberate. His skin was pale white, almost like marble. Part of his face was obscured by the satin black mask he wore over his eyes, but I knew if he took it off, he'd no doubt have cheekbones that could cut glass. His jawline was pronounced by the slight upturn of the corner of his mouth, no doubt amused by the sound I had made. His eyes were just as playfully and taunting as his lips, but they were striking, intimidating even. They were a bright yet deep crimson red. I stared into them and my heart began to race. He was beautiful, but he was incredibly intimidating.

Almost as if he could hear it, the smirk on his face widened. "My apologies. Are you okay?" His voice was even smoother than before. It was like silk or velvet. It was calming, warming even, with just a hint of a southern drawl. I felt like I was having trouble forming a cohesive thought.

I cleared my throat and shook my head a little, looking away. "I'm fine, it's okay. I'm a klutz." I tried to advert my gaze, but the attempts were fruitless. It was hard to look anywhere else. He was dazzling.

"It's my fault, really. I should look where I'm going more often. I'm Everett." Even though introduced himself, he didn't offer his hand. Now removed from its duty of keeping my cup right side up, his left hand was placed securely behind his back, along with his right.

"Lena." My voice trembled a little.

"Ah, Detective Campbell's daughter," he replied. Obviously, my name has gone around.

I began to reply before the Mayor stepped on a podium to speak. To no surprise, he was asking for money. So, this wasn't just a party, it was a fundraiser. As soon as he began to talk about his next campaign, I snorted. "Like the richest man in Rochester actually needs money…"

Everett chuckled beside me and I looked over in confusion. I didn't think I had spoken that loud, and he wasn't really close enough to hear me speak under my breath. He wasn't looking at me though, and I turned back to listen to the Mayor describe where and how we could donate money. I felt him lean into my ear and I shivered ever so slightly.

"Like anyone is giving him a dime."

I had to laugh again, though this time was louder, and I had to cover my mouth. I could hear him chuckle beside me.

After the mayor had finished his pity speech, Everett peered over to me and smirked. "You'll get us both in trouble with a bubbly laugh like yours, Angel."

When I blushed, I was sure it was with my whole body. I giggled quietly and smiled as best I could without giving away how incredibly flustered I was. "You'll have to stop being funny then," I countered back.

"Impossible, miss. I am incredibly hilarious." He laughed and I couldn't help but laugh with him, the sound was infectious.

"Lena!"

I looked over and saw my mother waving for me to come over to her. She was standing with the Mayor and another high-ranking man. I groaned silently.

"It doesn't look like you can get out of it." Everett bowed to me lightly, and before I could protest, he was walking away.

An hour later, after successfully surviving the grilling about my academics and extra curriculars, I needed a break. I snuck down the stairs and followed the lights into the garden. As soon as I knew I wouldn't be seen, I bent down and pulled my heels off. Good riddance, I thought to myself.

The garden was beautiful. The path was lit lightly by twinkling lights and it seemed every variation of rose was present. It smelled amazing. It was incredibly soothing. I closed my eyes as I continued to walk, not thinking that I might not be the only one in the garden, and promptly slammed into someone else rounding a corner.

"Careful there, Angel." I jumped back a little, my hand flying over my heart, and he chuckled like he was amused. "My apologies."

"Déjà vu, huh?" I laughed lightly and took a deep breath.

"Seems to be the case. I was hoping I'd find you out here, though I didn't imagine you'd be barefoot." He looked down to my feet with a pointed look. "It's a little dangerous to be doing that outside you know. You could step on anything."

"I'm not so lucky, I assure you." My comment and my tone surprised him.

"You don't want to be here?" It was formed as a question, but he presented it like a statement, as if he already knew what my answer would be.

"No, not really," I admitted. "I think I'd rather be anywhere else, doing anything else, than be here." He started to walk, and I matched pace beside him.

"Why's that?" He seemed genuinely curious, but I was hesitant. I paused for a moment and looked up at him.

I sighed heavily. "Well for starters, I'm not exactly the most social human being in the world, I tend to freak out in party like situations."

He nodded. "They're not my favorite either, I just like to people watch. It's fascinating the decisions people make at these events, the affairs that happen…"

"Affairs?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Oh yes. Just five tonight. Rich people tend not to be very faithful, or very heterosexual." I laughed a little at that and he smiled at me. "You really do have a wonderful laugh. It's infectious to me."

Funny,I thought. That's how I feel about yours…

He seemed to ignore the flush of my cheeks and prodded more. "You said for starters. So why else don't you want to be here?"

I cleared my throat and looked away. "It's… Well my mother and I are here to secure a promotion for her, or well really a transfer. One that would cause me to have to move all the way to Maine…"

"Oh…" He nodded slowly. "And you don't want to go."

I shook my head. "No, not really. My whole life is here, my school, my best friend… But Mom needs it. Really, she does, and I need to be supportive. Besides, it's only for a year. I'll be 18 in a few months, and I'll graduate high school next June and I can decide where I want to be after that."

"Still…" he said carefully, "you're allowed to be upset about it."

"I know, but I don't really want her to know that, especially after everything we've been through and honestly, she is trying really hard and she's sacrificed so much for me, I want to make this one for her." I said, sounding less like I was trying to convince him and more like I was trying to convince myself.

"That's very sweet of you, I'm not sure many others would do it."

"Probably not," I replied. "But this is what's best for her."

He nodded. We were silent for a moment, and I tried to figure out why I was being so open to him. Why was I telling him all this stuff? I just met him an hour ago, I haven't really ever been that open to Tali.

When we reached a small opening the garden, he turned to me and smiled. "Would you like to dance?" He held out his hand, my heart began to race, and my instincts suddenly told me to run. But he was smiling at me, and he was mesmerizing. He raised an eyebrow.

"I-I don't know, I'm not very good on my feet-" I started to protest.

"That's why there's a leader." He took my hand gently, then spun me around and pulled me into him. I gasped first at the adrenaline, then at the feeling of his skin. He was ice cold. He seemed to read my mind. "Is something wrong?" He raised an eyebrow and placed an arm securely around my waist. Being this close to him, it was hard to breathe, to think properly.

I shook my head. "You're just hard to read… I'm usually pretty good at reading people but you…"

He smirked down at me. "I'm a hard person to pin down, Angel. The real mysterious type."

I stared into his eyes. They were dark now, almost black. It was alarming. "Clearly…"

He scanned my face longer, and it looked to me like he was trying to decide something. He took a deep breath then reached for my mask. My breath hitched in my throat as his hand came for my face and gently removed it. He smiled a little and caressed my cheek with his thumb. The icy feel of his skin made me shiver. "Hello…" he murmured softly.

"What did you do that for?" I asked softly, breathless.

"I wanted to see if you were as beautiful as I thought. My imagination did you no justice, Angel." His thumb ran along my jaw and he brushed my lips.

"I'm hardly-"

He cut me off. "I find you intoxicatingly beautiful. You are like the sun." He furrowed his brows, like he was conflicted. I could barely breathe. He bent his head sown slowly and caught his lips with mine.

As cold as they were, his lips were incredibly soft. I kissed back immediately; it was almost pathetic. I melted into him and he held me tighter to his chest, moving his mouth against my chastely and sweet. It felt like a kiss that lasted forever but was still cut too short. Almost as quickly as it had started, he ended it. I opened my eyes to meet his, and there was an incredible passion behind his dark eyes.

"I could do that for the rest of my existence…" He said softly, moving hair from my face. I opened my mouth to speak but he pressed a finger to my lips. "Close your eyes, Angel."

I nodded, silent and closed them slowly. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, then my cheek, my jaw, and finally my lips. I reached out for him, and started to kiss back, but he pulled away.

"Everett-" I opened my eyes to ask what was wrong, but he was gone. In his absence was left a sense of confusion, longing, and the burn of his kiss.