Honey sat in her favorite spot on the little sectional sofa of the cabin.

Surrounded by her friends, with a mug of tea in her hands, she felt incredibly cozy. It was hard to believe that just hours before she had been shaking with fear on the floor, expecting the whole place would soon be engulfed in flames.

“You seem so calm,” Addy observed.

“Yeah,” Honey said. “I think I may still be in shock.”

“So how did Kitt deal with the fire?” Nikki leaned forward, waiting for an answer.

“He, um, just grabbed the thing and ran outside with it,” Honey said.

“Wow,” Nikki said, sitting back.

“Damn,” Addy said. “How badly did he burn his hands?”

“He didn’t,” Honey said. “I think he’s got super powers.”

The other two laughed.

At least they still thought she was being funny.

“You really like him, don’t you?” Addy asked.

“That’s what makes it so hard,” Honey replied.

“That’s what she said,” Addy said quickly.

Nikki rolled her eyes.

“Sorry.” Addy shrugged. “Had to be said. Anyway, what are you talking about? He’s a nice guy. Finally. I mean, no offense Honey, but you’ve picked some weirdoes in the past.”

“That may be the understatement of the year,” Honey sighed.

“I get it about Wade,” Nikki said. “But who else was there?”

Addy laughed.

“It started freshman year of college,” Honey said. “I was dating a guy at Tarker’s Hollow. He seemed nice enough, I mean he was a little vain, but good-looking guys often are. Anyway, we were going for a walk one night and he started freaking out.”

“What do you mean?” Nikki’s voice was fascinated. “Like he was yelling at you?”

Honey shook her head. “Like he started saying stuff about me being in danger, and that he hadn’t realized it was a full moon. And then he got really… amorous.”

“Sounds like he was just putting the moves on you,” Nikki said. “In a creepy way, maybe, but still…”

“Oh, it gets better,” Addy said.

“Anyway, yeah, he was pawing at me one minute and then the next minute he ripped all his own clothes off,” Honey said sadly.

“Wh-what?” Nikki was hanging on her every word. “Did he try to assault you? Did he rip your clothes?”

Honey shook her head.

“Nope. He ran off into the woods naked. I was left standing there with a pile of his clothes.”

Addy laughed her head off, while Nikki shook her head in wonder.

“What did you do?” Nikki asked.

“I, um, folded them,” Honey replied, trying to ignore Addy’s snorts of laughter, “and went back to my dorm.”

“You folded his clothes?” Nikki’s brow was furrowed.

“Well, I was kind of surprised,” Honey said. “I think I did it out of force of habit.”

“I’m not gonna lie, Honey,” Nikki said. “That might be the weirdest bad date story I ever heard. But one guy going bonkers is just… bad luck.”

“My next boyfriend decided he didn’t like women,” Honey said.

“A lot of people come out in college,” Addy said. “It’s no big deal.”

“And then there was the drummer,” Honey went on.

“Drummers are notoriously bad drivers,” Addy said. “I think they technically pay higher insurance rates.”

“What happened?” Nikki asked.

“He asked me out a bunch of times, but I was kind of… shell-shocked from the last two,” Honey explained. “Then the day I finally said yes, he borrowed a friend’s car to pick me up and take me to dinner in the city. But he blew a red light on the way to my dorm and when the police tried to pull him over he tried to evade them for some reason.”

“He just really wanted to see you,” Addy pointed out. “You should have said yes sooner so he wouldn’t be so scared to blow his shot.”

“Anyway, he got kicked out of school because of jail and all,” Honey said. “So basically, my track record is not good.”

“Surely you had one or two decent boyfriends,” Nikki said.

“Where would she have found the time?” Addy cackled.

“I took a little break,” Honey said. “Then I decided to give Wade a chance. I mean he seemed a little dick-ish, but mostly normal.”

She looked around at the broken door and screens.

“Yikes,” Nikki said.

“I’m pretty much cursed,” Honey said.

“You don’t mean that,” Nikki said.

“I think I do,” Honey replied thoughtfully. “It’s probably best if I just lay low, get a couple of cats, and focus on opening my own dance school when I graduate. Maybe my brother will get married and have kids and I can be an auntie.”

“Being an auntie is definitely where it’s at,” Addy said immediately. “But I wouldn’t give up on love just yet.”

“Kitt seems special, Honey,” Nikki said softly. “And I think you guys have a real bond.”

“That’s exactly why I don’t want to mess things up with my bad mojo,” Honey said sadly. “Besides, he’s not completely normal.”

“He’s a freaking alien, Honey,” Addy pointed out. “It would be weird if he did seem completely normal.”

“No, I mean these guys make a match for life,” Honey said. “And Kitt told me he wanted to choose me as his mate.”

“That makes sense then,” Nikki said. “It’s a little intense, but it makes sense.”

“But he’s also seeing another girl,” Honey told them, and bit her lip.

“What?” Addy demanded, her joking tone gone.

“I saw them together a couple of times,” Honey said. “It’s Violet, the girl he wanted to see in the morning.”

“In fairness, they might just be friends,” Nikki said.

“I don’t think so,” Honey said. “I heard what he was saying to her. It’s pretty much the same stuff he says to me. I think I’m just drawn to men who have no heart.”

“Honey, that’s crazy,” Addy said.

Addy slid across the couch and wrapped an arm around Honey.

And that was the simple gesture of empathy that finally made Honey cry.

“Oh, Honey, no,” Addy said. “Don’t cry.”

“I can’t believe it,” Nikki said. “I’ve read about these guys - they pair bond, like birds or something. He can’t just go after two girls at once.”

Honey looked up from her spot on Addy’s shoulder.

“He said, ‘Every morning we talk about your mother, and all I want to talk about is us.’ And she said, ‘There is no us,’ and he said, ‘There should be.’”

“Jesus,” Addy muttered and rubbed Honey’s back vigorously, as if she might rub the whole memory right out of her.

“Why would they talk about her mother?” Nikki wondered.

“I don’t know,” Honey sobbed and fell back on Addy’s shoulder.

“There’s something odd about that conversation…” Nikki mused.

“Go get us something stronger than chamomile,” Addy said to Nikki over her shoulder.

Nikki shrugged and dashed off to the kitchen.

“Listen, Honey,” Addy said. “I’ve known you a long time. Maybe it’s true, maybe you need to stay on your, uh, man diet a little longer. But you’re going to be just fine.”

“How do you know?” Honey asked her best friend’s tear-stained shirt.

“Because you’ve got me,” Addy replied triumphantly.

“And me,” Nikki added as she joined them again. “And this sangria.”

“It is really good sangria,” Honey admitted, wiping her eyes and sitting up to take the jar from Nikki.

“Yes,” Addy said with satisfaction, “it is really good sangria. To new beginnings.”

“New beginnings,” Nikki echoed.

“New beginnings,” Honey repeated.

There was a light tap on the door.

Honey looked up and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the big masculine form.

“Addy,” Remington’s deep voice called from the doorway.

Oh.

Addy got up and went to the door.

“Hey, buddy,” she said through the screen. “What’s up?”

“Is Honey okay?” He sounded angry.

“She’s shaken up, but she’s fine,” Addy said. “How are Kitt’s burns?”

Remington stared at her for a full five seconds.

“Fine,” he said stiffly.

Honey wondered if Addy would recognize it was a lie. If she did, she didn’t let on.

“That’s good,” Addy said.

“He wants to see her,” Remington growled. “But he doesn’t want to upset her.”

“Good thing he sent you,” Addy quipped.

The humor was lost on Remington.

“Can he come to her?”

Addy turned to Honey.

Though it killed her, Honey shook her head. Tears prickled her eyes and she wrapped her arms around herself.

“She wants a break,” Addy told Remington.

“A break from what?” The big alien sounded angry and confused.

“Walk with me,” Addy said, stepping outside with him.

Nikki slid over closer on the sofa and put an arm around Honey.

“It’ll get easier,” she said.

“How do you know?” Honey asked.

“Because you’re too smart and too determined to let this get you down,” Nikki said. “Bottoms up.”

They clinked glasses and Honey found herself glad, not for the first time, that Nikki had joined them this summer.