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Ethan’s head dipped in shame. “I don’t know.”

Clay didn’t need to say any more. Ethan looked at me, pleading in his eyes. “Can she be saved?”

“I don’t know, bro. She can’t feel anymore.”

Angie had gone limp and quit fighting. To my surprise, when I looked down, she was crying. How could she cry? I looked up to find Clay’s expression shocked as well. “Clay, how can she cry?”

His mouth gaped open, but then he closed it quickly. “She’s feeling remorse. Maybe there’s still hope for her. I wouldn’t have her around Hannah, though, just in case.”

Ethan nodded and motioned with his head toward me. “Levi, let go of her legs. Let me deal with her, okay?”

I did as he instructed and before we could say any more, Ethan scooped her off and bolted off into the night. The whole thing was absolutely bewildering.

Clay coughed and jumped into the tree. “Come on, we have people to watch, just as Ethan does.”

“What do you think about it all?”

He didn’t answer my question. Instead he smiled at me and looked into Hannah’s room, where she slept peacefully through the entire debacle. “When are you asking her to homecoming? It’s only four days away. Bad taste to leave her hanging, you know.”

“Do you think she’ll want to go after all of this?”

His laugh was loud and caused Hannah to jump in her sleep. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the centuries, every girl likes a good dance. Just give her one night of normalcy after all this, and make Saturday memorable.”

“She’s living on borrowed time.”

“All humans are. Allow her to enjoy it the best she can.”

TWENTY-SEVEN

The next morning Hannah awoke to a single white rose beside her in bed. It had been Clay’s idea. I still felt a little bad about breaking into the floral store, but I’d left double the amount the rose would have cost. No harm, no foul, right? Besides, it was pretty fun to watch her expression from afar. The smile that lit up her face was one I hadn’t seen in a very long time. Actually, it had been before she met me since she smiled like that. I wanted her to be able to do that again.

Clay and I had waited up for Ethan’s return, but he never came back. Part of me wondered what he’d gotten into, but Clay kept telling me to mind my own business, so I figured I would. Seemed a bit one-sided, though, seeing as Ethan had followed Angie and I. Whatever. There was more to worry about than where Ethan had run off to right now.

I had to ask Hannah to homecoming. It sounded so easy, but in reality I would rather go toe to toe with another Fallen. Clay laughed as he watched me struggle through the internal battle. “Levi, she’ll say yes. It’s really not that hard, buddy.”

“Easy for you to say. I’ve never asked a girl to homecoming.”

“After over a century, I’d say your time has come,” he said, taking on the look I had come to believe was a fatherly expression. I’d never seen one directed toward me before now, so I couldn’t be sure.

Without another word, I snuck into Hannah’s window and wrapped my arms around her from behind while she was brushing her teeth. She jumped. “Hey there, angel,” I teased.

Once she was finished, she smiled. Her laugh filled the room. “I’m pretty sure that’s your description.”

“Nah, they’d give you wings if they could.”

Her smile faltered for a second, and I wondered what she was thinking. If only I could get into her head for a moment. It was probably a pretty scary place to be, though. Girls seemed to have way more going on than guys. She turned in my arms and kissed my cheek. For the life of me, I’d never get used to that. Her dad was downstairs and began calling about breakfast, so I kissed her quick. “Am I taking you to school today?”

She pursed her lips and looked torn, but recovered herself. “Of course! I’ll meet you back up here after Mom and Dad leave.”

With that she hurried out of her room and down the stairs. Something felt off, but I couldn’t figure out what. Girls.

“You know she’s hiding something from you,” drawled Ethan.

I turned to find him leaning against the windowsill with his arms crossed. He looked exhausted. “Busy night?”

“If you consider chasing Angie all over Southern Ohio and keeping her from massacring four small towns busy, then sure. Otherwise, just another night in paradise.”

“That good, huh?”

He sighed. “She wants to be good. I can see it. It’s just that I don’t know how to help her. I’m not good, so how am I supposed to teach her anything?”

“You could be.”

Ethan laughed, then began to crawl out the window once more. “Whatever, dude. Some of us just aren’t cut out of the superhero mold like you are. Some of us just take it day by day and do what we can.”

“A bit morose, aren’t we?”

He stopped, but didn’t turn around. “Just tired, Levi. Tired of it all.”

Ethan didn’t seem to want to elaborate, and I couldn’t think of anything helpful to say. He dropped from sight and I was left with my thoughts. I was tired of it too, but that didn’t mean I could just leave Hannah hanging.

A couple minutes later she reemerged from downstairs, smile forcefully fixed in place. “Ready?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I started, but then stopped. It was dumb to let her play around whatever she was thinking about. “What’s up?”

She stopped gathering her things and stood with her back to me. “What do you mean?”

“You’re distant. I thought you’d like the rose.”

“I did,” she said slowly.

“Then what’s wrong?”

“It’s just, I know what’s coming.”

That didn’t sound good. “What do you mean?”

She turned around, sadness in her eyes. “You’re going to ask me to homecoming, aren’t you?”

Whatever air would have been in my lungs whooshed out. “Well, I’d been planning on it.”

“And I already told someone I’d go with them.”

“Who?”

“Justin. When I was wasn’t sure we could be anything.”

Well, that was a blow. “Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know, I’m sorry. If I could take it back, I would.”

“Then just tell him you’re going with me.”

Hannah huffed. “That’s just rude, Levi!”

“And it’s not to be in love with me, but go with someone else?”

Silence. Her eyes turned downward. “I never said I loved you.”

My arms felt unnaturally heavy. “Wow, okay,” I stumbled for words, feeling like a complete idiot at this newest revelation. “Well, that changes things I guess.”

“It’s not like that!” she argued, blood rushing to her cheeks. It gave her a rosy look, which was even more frustrating. She was beautiful when that happened. “It’s just, I didn’t know much about you. You’d just said you killed someone. What was I supposed to do?”

I nodded without saying a word. It was time to change the subject. “Well, do you still want a ride to school?”

She put her head down and stared resolutely at the ground. “It’s okay, I’ll call Angie,” but then she paused. “Angie won’t be at school, will she?”

I didn’t meet her eyes. “No, she won’t.”

“I don’t have anyone anymore, do I? Angie’s gone and you’re mad.”

“It’s fine, Hannah. Homecoming is a human thing. You should go with who will make you happy. I’ll be there to make sure you’re safe.”

She nodded once more and bit her bottom lip. “I’ll walk to school.”

“You’ll be late,” I said lamely.

“I’ll ask Clay.”

“You’d rather him take you than me?”

“I just don’t want to hurt you any more than necessary.”

It felt like everything was falling out from under me. She’d made me feel again and here she was now, making me regret it. Anger licked at the hurt. “I’m pretty sure I’ve felt more pain than a human girl saying no to a homecoming invite.”

She recoiled from the insult. “That’s not fair, Levi.”

“Do you want to be with me or not?”

Hannah didn’t respond. Instead she walked to the window and looked out expectantly. “Clay? You there?”

Thankfully, he ignored her. I could see him sitting in the tree, but he must have the ability to be invisible even after she knew his name. Too bad that didn’t work for me. I grabbed her bag and slung it over my shoulder, then picked her up with my free hand. “Let’s go, Hannah.” I didn’t wait for her to argue.

It was a quiet trip to school, but instead of setting her in the field behind the school, I landed on the roof and took her by the shoulders. She looked at me with those beautiful green eyes of hers. It was now or never. “Look, Hannah. I have guarded a lot of humans in my lifetime, existence, whatever you want to call it. None have touched me like you do. No one made me care. You do. You made me feel again. You deserve to live for so many reasons, but the reason above all that I saved you was because I’m in love with you.”

Her eyes widened at my declaration, but I continued before she could speak. “I love you, Hannah. I will protect you every day of my existence. You deserve the best, and that’s what I’d give you if you gave me the chance. If you want Justin, go for it, but know that no one will love you more than I do.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but I didn’t wait for it. I kissed her instead, and by the feeling of it, she kissed me right back.

TWENTY-EIGHT

Clay was laughing hysterically when I found him on the roof of Hannah’s house after my insane declaration. Where had all that mush come from? I racked my brain for one time that I had ever been all romantic with someone before. Never. If I’d have been watching myself, I probably would have gagged. I waited for Clay to gather himself. He grabbed his sides while smiling. “Levi, I have to hand it to you, you’re a genuine Romeo when it comes to the ladies.”

“Shut up, Clay.”

“No, really. I think that’s the best expression of love I’ve seen, and you know I’ve been around the block.”

“It didn’t matter,” I said, feeling even more like an idiot. “At least Ethan wasn’t there.”

“Oh, I was. I had to barf over the side of the roof,” chimed in Ethan as he landed beside us. “I thought I’d taught you better than that, but apparently not.”