He cleared his throat. "A charity organisation."

"Oh. What charity?"

He grinned. "Blood donation."

Hm. "Then, I must confess." I showed him my arm. "I've never donated."

He laughed out loud. "Something we shall have to remedy."

"No way. No one sticks needles in me."

"I could rent a vampire for the day-he could draw it from you."

I rolled my eyes. "So, what about your brother? Do you see him much?"

"Jason?" David's cheek flinched. "Not so much. We've kind of grown apart."

"Why?"

"He uh-" He eyed Vicki as she passed my bedroom door, pretending not to look in on us, "-he and I had a falling out a while back. Things are...neutral, now."

"Neutral?"

"Mm," he muttered and sat up. "I'm just waiting for him to find out about you."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No," he said in short. "I mean, I don't think so."

"I don't like that answer, David."

Vicki passed my room, again, and David pulled my hand, making me sit beside him. "How 'bout we get out of here for the day, go to the lake?"

A smile spread across my lips-a real smile. "Sounds great."

"Okay. Do you have a picnic basket?"

"Yeah, I think so," I said, standing up beside him.

"Go get it." He leaned in and pecked my cheek. "I'll run to the store and get some supplies."

Chapter Ten.

Drawing a deep lungful of the woodsy leather smell, I smiled. Dad's car smelled nothing like this, and though the upholstery of David's car was sticky and uncomfortable under my legs in the summer heat, it seemed to retain the aged scent of experience-a bit like riding in the car with my grandpa, which made it emotionally comforting-kind of...safe.

Heavy weekend traffic made the trip out to the lake take longer. David, only half paying attention to the road, watched me sort through the CDs in his glove compartment. Most of the music would belong better in my dad's collection, but a tickle of elation perked me up at the sight of familiar cover-art. "I've actually heard of these guys." I held up the disk. "I know a few of their songs."

David smiled. "I have that album on my phone. I'll bring it with us when we get to the lake-play it to you."

"Okay. Do...do you like them? I mean, I know you have a CD, but, like, what's your favourite one of their songs?"

His chest puffed out with a deep breath as he looked at the CD. I held it up so he could see the back. "Off that album...Overcome."

I nodded, scanning the song titles. "Why that one?"

"I like the piano."

"Oh." I considered the cover, then left it in my lap.

"We have more in common, musically, than just that one album, Ara," he said, clearly having sensed my gloom.

"I hope so."

"You'll see. Don't worry-it's as important to me as it is to you."

"Okay." I looked out the window for a second. "What's your favourite song at the moment?"

"Ooh-" He drew a tight breath through his teeth. "Hard to say. I go through phases. I uh-right now, I'm actually really enjoying Moonlight Sonata."

"I like that one, too." I smiled, sitting back. "Maybe you can play it for me-on the piano at school on Monday."

"Ara." He placed his hand firmly on my leg. "I would love to."

"Great." I loved watching him play; it was almost as if he never even had to think about where his fingers were going. I wasn't sure I'd ever heard him hit a bum note, and just the thought of watching him play again filled me up with...well, happiness, I guess. "Hey, can I tell you something?"

"Sure." He tore his eyes away from the road and they locked to mine for a breathless second.

"David!" I sprung upright in my seat, eyes wide. "Watch the road!"

"It's okay, Ara. You are more than safe in the car with me." He reached across and pried my fingers from their grip on the leather seat. "My uncle forced me to take one of those stunt-driving courses once. I know how to handle myself on the road."

"That doesn't mean you're incapable of having an accident," I scolded. "Besides, it's not just your driving I'm worried about."

"Would it make you feel better if I told you I've never had an accident?"

"No." I stole my hand back.

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind. No more eye contact when driving. Deal?" he said with a breathy laugh, shaking his head.

"Deal."

"Now, what were you about to say, before?"

I wasn't sure if I should say it, since the moment had passed.

"Just say it."

My uncertainty lingered in the silence.

"Ara, say it."

"I'm happy, is all." I shrugged and looked away. "I'm happy that we said we love each other, even if people say there's no such thing as love at first sight."

We both stared forward, silence the only common ground. I kind of wished I hadn't said it. One thing I'd learned about life was that happiness is subject to ignorance; as soon as you acknowledged it, it'd disappear-like everything else you care about.

David smiled; his own private joke again. "It really bothers you, doesn't it?"

"What?"

"Being in love with me."

"I'm just at odds with how I feel and what common sense says-you know, what I should feel."

David watched the road carefully, his easy smile making me feel silly for having doubts. "You can't make rules for your heart, Ara. And...if you berate yourself for what you feel, you'll eventually convince yourself not to feel that anymore. So-" He studied my face for a quick second, then turned his eyes back to the road. "Please just let yourself love me. I love you, and I don't want to lose your heart to some silly laws made up by man."

"But people just don't understand it."

"Then stop trying to make them. If they've ever loved before, then they'll understand and, if not, just let it go. They'll get it one day."

I took a long, slow breath. "You're right, you know, about being aged beyond your years."

He laughed. "Do you think you can still love me, even if I'm an old man, deep down inside?"

"Maybe. How old are you, anyway? Emily said you're older than us."

"Emily should mind her business."

I smirked. "Feisty, aren't we?"

"No. I just despise gossip."

"Well, we wouldn't need to gossip if you ever told me anything about yourself."

He exhaled. "She's right. Emily. I am older. I'll be nineteen in November."

"Are you repeating a year?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I uh-" He scratched the back of his head, resting his elbow on the door after, his fist in front of his lips. "I went through a rough patch a few years ago and...I kind of let my grades slip."

"What happened?"

"That was when I left my uncle-to come here."

"And...why did you leave your uncle?"

"I lost someone." He swallowed, putting both hands on the steering wheel again. "I've been hiding from the world in a way, I guess, ever since. I wanted to pretend I was still seventeen-get back some of the time I lost."

"I'm really sorry, David." I wished I could just kiss all his pain away. But grief just didn't work like that. "So, is that one of your secrets-your dark secrets?" I said playfully.

"No."

"Will you tell me something else about you-something I don't know?"

"Not today."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Not good enough. You know everything about me; I know nothing about you."

"And it will stay that way."

My eyes narrowed and I bit my teeth together, folding my arms again. "Fine. Don't tell me. But I won't stop bugging you until you do."

"Fine," he scoffed out a chuckling breath, "but I don't give in easily."

"Yeah? Well, I'm very stubborn. I don't give up easily." There was so much attitude in that delivery, I wondered if perhaps I was capable of normal teenage behaviour.

David's head rocked from side to side, fluid with annoyance. "You are a wilful creature, Ara-Rose. I swear you will be the death of me."

"I will if you don't stop keeping secrets."

"Ara, be nice," he said.

I tilted my nose in the air and watched the trees outside, blurring in hues of green and brown as we passed them.

The drive to the lake was relatively short, but the scenery changed so much, from closely gathered houses to a long stretch of highway and finally, a tunnel of trees around a hard-packed dirt road. As the tires crunched on the gravelly shoulder, my blue guitar, which hadn't shifted the whole drive, clunked noisily-the vibrations drawing gentle hums of odd notes from the strings. I glanced over my shoulder to check on it; still upright, the strap looped safely over the headrest in the backseat.

As I turned back to face the front, David's gaze quickly shifted from me to the road. "What?" I asked.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" he asked cautiously.

When aren't I? "No. But I do wish you'd trust me."

"Believe me, I do trust you. But, to tell you more about myself means letting you into my world, Ara."