He did. “If you think it’s best.” Wow, Levi probably would have made me work so much harder.

“You’re really not going with him?” Toby asked from behind me. He hadn’t released me. I took that as a good sign.

“I’m staying with you.”

“Then let’s go.” A loud crash upstairs made it clear more Blackwells had arrived. Toby didn’t stay around to catch up with his family. He towed me to his car like he thought I was going to change my mind.

“Where are we going?” It didn’t take long to realize we weren’t heading back to the tree house.

“To a place up state.”

“I’m sorry.” I was saying those words so often now.

“For sending the Dalys after me?” He didn’t take his eyes off the road.

“I didn’t send them after you. I sent them to get Jess.”

“Why? Why not Levi? What the hell did you promise Cade? He isn’t someone to play around with, Allie.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

His hands tightened on the wheel. “Of course it matters.”

“All you need to know is that it has no bearing on why I’m with you.”

He groaned. “Way to be cryptic. What other surprises do you have waiting?”

“None.”

“When’s Levi going to show up?”

“He’s not.” It hurt to say it. I missed Levi so much already.

“Likely story.”

“It’s true. He’s not coming. He doesn’t even know I’m here.”

“Why? I get why you got Jess out. I get that you didn’t trust I’d really let her go, but why stay with me?”

“Because it wouldn’t really have ended. Yeah, Jess is free but what about my family? You know your grandfather won’t give up.”

“But he’ll have no choice but to stop if I’m king…” Toby placed a hand on my leg. It was too much like what Levi did.

“You’re taking me to see him, aren’t you?”

“Yes. My grandfather wants to see you, but I promise I’ll be with you the whole time.” He pulled onto the interstate. “Besides, he won’t be there until tomorrow. He was under the same impression I was, that we were spending the night at my dad’s.”

“Good. I don’t want you to leave me.” His grandfather terrified me. I’d been around plenty of Pterons, but he seemed even less human than the rest.

He took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at me. “I’m going to take care of you. No one’s going to hurt you.”

“I hope you’re right…”

“It’s going to be okay. We’re going to be more than okay.” He took my hand.

“It’s not just fear.”

“What isn’t?” He glanced over at me again.

“You were right about what you said the other day.” It was time to get back to work.

“What exactly was I right about?” He switched lanes, passing a van.

“That you were my first…that means something.”

He moved our hands to my leg. “Of course, it means something…it means a lot.”

I wanted to move our hands, but I couldn’t. At least I was in jeans.

“It’s going to be like taking your virginity all over again…it’s going to be that new of an experience for you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. I felt sick and my head was pounding again.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just haven’t been feeling well lately.”

“What kind of not feeling well?” he asked with concern.

“Headaches, dizziness, even passing out…”

“That doesn’t sound like you at all. You hardly ever even get colds.”

“I know…”

“Maybe it’s stress. You’ll be able to relax now. I’ll make sure of it.” He squeezed my leg.

I kicked the bag at my feet so I could stretch my legs out. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything—as long as it’s not going to upset you. I don’t want you worrying while you’re not feeling well.”

Where was this super worried Toby coming from? He was always an attentive boyfriend—but certainly not like this. “Why did you ask me out?”

He didn’t hesitate with his answer. “I wanted you to be mine.”

“When did you decide that?” I turned in my seat to look at him.

“The first day of sophomore year. You sat down in the desk next to me in English, and you were wearing that white sundress. You know the one with the tiny holes?”

I laughed. “The eyelet dress?”

“I guess. Anyway, I was in a really bad mood because of my dad, and you turned to me and said ‘you must have had a good summer.’ I had no idea what you were talking about and asked what you meant. Do you remember what you said?”

“No… should I?”

“If you’re that unhappy about being back in school, you had to have had a good summer. Then you shot me this smile, and I was gone.”

I laughed. “Wow, I was so cool back then.”

“You were. I couldn’t concentrate after that. I spent the whole day thinking about the ways I could get you out of that dress.”

“If you liked me sophomore year, why did you wait so long to ask me out?”

“Are you kidding? You were Allie Davis. You ate guys like me for breakfast.”

“Very funny. You had a reputation of your own. You never said yes to anyone.”

“I would have said yes to you—” His voice was low, like he was lost in thought.

“Even before I wowed you with my witty intellect?” I grinned.

He took a minute to respond. I was probably right about his mind moving somewhere else. “Uh yeah. I thought you were hot before that, especially in those tennis skirts you wore at the club…but I never let myself give it much thought. But that day in class—I knew you saw me.”

“How’d you finally work up the nerve?” I unzipped my coat, the car was getting warm.

“Jess.”

“Jess?” He had to be kidding.

“She caught me staring at you one day, and she told me you were into me.”

“She did what?”

He grinned. “I knew she was lying, but I decided it was worth a shot. You’d just broken up with that idiot you were dating at the time.”