until I faced the entrance, and the man I knew was waiting for me on the other side.
I straightened the picture of Mom and Dad on the wall beside the door before reaching for the handle.
David leaned against the frame, his eyes lowered. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I never meant … ”
I pulled him in the room and slammed the door shut. I grabbed his face, running my fingers along his features. His human features.
Perfect. Flawless. Stunning. But not him.
“Why did you do this?”
He closed his eyes and walked to the couch. “I needed to.” He sat, folding his hands.
I eased beside him. “I told you I didn’t care what you looked like. You didn’t need to do this to yourself.”
“Yes, I did.”
“You didn’t. You’re beautiful. I don’t need you to be something you’re not. I’m sorry I flinched when we touched. I didn’t mean it.”
Moving like lightning, he grabbed my head, immobilizing me. He lightened his grip, running his warm palms across my cheeks. I closed my eyes. My body vibrated, drinking in his caress.
“Am I hurting you?” he asked.
Huh? My eyes shot open. “No, of course not.”
David released my cheeks and took my hands. He ran his thumbs over my red, inflamed palms. “But I did hurt you earlier.”
“You didn’t mean it.”
His gaze returned to mine. “I couldn’t live like that, Jess, having you here and not being able to hold you.”
I combed my fingers along his perfectly cut jaw. “But putting this on, it hurt so much. The pain, it was horrible. How could you … ”
He slid his fingers into my hair and dragged his hand down my neck. His skin was hot, but not burning. I pulled him to me. Warm. Definitely warm, but no pain.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” I said.
He shook his head. “I’d do it ten times over just to touch you once.”
I leaned on his shoulder. His perfect, creamy-bronze human shoulder. “I felt your pain.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“But why?” I eased back so I could see his eyes. “Why could I feel it? I mean—” I shivered. “I don’t understand.”
His mouth twisted as if holding back a sob. “I projected the pain into you. I didn’t do it on purpose. That’s why I tried to get you out. I’m not strong enough to hold my emotions in.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “You weren’t supposed to be there. I left you in this room and lulled you to sleep. You shouldn’t have even been awake. I swear I never would have … ”
I placed a finger over his lips. “I hate you for this, you know that, right?”
The crook of his lip crinkled up. “Probably just as much as I hate you.”
I smacked him. “You scared me, you jerk.”
He stifled a laugh. “I never meant for you to see any of that. I was hoping you’d be happy.”
Stinking, stupid, selfless, alien boy! I hugged myself. “It hurt. God, it hurt.”
“I know.”
He pulled me to him, and I rested against his chest. David’s heartbeat soothed my anger, my fear. I didn’t want him to be someone he wasn’t, but I’d missed this. His skin vibrated against me, pulling, stroking, kneading—but not burning.
Maybe this was the only way we could be together.
His forehead stroked mine. Such a simple touch, but so real, so meaningful.
“You can’t imagine how much I missed holding you,” he whispered.
His words coated me like icing on a cake. I’d felt off since he left, as if part of me was missing. Now that part was back, and I felt whole again. Complete. It was scary and exhilarating all at the same time.
David retreated. A speck of uncertainty passed across his face. Did he feel the same way I did? Did it scare him?
His hands fell to his lap. A word may have formed on his lips, but he didn’t speak it. He ran his thumb over one of his fake, human pinkies, keeping his gaze down.
Dad’s voice whispered in the back of my mind. He’s on Mars. The words hung like a solid wall of truth. But that wall had been broken. I’d
I straightened the picture of Mom and Dad on the wall beside the door before reaching for the handle.
David leaned against the frame, his eyes lowered. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I never meant … ”
I pulled him in the room and slammed the door shut. I grabbed his face, running my fingers along his features. His human features.
Perfect. Flawless. Stunning. But not him.
“Why did you do this?”
He closed his eyes and walked to the couch. “I needed to.” He sat, folding his hands.
I eased beside him. “I told you I didn’t care what you looked like. You didn’t need to do this to yourself.”
“Yes, I did.”
“You didn’t. You’re beautiful. I don’t need you to be something you’re not. I’m sorry I flinched when we touched. I didn’t mean it.”
Moving like lightning, he grabbed my head, immobilizing me. He lightened his grip, running his warm palms across my cheeks. I closed my eyes. My body vibrated, drinking in his caress.
“Am I hurting you?” he asked.
Huh? My eyes shot open. “No, of course not.”
David released my cheeks and took my hands. He ran his thumbs over my red, inflamed palms. “But I did hurt you earlier.”
“You didn’t mean it.”
His gaze returned to mine. “I couldn’t live like that, Jess, having you here and not being able to hold you.”
I combed my fingers along his perfectly cut jaw. “But putting this on, it hurt so much. The pain, it was horrible. How could you … ”
He slid his fingers into my hair and dragged his hand down my neck. His skin was hot, but not burning. I pulled him to me. Warm. Definitely warm, but no pain.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” I said.
He shook his head. “I’d do it ten times over just to touch you once.”
I leaned on his shoulder. His perfect, creamy-bronze human shoulder. “I felt your pain.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“But why?” I eased back so I could see his eyes. “Why could I feel it? I mean—” I shivered. “I don’t understand.”
His mouth twisted as if holding back a sob. “I projected the pain into you. I didn’t do it on purpose. That’s why I tried to get you out. I’m not strong enough to hold my emotions in.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “You weren’t supposed to be there. I left you in this room and lulled you to sleep. You shouldn’t have even been awake. I swear I never would have … ”
I placed a finger over his lips. “I hate you for this, you know that, right?”
The crook of his lip crinkled up. “Probably just as much as I hate you.”
I smacked him. “You scared me, you jerk.”
He stifled a laugh. “I never meant for you to see any of that. I was hoping you’d be happy.”
Stinking, stupid, selfless, alien boy! I hugged myself. “It hurt. God, it hurt.”
“I know.”
He pulled me to him, and I rested against his chest. David’s heartbeat soothed my anger, my fear. I didn’t want him to be someone he wasn’t, but I’d missed this. His skin vibrated against me, pulling, stroking, kneading—but not burning.
Maybe this was the only way we could be together.
His forehead stroked mine. Such a simple touch, but so real, so meaningful.
“You can’t imagine how much I missed holding you,” he whispered.
His words coated me like icing on a cake. I’d felt off since he left, as if part of me was missing. Now that part was back, and I felt whole again. Complete. It was scary and exhilarating all at the same time.
David retreated. A speck of uncertainty passed across his face. Did he feel the same way I did? Did it scare him?
His hands fell to his lap. A word may have formed on his lips, but he didn’t speak it. He ran his thumb over one of his fake, human pinkies, keeping his gaze down.
Dad’s voice whispered in the back of my mind. He’s on Mars. The words hung like a solid wall of truth. But that wall had been broken. I’d
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