with her quickening pulse. And he was telling her that these two sensations were connected, irrevocably linked. Forever.
“You’re telling me your love for me will take away my powers...and ultimately kill me.” Tina’s voice shook. “But how is that possible? I’m already feeling pain.”
Ethan looked down. “That’s because I’ve already started falling for you.”
She shut her eyes, unable to look at him another second. When she opened them, she rose from the chair, trying hard to keep her composure. She had been crushed before—it was a running theme in her life. She had learned, time again and time again, to pick herself up by her bootstraps and move on. But this was different. This was the last straw. She had been disappointed one too many times and her heart couldn’t handle one more devastating blow.
As she walked away from him, she heard his voice echoing down the hall behind her.
“Tina, wait!” Ethan called out, but she couldn’t bear to look back at him.
Chapter Seven
The skies had opened and it was pouring outside. Tina could barely see—her tears blurred her vision and the pounding of raindrops on her windshield didn’t make it any better. How could this have happened? I finally meet someone and it could kill me . Her heart ached. It ached for Ethan, for Danny, for herself, for never having anyone to call her own.
By the time she got home, she was sobbing, gulping for air. She had let her guard down, opened herself up to someone and experienced the most intense pleasure of her life, and her heart was stomped to pieces. She should have known it had been too good to be true.
After entering her apartment, she immediately sunk into her couch, not bothering to close the door behind her. She laid down face-up, wrapping her arms around her face, letting her tears gather into the crook of her elbow. She forced herself to take a few deep inhalations and felt her breathing hitch, hiccupping as she tried to calm herself down. “You’re n-not going to do th-this,” Tina admonished herself between breaths. There was no way she could ever be with Ethan again and crying was not going to change that. She took a few more deep inhalations until her breathing finally evened.
While other people may say it was unlucky, she considered herself fortunate that she had been disappointed by people countless times over the course of her life. It taught her how to bounce back and bounce back quickly. It was the only way she got through her ever-changing childhood homes, how she got through being the new kid at schools, how she got through life. She did it all on her own and she didn’t need anybody . Her mini pep talk, one she had told herself time and time again, suddenly strengthened her, but even as she thought it, a flicker of doubt took root in her mind.
She unwrapped her arm from around her forehead and noticed the slight slick of oil left glistening on her arm. Surveying her body—greasy hair, dirty fingernails—she realized she hadn’t showered in almost forty-eight hours. The grimy feeling was definitely worsening her already soured mood. Sighing, she rose off the couch and walked to the bathroom to turn the bathtub faucet on full blast while she walked around her apartment, first plucking a celebrity gossip magazine off her coffee table, then a jar of mud mask off her bedside table, and, lastly, one—very large—bottle of red wine.
When the tub filled, Tina undressed and daintily dipped her toes into the steaming bath, barely submerging them, and issued a small sigh. With both feet submerged, she gripped both sides of the tub as she slowly eased herself into the water, savoring the warmth as it crept up the length of her body. Every tiny hair stood up on end as her skin adjusted to the temperature. She looked down, surveying the slim body that lay under the steaming surface of the water: long and lithe as a ballerina.
Tina reached her hand up to the back of her head and undid the purple hair
“You’re telling me your love for me will take away my powers...and ultimately kill me.” Tina’s voice shook. “But how is that possible? I’m already feeling pain.”
Ethan looked down. “That’s because I’ve already started falling for you.”
She shut her eyes, unable to look at him another second. When she opened them, she rose from the chair, trying hard to keep her composure. She had been crushed before—it was a running theme in her life. She had learned, time again and time again, to pick herself up by her bootstraps and move on. But this was different. This was the last straw. She had been disappointed one too many times and her heart couldn’t handle one more devastating blow.
As she walked away from him, she heard his voice echoing down the hall behind her.
“Tina, wait!” Ethan called out, but she couldn’t bear to look back at him.
Chapter Seven
The skies had opened and it was pouring outside. Tina could barely see—her tears blurred her vision and the pounding of raindrops on her windshield didn’t make it any better. How could this have happened? I finally meet someone and it could kill me . Her heart ached. It ached for Ethan, for Danny, for herself, for never having anyone to call her own.
By the time she got home, she was sobbing, gulping for air. She had let her guard down, opened herself up to someone and experienced the most intense pleasure of her life, and her heart was stomped to pieces. She should have known it had been too good to be true.
After entering her apartment, she immediately sunk into her couch, not bothering to close the door behind her. She laid down face-up, wrapping her arms around her face, letting her tears gather into the crook of her elbow. She forced herself to take a few deep inhalations and felt her breathing hitch, hiccupping as she tried to calm herself down. “You’re n-not going to do th-this,” Tina admonished herself between breaths. There was no way she could ever be with Ethan again and crying was not going to change that. She took a few more deep inhalations until her breathing finally evened.
While other people may say it was unlucky, she considered herself fortunate that she had been disappointed by people countless times over the course of her life. It taught her how to bounce back and bounce back quickly. It was the only way she got through her ever-changing childhood homes, how she got through being the new kid at schools, how she got through life. She did it all on her own and she didn’t need anybody . Her mini pep talk, one she had told herself time and time again, suddenly strengthened her, but even as she thought it, a flicker of doubt took root in her mind.
She unwrapped her arm from around her forehead and noticed the slight slick of oil left glistening on her arm. Surveying her body—greasy hair, dirty fingernails—she realized she hadn’t showered in almost forty-eight hours. The grimy feeling was definitely worsening her already soured mood. Sighing, she rose off the couch and walked to the bathroom to turn the bathtub faucet on full blast while she walked around her apartment, first plucking a celebrity gossip magazine off her coffee table, then a jar of mud mask off her bedside table, and, lastly, one—very large—bottle of red wine.
When the tub filled, Tina undressed and daintily dipped her toes into the steaming bath, barely submerging them, and issued a small sigh. With both feet submerged, she gripped both sides of the tub as she slowly eased herself into the water, savoring the warmth as it crept up the length of her body. Every tiny hair stood up on end as her skin adjusted to the temperature. She looked down, surveying the slim body that lay under the steaming surface of the water: long and lithe as a ballerina.
Tina reached her hand up to the back of her head and undid the purple hair
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