Taking a moment to shoot him my very bestnot now look, as I charge her credit card and wrap her books and meditation CDs in some purple tissue paper, before I slide them into a matching bag and send her on her way.

“Nice one.” I nod, the words competing with the bell clanking hard against the door as she leaves. “I’m sure we won’t be seeing her again anytime soon.”

Miles waves it away, dismissing the thought with a shrug as he says, “Whatever. Trust me, I’ve gotmuch more important things to discuss than Jude’s bank statement.”

“Yeah? Like what?” I shove the receipt into the purple box where we store them, aware of Miles’s gaze weighing heavily, waiting for me to acknowledge it so he can get on with the real reason for his visit.

“Well, likeyou , for instance.” He watches me settle onto the stool, crossing my arms before me. Careful to keep my gaze neutral, expressionless, as though I’m not at all anxious or worried, as though I’m just patiently waiting for him to continue. “I mean, for one thing, except for the very first day, I’ve yet to see you at school. Which means you haven’t beengoing to school, because as it just so happens, I’ve been looking for you. Waiting outside your classes, next to your locker, at the lunch table, but—nothing, niente,youso haven’t been there.”

I shrug, unwilling to confirm or deny—at least not just yet anyway. First I need to see just how strong a case he plans to build against me.

“And even though I’m sure you’ll probably try to claim that you have your reasons, that your extended absence—yoursuper-sized summer if you will—are pretty much none of my business, I just want you to know that you’re wrong. Itis my business. In fact, it isvery much my business. Because, as your friend, as one of yourvery best friends, I’m here to tell you that your no-show silent treatment is affecting not just me butall of us. Even the people you don’t consider your friends—believe it or not—it’s affecting them too.”

I shrug. Unsure what to say, but knowing it’s not really time for that anyway. Miles loves nothing more than an extended monologue, and from the signs of it, this one is nowhere near coming to a close.

“You know, people likeme —andDamen —and, well, maybe not so much Haven anymore, but still, never mind that, we’ll get to it later. What I’m trying to say is that it’s like you’re just—” He pauses, thumbs hooked in the front tabs of his jeans as he gazes all around, searching for just the right word.

Finally returning to me when he says, “It’s like you’re just totally ignoring us. Like you’vedismissed us.

Like you’veceased to even care about us—”

“Miles—” I start, pressing my lips together as I try to think of the best way to continue. “Listen, I get what you’re saying. Really I do. And believe me, I totally get why you might see it that way, but trust me, there’sa lot more to it than you might think.Way more than you could ever even begin to imagine. I mean, seriously, if I was to tell you the real truth behind all of this—” I close my eyes and shake my head, knowing that half the time I’m hardly able to believe it myself. “Anyway, I can’t really get into it, but just trust me when I say that if you knew even a fraction of what wasreally going on, well, you’d definitely be thanking me for keeping you out of it.” I pause, allowing enough time for my words to sink in, hoping he’ll see just how serious I am. “And while I’m really sorry that you feel like I’m ignoring you, and that I don’t care about you, it’s notat all true. Seriously, not even a bit. You’re pretty much the only real friend I have left at this point. And I really want to make it up to you, and I promise I will. Soon.For sure . But right now I’m just…I’m just a little…preoccupied, that’s all.”

“And what about Damen? You gonna make it up to him too?”

I look at him, not even trying to bury my shock. I mean, I cannot believe he’s seriously choosing to confront me with that.

“Please don’t assume you know more than you do,” I say, my voice a little harsher than I intended.

“There’s a lot more to it. Stuff you don’t understand. Nothing is anywhere near as simple as it may seem on the surface, and believe me, this goes way beyond that—the roots are pretty dang deep.”

He gazes down at the ground, digging the toe of his shoe into the carpeted floor, taking a moment to collect his thoughts, decide just the right way to confront me, before he lifts his head, looks me right in the eye, and says, “And would one of thosethings that I can’t possibly understand have anything to do with the fact that you’re—?”

Our eyes meet, leaving me frozen, unable to breathe. The word speeding toward me, crashing straight into my energy field before it can even leave his lips.

And there’s nothing I can do about it, no way to rewind or stop him from saying:

“Immortal?”

His gaze locks on mine, and no matter how much I may want to, I can’t look away.

My skin is prickled with cold when he adds, “Or is it the fact that you’repsychic ? Gifted with all manner ofmental andphysical powers. Or maybe it’s the fact that you’ll stay young and beautifulforever .Never aging,never dying, just like your sidekick Damen, who’s been around for six hundred years and counting and who only just recently decided to turn you like him?” His eyes narrow, as his gaze sweeps my face.