In human form, he looked more like an angel than I did. Nearly a carbon copy of the battle angels in the paintings on the ceiling of the Great Hall back in the Community. It had been a long time since I’d been able to see them in any detail, but my memories were clear. Mom and I used to sit under them, and she’d make up silly stories, giving them names like Steve and Bill.

While I couldn’t see his eyes since they were shielded behind silver sunglasses, I could feel his gaze on me.

I know the way he looked at Layla.

A vastly different kind of shiver curled down my spine. Stop it. My heart rate kicked up as his steps slowed. Two women jogging past nearly tripped over their own feet when they got an eyeful of Zayne. A smile tugged at my lips. I couldn’t blame them for that.

“Hey.” Zayne spoke first, stopping in front of me. I took a deep breath, catching his wintermint scent.

I waved at him. “Hi.”

His lips twitched. “You must be exhausted.”

It took me a moment to realize what he meant. “I’m not that tired. It was a good walk.”

“Bet you burned a whole lot of calories.” His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans. “With all that walking.”

“I’m starving.” That was the first truth I’d spoken. “And I’m sure that’s a surprise.”

He chuckled. “Not at all—Wait.” His head cocked. “Where are your sunglasses? The sun has to be killing your eyes.”

Oh, man, he’d noticed. Half of me was all warm and fuzzy that he’d noticed and was worried. The other part wished he hadn’t, because how I was going to explain this? “I, um, they fell off when I was crossing a street. I had to run, and they slipped off...” That sounded sort of believable. “By the time I realized they’d fallen, they were crushed and dead.”

“Damn. You got another pair at home?”

I nodded.

“Wish you’d said something. I would’ve grabbed them.” He reached up and pulled off his own sunglasses. “Here. Take these.”

Surprise flickered through me. “Thank you, but what about you?”

“My eyes will be fine. Yours won’t.” He held them out. “Take the sunglasses. Please.”

Feeling like a goober, I slid them on. I blinked, immediately seeing and feeling the difference even though they were nowhere near as dark as mine. “Thank you.”

“Can I sit?”

I nodded, wondering why he felt the need to ask.

Pulling his hands from his pockets, he sat beside me, close enough that his thigh touched mine.

It was different.

I hated myself, and I hated Roth for putting these thoughts in my head. “Thank you for coming to get me.”