All Ally could think was, "Is this real? This whole thing..saying he "meant" the kiss? What does that even mean?"

And then it happened. Something cracked between them, splintered into little pieces. She guessed it was the sound of a heart breaking, but she wasn't sure – it happened so fast. One second Austin was leaning into her and biting his lip in concentration, and the next he pulled away, and the distance between them grew as large as a crater on the moon.

Ally had taken too long to answer. Countless moments had ticked by since Austin mentioned the kiss, and in all her thinking and worrying, she had completely neglected to answer him. She suddenly saw it from his point of view – he had poured his heart out, and she had stared at him in silence, without smiling or frowning or showing any emotion. It was worse than the cold-shoulder. He must have thought there was a blizzard coming off her body, telling him to stay away.

Austin took his hand off the bed and rubbed it through his hair. They were no longer leaning into each other. There was a space between them that could have fit another person. Ally felt cold, alone, and she wanted him back.

"I'm joking."

"What?"

"Ally, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to kiss you at all. We got all tangled up in that necklace, and it was an accident. And I felt so bad about leading you on that I tried to tell you I "meant" it…when I really didn't."