Juliet Immortal

the car, offering just enough resistance to slow our spin. We hit the guardrail and bounce back onto the road, the tail end of the car skidding across the center lane before coming to a stop on the deserted highway.
    For a moment, the silence is broken only by our swiftly drawn breath, the narrowness of our escape stealing all our words.
    Ariel is the first to recover. “I hate you. I will destroy you, Dylan Stroud. Just you wait and see!” And then she is out the door, running down the highway back toward Los Olivos, silver hair shimmering in the moonlight.
    I glance into the rearview mirror, watching her run, an unexpected smile on my face. She is glorious in her hate. The Mercenary I was can’t help but admire her. Too bad the Ambassador I’ve become has to put out that particular fire, smother it with the sweet press of true love’s kiss.
    “True love’s kiss. True. Love’s. Kiss!” I belt out the song and reach to turn on the radio as I spin the wheel, pulling around, heading after the girl who has no clue she’s going to love me.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    Many thanks to Michelle Poploff, Rebecca Short, and the entire production team at Delacorte Press for excellence and awesomeness. Thanks to the Ithaca College theater department for all the background on the Bard, and to the Bard himself, of course. Thanks also to my critique partners, Stacia Kane and Julie Linker; to the Debutantes of 2009; to Maria Montes, my Spanish expert; and to my amazing readers. Special thanks to Riley and Logan, for being the best boys a mom could hope for, and to my husband, Mike, my soul mate, my best friend, my love. Thanks for always knowing when to say “Everything will be okay,” and for making me believe it.