"When did this come?" Owen asks, and I can hear him flipping the note over and over again.

"I don't know, your mom just gave that to me a few minutes ago," Clarin says in a worried voice.

"I thought this was over," I put my head in my hands. "I thought I could move on from this."

Owen's arms wrap around me and he leans his head against my own. "I did too. But I will not let anything happen to you. Never again."

I let out a long sigh. And I thought nothing could get worse. I was so wrong.

"I want to know who sent that letter," Clarin says. "Couldn't be Jonathan. Couldn't be Lucas."

"How many people could want to hurt me?" I ask, exasperated.

"Maybe this isn't a threat," Joey suggests.

"What else could it mean?" I ask, giving a pointed look.

"I don't know, it could be a seductive card. A lot of guys used to confess their love to you," Joey says in a sarcastic tone.

"Really?" I ask him sarcastically.

"I'm not kidding," Joey says. "Owen told me a ton of stories. And he was usually in a terrible mood when he did..."

Owen grunts in response. "A lot of boys found you irresistible and thought you should know. It started to get on my nerves, as you can imagine."

Clarin's laugh rings through the air. "Sometimes you made them cry when you only thanked them. They really wanted your approval."

"Oh..." I look down awkwardly.

"But I don't think that's what it is," Owen says. "It wouldn't be sent here by one of them."

"And what coincidental timing," I add. "It's got to be a threat."

"And yet you look calm," Joey says.

"I'm only kind of freaking out on the inside." I feel sick to my stomach every time I think of the words written on that piece of paper. Somebody is after me yet again, and I don't have a clue who it is. When will this all stop? When I'm dead, the unwanted portion of my mind thinks. I shove that thought away, but somehow it keeps appearing in my head. I shove my face further into Owen's shoulder.

Joey lets out a sigh and says, "Hey, you've got two strong men here..." Clarin clears her throat. "-and a very strong and independent woman whom we all look up to... The point is, we certainly aren't going to let anything happen to you."

I smile in thanks, but that terrible part of my brain keeps saying: Their help didn't do enough last time. But that's so irrational. I should be able to take care of myself. And they did so much! Every one of them kept a close eye on me. I am wrong for even for a second thinking that they didn't do enough. They saved me.

*•*•*

Ian and Owen are told to go outside and clean up the yard. While they're busy doing that, Clarin and I sit on my bed together. She knows as well as I do what's on our minds. It isn't the letter. It isn't the threats. It isn't my blindness or my short term memory loss.

"Are you doing okay?" I ask her finally. After the incident with Lucas, she's been awfully quiet on that subject.

She hesitates.

"You don't need to sugar coat anything for me," I say. "Don't try and make me feel better by saying you're fine."

"It just sucks," she says. "I finally found someone who I thought was in it for reals. You don't know this because I haven't told you before... But I had a boyfriend at the same time you had Jonathan. His name was Brock. He wasn't any Prince Charming, but he was my everything at the time. But slowly, he just became so distant. He would make excuses not to spend time around me. He wasn't answering my calls. I finally marched over to his house, and he told me he stopped loving me." She takes a long breath. "And ever since, I've been trying to find someone, anyone to just love me and stay loving me. But it never works out. Lucas was too good, I should've known. But that's that."

My mouth hangs open in shock. I don't even know what to say. Guilt crawls its way into my body, and I realize that all this time I've been talking about me, my problems, my life being unfair... She's taken that and comforted me and hasn't gotten anything back for herself. I'm such a selfish person.

"Well say something," she laughs a sad and short laugh. "I don't gush out feelings like you, so this is really awkward when you don't respond."

"I'm sorry," I frown towards the ground.

"Why're you sorry?" Clarin's tone echoes disbelief.

"Because I've been so self-absorbed. I feel bad for myself and I think my life is crap... But you not only take on my heavy load with me, but you are struggling with things that I don't even know about," I say.

"No," she says quickly. "You've gone through so much, far too much for one person to handle. And look how you've taken it. You're still you and that's amazing. You don't have room in these challenging times to continually worry about me, and that's okay. Just by being here you're helping me."

"I feel like the world took a crap on my conscience," I suck in a slow breath.

"See, I feel better already," Clarin laughs. "Now, that's enough about me. Feelings aren't my thing."

"I want you to be open with me," I tell her. "Don't hold anything back, okay? I'm going to try harder to stay active in your life too."

"Alright. I will," she says.

"How long are we staying up here in Oregon for?" I ask, looking up to where the ceiling would be.

"Two more weeks," is her reply. Then she sighs. "Are you doing alright with all this?"

"Being blind or being threatened anonymously? Oh, or messing up my memory for the second time?" I ask sarcastically.

"Everything. Since all this venting is going on, you may as well throw out all your feelings too," Clarin says. "And I know you've got a lot of those. Too many, in fact."

"Yeah," I nod my head. "Honestly, I'm trying hard to just take it in for what it is. At first I was pissed beyond belief. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I'm wasting days hating my life instead of just living it. And so, I've come to the conclusion that it sucks... But I've got to live with it so I may as well live my life anyways."

"I can't tell you how glad I am to hear you say that," Owen's deep voice rings in my ears.

My head whips towards the source. "When did you get in here?" I ask quickly. "Not that I don't want you here... Just, unexpected."

"Only a minute ago," he replies. "Clarin, do you mind giving us some space?"

"Sure," she says sweetly. Her hand rubs my back soothingly before leaving and I smile until the door closes.

Owen's footsteps slowly draw nearer. I don't know why his sudden presence is making it so difficult to breathe all of a sudden. When he sits beside me, I have to shift and accommodate him.

I feel his hand take my own and pull me towards him. He guides my arm around his neck and my legs stretch out over his lap. When I relax against him, he puts his head on my shoulder as well. I feel his warm breaths on the skin of my neck.

"You smell like dirt," I comment.

"I have been working in the yard for a few hours," he says with a snort.

"Doesn't change the fact," I shrug.

Sometimes I crave this. Owen and I don't even need to say a word. We just want to be with each other and that's enough to help us pull through. When he's here, I feel safe. I feel calm.

It kills me not to be able to see him. Every glance before this I took for granted. I didn't look at him the way I should have when I had the chance. Now I don't know when I'll be able to see his dark eyes and stunning looks. He could be completely changed and different by the time my mind heals itself.

"I wish I could see you," I say, closing my eyes.

"This isn't forever," Owen says.

"Unless I'm killed by the threatener before I get that chance again," I murmur to myself.

"Brinley Shane," Owen sits up abruptly. "Do not speak like that. Not ever. You aren't going to die, not for a very, very long time."

"I know," I say with a sigh. I hope, is what I really think.

"I'll keep you safe. I'm practically a superhero," Owen says.

"Mmm," I tilt my head. "Not one of the cool ones..."

"Yeah, I must be one of the really good-looking ones," Owen says, and I know he's smirking right now.

"No."

"Denial, I think," Owen says.

"I don't deny anything," I look away dramatically. It's silent for a moment, and then I sigh. "Okay, fine, maybe you are."

He laughs and shakes my shoulder. "I knew you couldn't withhold it long."

"Yeah, yeah," I roll my eyes.

"Hey, I think you'd be one of the good looking superheroes too," Owen says.

"One of the men?" I raise an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean," Owen replies.

"Sure."

"And you're also sure that nobody could possibly be a better hero than me," Owen says.

"I'm positive," I smile.

His hand touches my cheek and I don't know where to look. I feel lost until I feel his lips against mine. There is no way I can describe the kind of warmth that spreads through my body. Every day I take Owen for granted. In reality, I'm the luckiest girl in the world. He chose me and won't let go, and the fact that somebody as impossibly good as him chose somebody as messed up and emotional as me is mind blowing. But he does. And I couldn't be happier about that.

"Whoa, wrong room," a loud voice says. I recognize it as Parker's. "You guys sure seem to be having fun."

Owen and I pull apart quickly and I feel my face go red in embarrassment.

"Carry on," Parker says, and then the door shuts once again.

Thanks a lot, Parker. Demolish the moment.

"I want to spend a day with only you. Just the two of us. Is that okay with you?" Owen asks me.

"What can I do with no eye sight?" I ask him.

"Lots of things. We'll see," Owen says.

"I would love to spend a day with just you. That sounds lovely," I smile.

"Great. Set your alarm clock nice and early, because we'll be driving for a few hours to get there," Owen says.

Goshdangit. I hate long drives.