The more I think about it, the more my alone time makes less sense. I know I wanted time for myself, but I could have made it a couple weeks, not months. Dylan speaks up again. "I want to be here for you because I know a lot of shit has gone down in your life that I can't fix with just a kiss." My heart flutters. Dylan's lips look warm and inviting, but the moment isn't right to kiss him. "What about Xavier and Kay?" He hesitates. I can tell it's something he's been thinking over. "Xavier isn't all talk. And I'm not worried about him coming after me. I can take it," he says, then blows out a breath. "I'm afraid something will happen to you." That's scary. Will Xavier hurt me so Kay can have Dylan? "He wouldn't really hurt me, would he? I mean Casey is my best friend." "My theory," he says slowly, "Is that he's just now realizing how much he likes Casey and he doesn't like that she's with Carlos. Kay wants me and he'll do anything for her. I think he wants to take you and Carlos out of the equation so everything works out for him. And I wouldn't put it past him to threaten you and Carlos." Carlos doesn't seem like the type to sit back and take any shit. He'll fight back. If I had to, will I fight back? How did I even get mixed up in all of this? Dylan probably senses how I'm feeling and he smirks. "Are you thinking of an alliance with Carlos? Because he's not one for teams." "He'll have to be okay with teams if he wants to be with Casey," I say. Despite his smirk, he looks like he has more to say. "What else are you thinking?" I ask. "As much as I don't want to do this," he says, glancing out the window. "We shouldn't rush into anything right now. I don't want Xavier to go after you." It isn't fair. Why does Xavier get to decide how I spent my life? "Trust me, if I didn't think he was a threat then I wouldn't suggest it," he says. "It's not fair," I say, leaning back in the seat. My eyes close and I imagine all the scenarios that can happen. An image of Dylan meeting my parents flashes in my mind and I wish he could've met them. "I like seeing you in my car." Part of me feels like pretending that we are getting ready to have dinner with my parents, where they'll meet Dylan for the first time. I wonder what they would think about him. My aunt likes him, so there's a chance my parents would've liked him. And the memories return, but instead I replace Jacob with Dylan in all of them. I imagine Dylan shaking hands with my dad, and complimenting my mom on the dinner she's made. My dad takes Dylan off to the side and tells him how lucky he is to have me in his life. Jacob knew what to say to my parents, but I think Dylan would have been more genuine with his words. There was always light when Jacob was around my parents. I imagine that light would have been brighter with Dylan around. I glance up at the house and sigh. The light is completely gone from it. "You wanna take off?" Dylan asks. Nothing will ever be the same. My parents are gone and getting my old life back is never going to happen. Looking down at my tattoo, I know I have to get it removed or covered up with something else. Maybe I can talk to my Aunt Jade about helping me decide and helping with the cost. "Yeah." One memory that keeps popping up is my dad nearly falling off the ladder as he was putting our Christmas lights up. Or the time Casey slept over and my mom decided to try a new cookie recipe and we almost burned down the house because we completely forgot about them in the oven. Or when I was home alone and I got the call from my aunt that she was on her way to pick me up after she found out about the accident. When Dylan drives us back to campus, it's nearing the end of fourth period. Going into class will be a waste, so we sit in his car. "Is this a necessary time to skip?" I ask him, nudging his arm. "It is," he nods. "I hope you didn't mind me taking you to your house." "It was nice seeing it. I haven't been since I moved out." He's staring at me the way he had that day in his room and my heart starts beating at 100 miles per hour. His hand softly touches my cheek and his thumb ever so gently brushes against my skin. I close my eyes as his thumb traces my lips. When I open my eyes again, Dylan's green eyes are boring into mine. His face draws closer to mine and just when I think he's going to kiss me, he doesn't. Instead, he pulls me in for a hug while his face rests in the crook of my neck. A sigh escapes him. "That wasn't smart. I'm sorry." My heart is still beating quickly in my chest and I sigh too. "It's okay." When he leans back in his seat, I notice everyone filing out of the school for the end of the day. "I'll talk to you tonight. I'm going to see what exactly Xavier has planned," he says. "Don't get him riled up. I don't want you to get hurt." The smirk on his face makes me even more nervous. "I'm not scared of him." And that's exactly what scares me the most. While I watch him drive away, Casey appears next to me and watches him go. She whistles. "I knew you two couldn't stay away from each other." "We have to be smart," I tell her. "All of us." If Xavier decides to come after me and tells me to stay out of Kay's way, what will I do? Give them what they want? Give them the satisfaction of everyone making way for their demands? No way. I see where Dylan is coming from, but we have to be smart about it.