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"I'm not doing this right. I ..." He slid closer, arm going behind me, but I jumped away so fast I almost fell off the log.
"Just tell me the rest," I said.
"My mom knew that yours gave up one of her kids to make them both harder to find--the scientists would be looking for twins. When she heard that you surfaced up here, she presumed you were the one your mom ..." He looked over, like he'd just realized he was telling me that my mother chose to keep one of her children, and it wasn't me. "Maya ..."
"Go on."
He swore and shifted position, giving me a look like he wanted to make this easier.
"So you figured it was Sam," I said. "She came here alone, so that fit, too. Only she didn't want anything to do with you, meaning there was no way you were getting close enough to check for a birthmark."
"No way I wanted to either," he muttered. "I asked her out. She said no. When I tried taking the slow route, getting to know her, she told me to take a hike, and when I didn't, she went after Annie."
"What?"
"Annie came by to get a look at her. Like with you, because I thought she was the one. Sam wanted her to tell me to back off. Annie laughed. Sam was about to take a swing at her when I got there. She stopped and she said she wasn't going to hit Annie. Doesn't matter. It completely freaked Annie out. And completely pissed me off. She could tell Annie was slow. It was like kicking a puppy that wants to play."
Sure, Sam was quick with her fists, but she was never cruel. My guess was that she'd just raised her hand in anger. An instinctive reaction with Sam.
Yet she'd had a few run-ins with other girls at school. Was I defending her because she was nice enough to me?
I said, "And that's when the cougars started taking an interest in me and you realized you'd been chasing the wrong girl."
He nodded, calm, like he had no idea what he was admitting.
I continued. "But I'd already made it clear I wasn't impressed by the bad boy routine, so you had to figure out what would impress me. Honesty. Let me see past the bad boy front and make me feel special, as if you liked me so much you'd let down your guard for me."
&
nbsp; I wanted him to say no, I was wrong, that wasn't how it happened at all.
He didn't even try. I supposed, when this was over, I'd be grateful for that. But right now, it hurt. Hurt so bad. After everything I'd just found out, you'd think this wouldn't matter, but the rest of it was too hard to wrap my head around. I needed time for it to sink in. This sunk in. Like a dagger.
"So I guess you found what you were looking for," I said. "The girl you were looking for."
My words twisted with a bitterness I wished I could suck back in, and his lips parted in a curse, as if he'd just realized what he'd admitted.
"It isn't like that."
"Yes, it is. You chased me for the same reason you chased all the rest. You thought I was the one. You chased me harder because you were pretty sure I was. That's why you came to my party. That's why you took me up on the roof. It was you who dosed my drink, wasn't it? Hoping I might be willing to shed some clothing, so you could look for a birthmark."
"No! I did not drug you, Maya. Yes, that's why I hit on you. That's why I hit on every girl. But you were different."
Because I was the one. I got to my feet.
"I don't know anything about my mother or skin-walkers or scientists. But if everything else you said is true--and I have no reason to think it isn't--then I need to find these answers as much as you do. So I'll help you. Right now, though, I need to go home."
"Maya." He took my arm.
I shook him off. "I need to go home, okay? I have a lot to think about. We'll talk tomorrow."
I walked away. He didn't try to stop me.
My relationship with Rafe was a lie. He'd chased me for a reason. He'd kissed me for a reason. Even when I'd looked into his eyes and thought I'd seen something special, it was there for a reason.
He'd tricked me. Lied to me. And the worst of it? I'd seen it coming.
I'd watched him go after half the girls at school. I'd rolled my eyes and said I couldn't believe they fell for it. When he made a run at me, I shot him down and I was so pleased with myself. I could see through the guy when no one else could.
