Miku suggested I invite Emerson to dinner. Maybe having a meal together would help to relax her and let her know she is among friends. After dinner, I drove her home.

Sitting there in the car, a part of me bitterly resented what she was doing to me. I know it’s not her fault, but does she have to be so… alluring? Could she do something about the adorable way she looks up toward the sky when she’s thinking? Or the way her eyes fill with wonder when we do something humans can’t?

And what about the way her laughter sounds like a melody too sweet and complicated to be replicated by any known instrument? Surely she can do something to stop that. Argh!

I make myself count down from one hundred. That way I can focus on something else besides the spot between her earlobe and neck. It looked so soft. Her lips were slightly parted as she looked out the window. I wanted to part them further with mine.

I put my both hands on the steering wheel. I could not allow myself to let go until she was out of the car. I cracked the outer frame of the steering wheel because I was holding on too tight. Jay would kill me, but better Jay than Ameana.

Suddenly, she leaned in and kissed me. It was far better than I could even begin to explain to you. It’s a good thing angels don’t breathe. I would have stopped right then and there. Her lips are soft like clouds, and I would know.

I’ve fought Akons, Runners and Pawns. I’ve died a slow painful death on Earth. And nothing, nothing can compare to how hard it was for me to pull away from her lips. I don’t think I could bring myself to do it twice in a lifetime. I pulled away. The look on my face shattered her. She ran from the car.

I called out her name but I stayed where I was. What would I do if she were in my arms weeping? There was no mistake about it: if I got out of the car and went to her, there would be nothing angel-like about the way I’d touch her.

Here’s the thing—when do I tell Meana? There is no question as to whether or not I tell her. I couldn’t stand myself if I didn’t. I owe her that. Besides, girls always know these things. I guess it’s some type of woman’s intuition. That’s what I’ve always been told.

I have to be real careful about how to break the news to Meana. She could hurl me to the moon or send Emerson into orbit. Losing Julian was bad, but losing the only clue we had? That would be catastrophic.

A few hours later, Ameana came home. She barely nodded to me as she went off into her room. I knocked on the door and waited for her to answer.

“What?” she said.

“Can we talk?”

“I’m not in the mood, Marcus. Go fight with someone else.”

“Please, Mimi. It’s important.”

“Fine.”

I opened the door and came in. She was leaning by the window, looking out at the city.

“Did you decide to tell them yet?” she asked.

“No, it’s not about that. It’s about us. Well, me and the girl.”

“Emerson?”

“Yeah, she kissed me.”

“Okay.”

“That’s it?”

“Thanks for telling me.”

“Don’t do this, Ameana. Don’t shut down on me. It was hard to come tell you this, but I did because I wanted to be honest with you.”

“Honest? You want to be honest?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Excuse me?”

“When are you planning to grace me with this honesty?”

“I’m doing that now.”

“No, you’re covering your butt in case I find out about it.”

“I didn’t even think about that. I wanted to be honest.”

“Then admit to me that you have wanted her since the day you saw her. Admit that saying her name out loud is hard for you because you want her so much it hurts. Admit that you kissed her back.”

“She kissed me and I pulled away. I can tell her not to do it again. I can make sure she understands that you and I are together.”

“Before you explain that to her, maybe you should try reminding yourself.”

“I know we’re together. I haven’t done anything to betray that.”

“Did you like the kiss?”

“What?”

“Don’t screw with me. Marcus. I’ll wrap you around a power line. Answer the question.”

“No, I didn’t like it.”

“You know what hurts, Marcus? Not that you want her. Not that you think about her all the time. It’s not even the fact that you let her kiss you. What hurts right now is the lie you just told me.”

“Mimi….”

“Get out.”

“I’m just trying to—”

She waved her hand and catapulted me out the window and onto the other side of the street. I hit walls and lamp posts along the way. Man, that hurt. But I didn’t pull rank on her. She had a right to her anger. I had messed up badly. The worst thing is if I had a chance to kiss Emerson again, I would. And the only girl I’ve ever loved knows that.

The next day, Reese had gone over to Emerson to make sure I didn’t completely wreck her self-esteem. Jay and Ameana had gone out together to hunt Runners. I got a text from Jay that read “Meana on way, pissed. Duck.”

What does that mean? I didn’t have to wait long to find out. I was sitting on the stairs feeling like a complete loser when something came flying towards my head at inhuman speed. I ducked just in time. It crashed and hit the wall behind me. It was a Splash, and Meana had thrown it at me from down the street.

“Whoa, what the…?”

“You lousy, no good bastard!” she shouted.

“What the heck was that?” I asked again.

“Read the Splash, Marcus. Read it.”

I turned around to where the globe had hit the wall. The words that splashed on the wall had formed into a newspaper behind me. In the center was a picture of me and Emerson kissing. I walked in closer to read the article on the wall.

Guardian Couple Woes could ground ‘Walkers’

By I. M. Trouble

Hello, my little winged ones. I have some troubling news to report to you. It seems that our beloved first Guardian couple may be headed the way of Brad and Jennifer. And who is the Angelina in all of this you ask? Well, it happens to be the human, Emerson Hope Baxter. That’s right! As the picture shows above, the human has her claws—or should we say her lips—around our very own First Guardian.

Where is the devastatingly beautiful Ameana while the human tackles her man? Well, some say she has taken to bed, ill with heartache. Others say she couldn’t care less about what the hottest, youngest First Guardian is doing because she is too busy with another guy. Who could this other angel be? Some speculate it’s dark and sexy chocolate, Jayden. While still others insist it’s none other than our favorite mood ring of hotness, Rio.

Given the state of the current situation, is it any wonder Ground Walkers are worried about their jobs? If the Guardians don’t save the humans, who will the Ground Walkers inhabit to spread good on Earth?

Maybe he’s saving the world one girl at a time. And as for the human males? Oh, who cares? Look at the lips on that girl. Nice, Marcus, very nice….

I read it twice. I wanted to make sure that this wasn’t some kind of nightmare, but it was all real. I had messed up and my mistake was plastered in front of the world. I turned to look at Meana but she was gone. I ran up to her room but she wasn’t there. The only shred of good here was that I had told her the truth about the kiss having taken place before it hit the Splash.

And that was the only thing that stopped me from being a complete jerk in her eyes. But what do I know. Maybe there was so much damage done that it didn’t matter that I told her before it came out. Maybe everything was beyond repair. I headed for the mountains again

Why was Ameana acting like that? I guess hearing about the kiss is different than being confronted with the picture. I knew how they got it. Traveler angels have amazing hearing. That’s one of the things that you need to have to be chosen as one: hearing, speed and a talent for being really nosy.

They can’t overhear everything, but if we are out in the open and a Ground Walker is nearby, there is a good chance that a Traveler is, too. GW angels always want the rest of us to know what they are up to. Some do it to strengthen our faith in humanity. Others do it so they can brag about what great angels they are.

Since we were chosen to battle for the Triplex, every Splash has been about us. I think it has made some of the GW angels jealous. Well, they can have the fame if they want it. I hated having everyone in my business. It wouldn’t be that bad if they’d get it right once in a while, but they never do.

The way they got the picture is the way all Travelers get it: they snap their eye shut. It blinks a flash of light and takes a picture. It’s like they have a camera in their eyes. When they go to the council, the council looks into their eyes and reviews all their shots. They are only supposed to be taking picture of things that are relevant to the council. But many make time to get a few “juicy” shots and spread them across a Splash.

The next day at school, I caught up with Meana in the hallway. She wanted nothing to do with me. I cornered her anyway.

“Five minutes.”

“No.”

“Okay, three.”

“Go away.”

“Okay, two minutes. If you don’t like what I have to say, you can send me to the other side of the world.”

I take her into the same class we were in the last time. I didn’t think she’d let me touch even her shoulders, so holding her hand was out of the question. I looked into her eyes and hoped she’d give me a break and listen.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I should have pushed her away the second she came up to me. I love you and I don’t want to lose you.”

“No, you want her. You’re just afraid to say it.”

“If she’s the one I want, then what am I doing here with you?” I pull in close and kiss her passionately. And thankfully she allows me.

When we got back to the house, Rio was there with a grave look on his face.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Emmy’s onyx. We gotta go.”

“Mimi, go secure her mother,” I ordered.

“On it,” she said as she ran up to the roof. The twins and I took off right behind her. Reese and Jay were already en route.

By the time the whole ordeal was over, Emmy had watched her friend get killed by a Pawn and there was nothing she could have done. So, as it stands now, both Emerson and the Triplex are out of our reach.