Part of me wanted to run away from him screaming, Fire! A more reckless part was tempted to see how close I could get without... combusting.

As in, I wouldn't know normal if it marched up and poked me in the eye.

I needed him like I'd never needed anyone.

I forced a smile. It was the one I'd been practicing all morning. It felt tight at the edges and brittle everywhere in between.

I couldn't picture myself with a boyfriend, but if I had to, I envisioned a nice normal guy who turned in his math homework on time and maybe even played rec baseball.

You're a guardian angel now." I was still too much in awe to wrap my mind around it, but at the same time I felt amazement, curiosity...happiness.

"I'm your guardian angel," he said.

"I get my very own guardian angel? What, exactly, is your job description?"

"Guard your body." His smile tipped higher. "I take my job seriously, which means I'm going to need to get acquainted with the subject matter on a personal level.