“Yes, she’s all of those things.” I finally agreed then I looked back out at the water. He wasn’t a bad guy. In fact, he was very likable, he was intelligent, I would guess he was well read, fun to spend time with, easy to talk to, and because of that he needed to leave me alone. Forget me, my family, and move on. I wasn’t one he needed to waste time getting to know. Asking about me was pointless. I wasn’t dangerous like Leanne, but I was dangerous in other ways. My world was not one he wanted to be near.

“Is your dislike of me simply due to the time I spent with your sister? Or is there more?” He wasn’t going to just stand up and walk away. The fact he was so determined intrigued me more. I was a very silly girl. I knew better.

“I’m not sure I know you well enough to form a real opinion of you,” I said with a sigh then glanced back at him. “Why do you care what I think?”

Without pause, he replied “From the moment I saw you I couldn’t look away. The second I heard your voice, I was drawn in and then I looked into your eyes… they were intelligent, annoyed, haunted, and I wanted to get to know you.”

“You’re wasting time with me. I’m not that interesting.” I decided to stop him from saying anything else that might cause me to swoon like an idiot right here on the damn grass.

He chuckled and lifted the corner of his mouth that brought out a small dimple. “You couldn’t be boring if you tried.”

Stop! He needed to stop! I was losing my ground here. I had to focus and remember why liking someone normal was off limits. Why I was off limits. I was bad for him or anyone. I would need to cast a more complex spell to protect him from me after all. He needed to be as bored with me as the others were.

“I don’t date. I don’t do relationships. I can’t. I’m… bad at them.” I blurted all that out without thinking it through. My cheeks flamed red, and I couldn’t look at him. Instead, I studied my hands clasped tightly in my lap. I had sounded like a crazy person, and I wished more than anything I could vanish like the warlock I didn’t know. Anything to not have to look at Rathe again.