Dani"He's one of my favorites you know," Jean said, once the door to the trailer slammed shut. "Always such a gentleman, never complains. The only weird quirk that kid has is red Skittles."I wasn't sure if Jean knew that I didn't talk, and I didn't want to be rude, so I quickly wrote a little text.Dani: I don't know if Jay told you, but I can't talk.Jean read it over my shoulder. "Oh, sugar, I talk enough for the both of us." She tossed her bright purple hair over her shoulder and stared at me through the mirror, her green eyes meeting mine before turning back around and spraying something else on my face.The mist was cool against my skin - it felt good and smelled like coconut."You know why he likes the red Skittles, right?" She didn't wait for me to text her. "He likes the flavor, but it's more than that. His very first movie was with some famous actor who refused to speak directly to people lest their normalness rub off on him. I won't say his name, but I'm sure yo

DaniDreaming of Lincoln was so not what I needed. But dream I did. I dreamt of his kiss, I dreamt of his lips, and when I woke up in a cold sweat, my body ached with something I'd never really recognized before, almost like he'd awakened some sort of untapped passion or desire. Great, just great. Not only was I unable to speak, but now I was a sexually frustrated mute.I glanced at the clock. Two a.m. Pris would kill me if I woke her up, especially since she had a really intense few scenes tomorrow with Jaymeson, another reason Lincoln had the next day and a half off.It was Tuesday, and he didn't need to report back until Wednesday at noon.I lay back against the headboard, slamming my skull softly against the fabric.Just as I reached for my phone, it went off.Lincoln: Can't sleep.Dani: You have a pig. Stop texting me.I dropped my phone onto the table and forced my eyes to close.Sleep lasted until five when my annoying, chipper alarm woke me up. Lincoln had left m

DaniAdrenaline surged through my body. My voice! That was my voice! A voice I hadn't heard outside my head in months! I wanted to shout in victory, yell at the top of my lungs. But instead, my knees knocked together and spots clouded my vision as Lincoln lifted me up into his arms and carried me down the stairs.I blinked my eyes as the angry, black clouds started moving in our general direction.Cold rain splattered against my face before Lincoln walked us down into a small alcove.Chilled, I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering as he set me on my feet directly in front of the penguin exhibit.It was freezing in there.But we were alone."Dani?" He cupped my face. "Are you going to pass out?" His eyebrows knit together in concern as he backed me against the wall.I could almost taste him again - wanted to - but then he'd be on to me. He'd know I wanted more of his kisses.Was it so wrong to want a kiss from someone like him? A real kiss? Not one that was forced or acted

DaniHe'd finally left. Not that I wanted him gone, I just needed some time alone to process the fact that, in the last two hours, I'd said more sentences than I'd manage to accomplish in the past year.Deep breaths. That's what my therapist always said. "And when that fails, try counting to ten while envisioning yourself walking along the beach and watching the waves."Sometimes it felt like psychobabble crap.But right now? I needed something - anything - to center me. I quickly glanced out the window and started counting the waves as the tide rolled in, my hand clenching my cell phone.I felt guilty that the first time I'd talked was with a Hollywood actor who was basically paying me to get his coffee, while I couldn't say one thing around my sister or brother-in-law, or even my best friends.My brain hurt from trying to figure it out.Was this just a special one-time thing? Or was I suddenly going to be completely fine? Was it the whale? Lincoln? The kissing?Maybe that w

DaniHe was kissing me.And he wasn't acting.There were no whales.Just me and Lincoln and the buzzing sensation of his mouth as it explored mine. My response should have been different.Pulling away would have been wise.Laughing it off, probably wiser.But I kissed him back.Because Lincoln Greene didn't look at me like a puzzle that needed to be solved in order for us to be friends. He didn't try to fix the pieces. He simply accepted them for what they were. Screwed up.It was as if he saw the fear, hurt, anger - the ugly - and accepted me anyway.His kiss deepened as he reached around my body; his hands tugged the seal shirt off. Cold air bit my back as it made its way to the floor.Smooth lips slid past the corner of my mouth when his hands found my waist and lifted me. Our mouths broke contact, and I grasped his biceps with my hands, steadying myself as he lifted me into the air and carried me to the bed.The soft down comforter kissed my back as he lowered me onto