In Love with the Prince (of Darkness, That Is)

"What's that?" Dreama asked.

"It's a genetic disorder. My DNA's screwy."

Dreama stayed silent and waited for him to continue. "The short explanation is that my body can't repair any damage done by UV rays. What wouldn't tan a redhead will give me burn blisters."

"Not appreciating the comic relief right now."

"Sorry. I'm not trying to be facetious. Look, this is hard for me. I've never had to tell anyone before."

"So everybody knows but me."

"They've all known from the beginning. If I had my way, no one would."

"Why?"

"Telling people that you can't set foot in the sun for fear of dying doesn't usually gain points."

Dreama looked out the window at the street lamps overhead. "This doesn't fix things. It just explains one part in ten."

"What do you want to know?"

"Why didn't you tell me about your friends?"

"Because I had no intention of introducing you before that night. They know, you didn't. It wasn't a good mix."

"So why did you change your mind?"

"It was time to move forward, and that was the only way I could think of doing it."

"So why didn't you tell me on the way there? About Scott?"

"Scott has XP, too. It's how we met."

"That doesn't explain."

"I came really close to telling you on the way down, and I kept second-guessing myself. I wouldn't have been able to tell you one without the other."

"Then the logical course of action would have been to tell me both."

"I was scared. If that's what you want to hear, there it is."

"That's not all there is, Taylor. What about Christmas?"

"I told you already that I don't have a choice. It's an XP fundraiser for the organisation that my parents started in my name. I have to go."

"Why didn't you tell me about the job?"

Taylor sighed and leaned back against the headrest. He closed his eyes. "I never worked. My uncle does own the restaurant, and he said I could work the kitchens on the weekend, but that's it. There was never a job."

"What about my brothers?"

"That would be a bit of a double standard, wouldn't it?"

"So then what about your parents? Was that a lie, too?"

"Not completely. But the XP was a big part of it. I didn't want anything to slip out at the wrong time."

Dreama sighed. "They don't know about me, do they?"

"They know there's someone. They don't know who."

Dreama looked down at her arm, where the charm bracelet was still dangling. "I think I'm going to take the bus home."

"Let me drive you, please."

"Not tonight."

She took the bracelet off and handed it to him. "It's not a good night."

"Keep it."

"Not anymore."

She dropped the bracelet beside her and climbed out.