I Don't Share My Body Heat Indiscriminately.

Oh, I Have A Very Pure Soul. It's Only My Private Parts That Have Gotten Me Into Trouble".

It Seemed As If Some Subtle Current Of Recognition Had Passed Between Them... Not As If They Had Met Before... But As If They Had Come Close Several Times Until Finally An Impatient Fate Had Forced Their Paths To Intersect.

I Swear On St. Francis, The Patron Saint Of All Animals.” Seeing Poppy’s Hesitation, Beatrix Added Enthusiastically, “if A Band Of Pirates Kidnapped Me And Took Me To Their Ship And Threatened To Make Me Walk The Plank Over A Shiver Of Starving Sharks Unless I Told Them Your Secret, I Still Wouldn’t Tell It. If I Were Tied By A Villain And Thrown Before A Herd Of Stampeding Horses All Shod In Iron, And The Only Way To Keep From Being Trampled Was To Tell The Villain Your Secret, I—

One Should Make The Best Choice Possible Given The Circumstances, And Then Avoid Second-guessing For The Sake Of One's Own Sanity.

To Be Honest," I Halfwhispered, "i Don't Feel As Safe With Him As I Do With You." "i Know." A Ghost Of A Smile Touched My Lips. "how Do You Know?" "think About What Safety Is, Ella." "trust?" "yes, Partly. But Also An Absence Of Risk." He Unstuck A Strand Of Hair From My Damp Cheek And Tucked It Back. "maybe You Need To Take A Risk. Maybe You Need To Be With Someone Who Rattles You A Little.