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He nodded toward Main Street, and Toni fell in next to him as he began to walk, following the others.

“No.”

That one simple word stopped her dead.

“No?”

But was she really surprised? She’d suspected as much. It was why she’d asked the question in the first place.

“Did you want me to be honest?”

“Well, of course, but—”

“Then no, I’m not at all sorry.”

She would regret this.

“Why?” Desperate to do something with her body, anything to blunt the buzzing sense of self-awareness that came over her whenever he was near, Toni started walking again.

“I don’t like Tyler. Or the way he treated you.”

Talk about being honest. She let herself look at him, just for a second, and the words came gushing out of her. “Sometimes I wonder if you don’t like me much either.”

Yep. She’d blame the alcohol.

“That’s not true, and you know it.”

She stopped again. “Really? Then why do you move into another room whenever I’m nearby? It feels like you can’t get away from me fast enough.”

Lawrence sighed and glanced over at a family of tourists huddled around a map.

“Up there,” he called to them, “four blocks and then take a left.”

When they looked up, Lawrence must have realized his mistake. His supersonic vampire hearing had obviously picked up on their conversation. She hadn’t even heard them murmuring.

“The old jail, right?” he said. Unapologetic, as always, he pointed again in the direction he’d told them. “You’ll find it up there.”

Looking back to her, he pursed his lips together ever so slightly, as if he didn’t quite know what to make of her. At least she’d always known what Tyler was thinking. It usually had something to do with sex or beer. Manageable thoughts and expectations.

Silent types were the worst.

“Whatever,” she tossed out. But just when she was certain he was ignoring her, and her question, he reached for her elbow, whisking her into the alleyway against the five-and-dime store faster than she could blink.

“I avoid you . . .” His voice, low and caressing, enveloped her like a warm blanket. “. . . for the same reason you avoid me.”

His words slapped her across the face like an angry lover. He wasn’t wrong. She’d wanted to kiss him the first night they’d met—and every day since—but she was ashamed of it. She’d been with Tyler, after all, and while he was a cheater, she wasn’t.

Shoving him away from her, Toni said, “How dare you. You know nothing about me or my motivations.”

An unreasonable reaction, she knew, but she was too wrapped up in the moment to care.

“I dare because I see myself in you.” His voice lowered, becoming huskier and more intense. “I am you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “How could you possibly—”

“I know about your parents. And I know you think it was your fault.”

His words cut her to the quick. It was as if he’d split her open and read her soul. When words finally came to her, they were defensive, biting. “You take me away from my friends, who were trying to make me forget about Tyler—”