His eyes follow the blood that blooms under my too-pale cheeks. My skin, it can’t keep a secret to save its life. The Karalis curse.

“Sometimes.”

“He should tell you all the time. Because you are. All the time.”

The words come out of me like an acorn, a compulsion. I have to say them.

“You’re beautiful, too.”

He is. That wild, raven hair, a face sketched by a sure hand, and those eyes like the stars in Mae’s posters.

Drew blinks. “No one’s … no one’s ever told me that before.”

“Well, people should. All the time.” I lean my head on Drew’s shoulder, afraid to look at him anymore. Afraid because I want to kiss him. All over. And I want him to kiss me back.

I think I have wanted that since the beginning, since that day on the baseball diamond, beneath the bleachers.

Drew shifts so that his arm is around me, then he gently runs his fingers through my hair.

“That feels good,” I mumble. We stay like that for a long time.

Until I remember Dad. And Becca Chen. Like father, like daughter. I pull away, abrupt, cold air rushing between us.

“I can’t,” I say, more to myself than him. “Micah.”

“Okay.”

“My dad … he … I don’t want to be like him. What he did to my mom—”

“We’re not doing anything wrong,” Drew says gently.

“But I want to,” I whisper. “That’s the problem, Drew. I want—” I scramble away from him. Because I don’t trust myself. I don’t know how to say no to a high.

His eyes flare, and he inhales, a long, deep breath, then he reaches over and intertwines his fingers with mine, our palms pressed against each other’s. He squeezes my hands once, then lets go.

“I’m just your friend,” Drew says. “For now. But…” He leans in, his forehead touching mine. “I want to be more. When you’re ready, Hannah. And if you’re not, okay. That’s okay. Either way, I’m here.”

And suddenly there’s a choice to make.

“What was your question—for the cards?” I breathe.

“How can I be with Hannah?” His fingers trail down my neck. “But I think you knew that already.”

“Everything’s changing so fast,” I whisper. “It’s…” I shake my head, suddenly overwhelmed. “I’m so scared, Drew. I’m so fucking scared.” My eyes fill again. “I’m so tired of being scared.”

I thought my problem was that I was invisible to the world. But Drew’s shown me it’s so much bigger than that. I can’t even see me.

“Hey, I’m here. There’s nothing to be—”