"Coraline," Aphrodite says, and she's still smiling, but her voice takes on a warning tone. "Modern has nothing to do with it. I'm the expert on love, and that's eternal. Luke hasn't lied to me about anything or convinced me of anything, okay? It's not possible to lie to me when it comes to this stuff."

Aphrodite takes a breath. She knows Coraline is a stubborn teenager, but good grief. "No, I don't want to go on a date with Luke, sweet pea. I know he's nice. I like him when he's nice and I even like him when he's...being Luke. But we just don't have that kind of relationship."