“You’re way too intense for me. I mean, for God’s sake, every word out of your mouth is how much you love me and how we’re meant to be together. I don’t look forward to seeing you any more because I know exactly what I’ll be getting.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, Caelan, I do. We’re not Buffy and Angel, or Romeo and Juliet, or those two from West Side Story. We’re not even Edward and Bella, OK? You’re far too freaky for me.”

He looked at her. “We’re meant to be together…”

“And this is exactly what I mean.”

“Our love is written in the stars.”

“And there you go again.”

“I love you.”

“You bore me.”

He faltered. “What?”

“Seriously. You do. I hate to be so mean, but you’re just not hearing this. You bore the hell out of me. At first, you were cool. But my God, you got boring really fast. There’s only so much of this brooding loner thing a girl can take before she really just needs someone to make her laugh. You’re not a funny guy, Caelan.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You can’t tell jokes.”

“No, I mean I don’t understand why you’re saying these things.”

“And you just missed another joke. See?”

“It’s Fletcher, isn’t it?”

“Fletcher has nothing to do with this, other than I can’t believe I’ve had to break up with two guys in the space of a week.”

He grabbed her arm. “I can change,” he said. “That’s not going to do it.”

“Then you can change.”

“Excuse me?”

“You can do what I say for once. Have you never thought that the reason you are unhappy is because you never obey me?”

“Seriously? No, that thought never entered my head.”

“I only want what’s best for you.”

“Let go of my arm.”

“Why? Do you think I’d break it? I would never hurt you, Valkyrie. This? This isn’t pain.” He squeezed, and she grimaced. “This is nothing compared to the agony I feel in my heart. A bruise, a broken bone is paltry.”

“Caelan, let go of me right now.”

“Why?” he asked, a sneer on his lips. “So you can run away from me? So you can leave me, and fall into the arms of another? Who is he, Valkyrie?”

“There’s no one else, you psycho.”

“Stop lying to me!”

Valkyrie twisted her arm and yanked it from his grip and Caelan caught her across the jaw with his fist. She was halfway to the ground when his hand closed around her throat and suddenly he was slamming her against the wall on the far side of the road.

“Who is he?” he snarled. “Who are you with? Give me his name!”