---
title: "38 Gaze Quotes By Jennifer Echols"
description: "38 Gaze quotes by Jennifer Echols. Plus more from Jennifer Echols and more Gaze sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e50/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_then-he-spooned-hot-against-me-draping-h_1633309.png"
---

> [“Then he spooned hot against me, draping his arm over my waist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/then-he-spooned-hot-against-me-draping-his-arm-over-my-waist/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e50/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_then-he-spooned-hot-against-me-draping-h_1633309.png)

> [“He grinned at me and whispered, “I’m going to kiss you now. It’ll be a big one, so don’t hit me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-grinned-at-me-and-whispered-i-m-going-to-kiss-you-now-it-ll-be-a/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a3/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_he-grinned-at-me-and-whispered-i-m-going_1203403.png)

> [“Oh, God," Lori said without looking at me, "what are they thinking, leaving the two of us alone out here on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/oh-god-lori-said-without-looking-at-me-what-are-they-thinking-leaving/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/jennifer-echols-943_adam_oh-god-lori-said-without-looking-at-me-w_2674656.png)

> [ “\[...\] he had his hand on your -" He put his hand at waist level behind me, without touching me. "He had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-had-his-hand-on-your-he-put-his-hand-at-waist-level-behind-me/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/jennifer-echols-943_boys_he-had-his-hand-on-your-he-put-his-hand_2561099.jpg)

> [“You know what I think?" Chloe asked. She was going to tell me whether I wanted to know or not. "I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/you-know-what-i-think-chloe-asked-she-was-going-to-tell-me-whether-i/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_you-know-what-i-think-chloe-asked-she-wa_1407167.jpg)

> [“Even though i'd admittedly accepted every advance he made on me, picking up my hand and putting it on his thigh seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/even-though-i-d-admittedly-accepted-every-advance-he-made-on-me/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9b/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_even-though-i-d-admittedly-accepted-ever_759240.jpg)

> [“I love you.” I stared stupidly at him. Was he joking again, reciting another line from my story? I didn’t remember writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-love-you-i-stared-stupidly-at-him-was-he-joking-again-reciting/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/jennifer-echols-943_confession_i-love-you-i-stared-stupidly-at-him-was_1709002.png)

> [“I continued to move my fingers across his skin exactly as I had before, but I needed to make a decision. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-continued-to-move-my-fingers-across-his-skin-exactly-as-i-had/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/jennifer-echols-943_bailey_i-continued-to-move-my-fingers-across-hi_205417.jpg)

> [“Your bet is only for Poser tickets, right?" he called. And for my self-esteem,but that was splitting hairs. "Yea,that's all." "Because if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/your-bet-is-only-for-poser-tickets-right-he-called-and-for-my-self/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7de/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_your-bet-is-only-for-poser-tickets-right_2011394.jpg)

> [“You have no intention ot majoring in business and running my grandmother’s farm after graduation.” “No.” Not without admiration I said, “You’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/you-have-no-intention-ot-majoring-in-business-and-running-my/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/jennifer-echols-943_business_you-have-no-intention-ot-majoring-in-bus_3152926.jpg)

> [“The instant I saw Lori’s dad and Frances across the hot asphalt road, I spun around, hoping Lori was still hidden by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/the-instant-i-saw-lori-s-dad-and-frances-across-the-hot-asphalt-road/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_the-instant-i-saw-lori-s-dad-and-frances_486001.png)

> [“Do you want me to kiss you for luck?" I asked. His eyes cut to me for a split second, then returned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/do-you-want-me-to-kiss-you-for-luck-i-asked-his-eyes-cut-to-me-for-a/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90d/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_do-you-want-me-to-kiss-you-for-luck-i-as_1411526.jpg)

> [“What I wanted to talk to you about was—” He kissed me. At first he gently touched his lips to mine. e…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/what-i-wanted-to-talk-to-you-about-was-he-kissed-me-at-first-he/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_what-i-wanted-to-talk-to-you-about-was-h_1964674.png)

> [“Nick ran smack into me. "Ooof!" he hollered, grabbing me around the waist to keep me from falling down the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/nick-ran-smack-into-me-ooof-he-hollered-grabbing-me-around-the-waist/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/645/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_nick-ran-smack-into-me-ooof-he-hollered_565547.png)

> [“I put both hands on his chest and backed him up a pace. The black sky behind him was filled with color.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-put-both-hands-on-his-chest-and-backed-him-up-a-pace-the-black-sky/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/628/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_i-put-both-hands-on-his-chest-and-backed_1757944.jpg)

> [“Everett Walsh!" Chloe exclaimed. I fell off the bed laughing. Liz folded her arms and tried to scowl at us, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/everett-walsh-chloe-exclaimed-i-fell-off-the-bed-laughing-liz-folded/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/jennifer-echols-943_arranged-marriage_everett-walsh-chloe-exclaimed-i-fell-off_710980.jpg)

> [“Sean started the engine and putted through the marina waters, and Adam had the nerve to plop onto the seat across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/sean-started-the-engine-and-putted-through-the-marina-waters-and-adam/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/961/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_sean-started-the-engine-and-putted-throu_1654951.jpg)

> [“He grabbed the back of my parka,but I got the distinct impression he was not trying to be a gentleman by helping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-grabbed-the-back-of-my-parka-but-i-got-the-distinct-impression-he/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_he-grabbed-the-back-of-my-parka-but-i-go_921914.jpg)

> [“I’m not spending the whole weekend with you two sniping at each other,” Tommy said. “Erin, we’re going to solve this the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-m-not-spending-the-whole-weekend-with-you-two-sniping-at-each-other/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/jennifer-echols-943_feeling-better_i-m-not-spending-the-whole-weekend-with_2624980.jpg)

> [“We were already in school by then. Your friends had made fun of me. I was twelve. My higher brain functions weren’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/we-were-already-in-school-by-then-your-friends-had-made-fun-of-me-i/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b9/jennifer-echols-943_every-day_we-were-already-in-school-by-then-your-f_2505307.jpg)

> [“He moved his lips to my cheek, to my ear, back to my mouth. I had never been kissed like this in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-moved-his-lips-to-my-cheek-to-my-ear-back-to-my-mouth-i-had-never/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/jennifer-echols-943_cell-phone_he-moved-his-lips-to-my-cheek-to-my-ear_1545585.png)

> [“Hunter filled the opening in the privacy curtains. He wore green scrubs like the doctors and nurses who had scraped me off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/hunter-filled-the-opening-in-the-privacy-curtains-he-wore-green/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/jennifer-echols-943_cybersecurity_hunter-filled-the-opening-in-the-privacy_530131.jpg)

> [“Instead of driving straight to the wharf where we usually parked the boat, Adam slowed at the marina dock so the boys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/instead-of-driving-straight-to-the-wharf-where-we-usually-parked-the/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd0/jennifer-echols-943_brother_instead-of-driving-straight-to-the-wharf_2986353.jpg)

> [“I didn’t want to go, but his arms were underneath me, easing me toward the edge of the gurney and a waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-didn-t-want-to-go-but-his-arms-were-underneath-me-easing-me-toward/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/jennifer-echols-943_another-man_i-didn-t-want-to-go-but-his-arms-were-un_2909169.jpg)

> [“Laughing,I poked him for his embarrassingly accurate imitation of my southern accent. He continued in my voice, "Then one day my boyfriend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/laughing-i-poked-him-for-his-embarrassingly-accurate-imitation-of-my/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b4/jennifer-echols-943_boyfriend_laughing-i-poked-him-for-his-embarrassin_261590.png)

> [“Her dad brought his hands together and popped a knuckle. “Trevor,” Frances said soothingly, rubbing her hand on his back. But she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/her-dad-brought-his-hands-together-and-popped-a-knuckle-trevor/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_her-dad-brought-his-hands-together-and-p_1873670.png)

> [“Look at me." I stood in front of both of them. To Liz I said, “You and Davis are adorable together.” I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/look-at-me-i-stood-in-front-of-both-of-them-to-liz-i-said-you-and/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/jennifer-echols-943_black-hole_look-at-me-i-stood-in-front-of-both-of-t_1361084.jpg)

> [“Yes,but only if we employ careful strategy,as in rock-paper-scissors," I said. "My 720 totally beats Nick falling down, like paper covers rock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/yes-but-only-if-we-employ-careful-strategy-as-in-rock-paper-scissors/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_yes-but-only-if-we-employ-careful-strate_2238064.png)

> [“I knew I was only getting myself in more trouble. Lori’s dad unballed and balled his fists, daring me to talk back.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-knew-i-was-only-getting-myself-in-more-trouble-lori-s-dad-unballed/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_i-knew-i-was-only-getting-myself-in-more_2846340.jpg)

> [“Here was Nick Krieger tenderly touching my face with the sun setting behind him and snowflakes sliding off his bare shoulders. "Hayden,"he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/here-was-nick-krieger-tenderly-touching-my-face-with-the-sun-setting/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/jennifer-echols-943_dance-floor_here-was-nick-krieger-tenderly-touching_677410.png)

> [“He cupped my chin with his big hand and watched me. He breathed hard through his nose. His shoulders heaved way harder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-cupped-my-chin-with-his-big-hand-and-watched-me-he-breathed-hard/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a55/jennifer-echols-943_dear-life_he-cupped-my-chin-with-his-big-hand-and_2037863.png)

> [“Everett and his mom broke up with me ,thank you very much." "You shouldn't have made out with him in his mother's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/everett-and-his-mom-broke-up-with-me-thank-you-very-much-you-shouldn/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_everett-and-his-mom-broke-up-with-me-tha_1113298.jpg)

> [“I didn’t think we were being quiet, particularly. High heels may have looked dainty, but they didn’t sound that way on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-didn-t-think-we-were-being-quiet-particularly-high-heels-may-have/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/202/jennifer-echols-943_cell-phone_i-didn-t-think-we-were-being-quiet-parti_2535408.jpg)

> [“Hey, Buddy,” he said to me. I got a close-up view of his strange, light blue eyes and golden skin as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/hey-buddy-he-said-to-me-i-got-a-close-up-view-of-his-strange-light/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/jennifer-echols-943_first-time_hey-buddy-he-said-to-me-i-got-a-close-up_1719651.png)

> [“While walking toward them, I dropped my backpack, then pulled my tank top off over my head to reveal my bikini. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/while-walking-toward-them-i-dropped-my-backpack-then-pulled-my-tank/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/jennifer-echols-943_brotherhood_while-walking-toward-them-i-dropped-my-b_2821594.jpg)

> [“Suddenly I realized I was standing on the hot wood of the dock, still touching elbows with Adam, staring at the skull-and-crossbones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/suddenly-i-realized-i-was-standing-on-the-hot-wood-of-the-dock-still/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/jennifer-echols-943_big-head_suddenly-i-realized-i-was-standing-on-th_271174.jpg)

> [“Everything okay?” Hunter called to me. He sounded like a noncommittal friend asking after my health. I looked like a crazy person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/everything-okay-hunter-called-to-me-he-sounded-like-a-noncommittal/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/jennifer-echols-943_crazy-person_everything-okay-hunter-called-to-me-he-s_1124884.jpg)

> [“I'm glad this happened," he said softly. I hoped it was for real,and I didn't want to talk about it too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-m-glad-this-happened-he-said-softly-i-hoped-it-was-for-real-and-i/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78f/jennifer-echols-943_gaze_i-m-glad-this-happened-he-said-softly-i_241983.jpg)

## Other authors on Gaze

## More by Jennifer Echols

> [“Well, let's say you heard a fight in the boys' bathroom, and you broke it up. What would you do naturally if you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/well-let-s-say-you-heard-a-fight-in-the-boys-bathroom-and-you-broke/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“But, Erin. If you are trying to make a writing career for yourself, you will get rejected again and again and again. You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/but-erin-if-you-are-trying-to-make-a-writing-career-for-yourself-you/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“Friends my ass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/friends-my-ass/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“Mr. Rush slapped Drew on the back of the head. "You pay attention, Morrow. There'll be hell to pay if you hurt my drum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/mr-rush-slapped-drew-on-the-back-of-the-head-you-pay-attention-morrow/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“He ran his hands through his hair and held on to the back of his neck both biceps bulging. Dang him for looking so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-ran-his-hands-through-his-hair-and-held-on-to-the-back-of-his-neck/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“Did you alltake your pants off? The swim team really knows how to throw a party.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/did-you-alltake-your-pants-off-the-swim-team-really-knows-how-to/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“I know what you're thinking.Girlfriend has fallen out of the stoopid tree and bonked her head against every branch on the way down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-girlfriend-has-fallen-out-of-the-stoopid/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“My intention all along had been to get my wakeboarding legs back this first day. Maybe I'd do tricks when we went out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/my-intention-all-along-had-been-to-get-my-wakeboarding-legs-back-this/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“He fumbled with something in his breeches. She had thought the past few minutes the most intense of her life, but they were nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-fumbled-with-something-in-his-breeches-she-had-thought-the-past/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [But you can’t live your life worried about dying all the time. If you do, you’re dead already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/but-you-can-t-live-your-life-worried-about-dying-all-the-time-if-you/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“I could have explained that I wanted to walk without Doofus to get some air. But it would be pretty unusual-one might even go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-could-have-explained-that-i-wanted-to-walk-without-doofus-to-get/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“Nick's number waited impatiently on the screen, tapping its foot. I could press the red button to cancel the call. Without pressing anything, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the-screen-tapping-its-foot-i/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“There was a reason I was so into yoga. I was high-strung(news flash!).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/there-was-a-reason-i-was-so-into-yoga-i-was-high-strung-news-flash/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“It wasn't a pretty sunset. The colors were as expected: violet clouds, bright orange and pink underneath, against the pale blue sky. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/it-wasn-t-a-pretty-sunset-the-colors-were-as-expected-violet-clouds/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“Adam found a break through the thicket and up the hill. He turned around and extended his hand to help me up. I froze,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/adam-found-a-break-through-the-thicket-and-up-the-hill-he-turned/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

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                        "text": "“Oh, God,\" Lori said without looking at me, \"what are they thinking, leaving the two of us alone out here on the dock together? We might TALK or something.\" \"That would be awful,\" I said. \"I might give you a hickey.\" She laughed, still watching for Cameron's start instead of looking at me. \"Just by talking to me?\" \"I can talk really dirty. You'd be surprised.”",
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                        "text": "“[...] he had his hand on your -\" He put his hand at waist level behind me, without touching me. \"He had his hand on my ass?\" \"No,\" they said. \"Behind your back,\" Rashad said. \"Like you're dating or something.\" He put his hand behind Skip's back. Skip hit him.”",
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                        "text": "“You know what I think?\" Chloe asked. She was going to tell me whether I wanted to know or not. \"I think you've both built up enormous amounts of sexual tension since your session in the sauna was cut short last night,and you won't get along until you let it out. You need to make out with him. Take control.”",
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                        "text": "“Even though i'd admittedly accepted every advance he made on me, picking up my hand and putting it on his thigh seemed mighty forward of him. I didn't take the radical step of removing my hand,but I did open my mouth to act all indignant. He put two fingers to my lips to stop me from talking.He knew me pretty well. His mouth close to my ear,he growled, \"You know,you and I are exes.\" \"So?\" I asked around his fingers.My skin tingled with excitement,or possibly eucalyptus poisoning.”",
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                        "text": "“I love you.” I stared stupidly at him. Was he joking again, reciting another line from my story? I didn’t remember writing this. He leaned in and kissed me. I didn’t respond for a few seconds. My mind lagged behind what my body was feeling. “Say it,” he whispered against my lips. “I know this is hard for you. Tell me.” “I love you.” Hearing my own words, I gasped at the rush of emotion. He put his hands on either side of my jaw and took my mouth with his.”",
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                        "text": "“I continued to move my fingers across his skin exactly as I had before, but I needed to make a decision. I had reached for him, but I could back out of it by trailing my fingers down his arm and settling my hand in his, like I wanted us to be friends. I didn't want us to be friends. Ever so slowly, I slid my hand up his sleeve, across his shoulder, and up his neck to cradle his jaw, prickly with stubble.”",
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                        "text": "“Your bet is only for Poser tickets, right?\" he called. And for my self-esteem,but that was splitting hairs. \"Yea,that's all.\" \"Because if it was for more than that,I'd be sweet-talking nick right now and doing everything i could to pull out.\" \"Oh,no you don't!\" Chloe squealed. I think she meant to board between us and shove Josh away for affect. however, she didn't have enough control to do this,so she just crossed in front of him and fell in his path, which was somewhat anticlimatic.She shouted up at him, \" You need to decide whether you stand with your sister or with the sexist pigs!\" Even on her butt in the snow, Chloe was a formidable force. \"yes,ma'am.\" Josh saluted with his mitten to his goggles.”",
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                        "text": "“You have no intention ot majoring in business and running my grandmother’s farm after graduation.” “No.” Not without admiration I said, “You’re just milking her for everything she’s worth.” Now that he knew he was caught, he charmed me with a big grin. “Basically.” I was glad we’d faced off and I’d finally pried the truth out of him while I was propped up. But my hip ached like nothing I’d ever experienced, and I simply couldn’t balance on my tender bones any linger. “Any swindler of my grandmother is a friend of mine” came out a groan as I eased forward to lie down on my stomach on the table, one hand on my ass to make sure the paper gown didn’t ride up to reveal even more of my broken body to Hunter. His arm shot across my chest to support me as I lay down. I wondered whether he knew exactly what he was touching underneath my paper gown-but surely that was the farthest thing from his mind. Most people did not think dirty thoughts at a time like this. Only me.”",
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                        "text": "“The instant I saw Lori’s dad and Frances across the hot asphalt road, I spun around, hoping Lori was still hidden by the trees. She stood right behind me, in full view. And if my expression matched hers, we couldn’t have looked more guilty. I turned back around. Her dad’s face was even worse. Glaring at me, he worked his jaw like he was going to say something, but he wanted to make sure he’d thought of the worst possible insult first. He turned redder and seemed to swell, like all his holes were plugged up and the pressure had nowhere to escape. He opened his mouth. “It was my fault,” I said quickly. “I know!” he roared. At the same time, Lori stepped in front of me and muttered, “Wrong thing to say, Adam.” “Right.” I put my hand on Lori’s shoulder and pushed her an arm’s length away so it wouldn’t look like I was hiding behind her. “It’s nobody’s fault, because we didn’t do anything wrong.”",
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                        "text": "“Do you want me to kiss you for luck?\" I asked. His eyes cut to me for a split second, then returned to the store. He waited so long that I thought he wasn't going to answer. He would ignore my inappropriate question. The he said, \"Yes.\" I scooted next to him on the seat. The heat of his leg soaked through my jeans. Inhaling his cologne, I leaned my head toward his. He didn't turn to me or take his eyes off the store - and of course I didn't want him to, because that would not be safe. I closed my eyes and softly, slowly kissed his jaw. His big hand closed over my knee, then slid up my leg. His fingers massaged as they went. I opened my eyes again to make sure I wasn't runing his offical police work. He stil watched the store. But when I ended the kiss, he sighed. I kissed him again, farther back toward his ear. He took a sharp breath. His hand clamped my thigh.”",
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                        "text": "“What I wanted to talk to you about was—” He kissed me. At first he gently touched his lips to mine. e more exciting development was that in order to do this, he’d stepped very close. His chest was an inch from mine. I could feel his heat. He tasted of blackberries. He leaned even closer and braced his muscular arms on the tree on either side of me. When he broke the kiss to take a breath, I whispered, “Tree hugger.” He opened his eyes, blue as the afternoon sky, and gave me this look. A combination of amusement and exasperation and hunger. He looked like a teenager making out in the woods. Puzzling through this, I realized that I was gazing at him from the perspective of a six-year-old girl playing army and dodging rubber snakes. But he was this teenager, and so was I. I felt the same need for him that he felt for me, like a force was drawing me forward into his heat. I just didn’t know how to say it.”",
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                        "text": "“Nick ran smack into me. \"Ooof!\" he hollered, grabbing me around the waist to keep me from falling down the rest of the staircase. That's when I realized Mom thought Nick and I were going on a date together. Quickly Nick let me go.He looked huge, frowning down at me from the step above. \"Why are you stopping in the middle of the stairs?\" \"Why are you tailgating me?\" He put his hand behind me, at butt level, without touching me. \" What is that ?\" he demanded. I bent a little and slapped my butt, \"Something the heir to a meat fortune should know all about. USDA grade-A prime,baby.\" I straightened. \"Just kidding. Really, it's my butt.\" He put his hands on his hips, and from below I noticed his strong superhero chin again.He grumbled, \"Why do you have 'boy toy' written across your butt?\" \"Oh!\" I put my hand over the words, realizing that I probably should have been embarrassed about this sooner. \"These are my brother's jeans. He wrote it to annoy me. Or to get me a date.”",
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                        "text": "“I put both hands on his chest and backed him up a pace. The black sky behind him was filled with color. I said, “Go. Hurry. You can still help. You’re missing it.” He pulled me close again and gazed down at me, tracing one finger so tenderly along my cheekbone. His finger was black, and he might be leaving an attractive black streak across my skin. I didn’t mind. The way he was looking at me with those light blue eyes, I had never felt more beautiful. He bent his head close to my ear again so I could hear him whisper, “I’m not missing anything”",
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                        "text": "“Everett Walsh!\" Chloe exclaimed. I fell off the bed laughing. Liz folded her arms and tried to scowl at us, but I could tell she was having a hard time keeping a straight face. \"What's wrong with Everett Walsh?\" she sputtered.\"I didn't know when she wrote this in seventh grade that Hayden would hook up with him later.I saw him first.\" \"He's so straitlaced,\" Chloe said. \"Not exactly the ideal hero of a romance.\" \"Watch out for his mama,\" I advised Liz. \"I was answering the question you asked,\" Liz told Chloe self-righteously. \"If your family threatened you with an arranged marriage in the 1800s,you'd want someone on your side who was very mature and organized,who could approach the situation logically and help you out of it.In the 1800s, Everett Walsh would have been a barrister.He'd be perfect for the job.\" \"I'd rather have the evil viscount,\" I said.”",
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                        "text": "“Sean started the engine and putted through the marina waters, and Adam had the nerve to plop onto the seat across the aisle from me. Sean reached the edge of the idle zone and cranked the boat into top speed. Adam called to me so softly I could barely catch his words over the motor, “Close your legs.” “What for? I waxed!” I looked down to make sure. This was okay now, because Sean was facing the other way and couldn’t hear me in the din. Indeed, I was clean. I spread my legs even wider, put my arms on the back of the seat, and generally took up as much room as possible, like a boy. I glanced back over at Adam. “Does it make you uncomfortable for me to sit this way?” He watched me warily. “Yes.” “May I suggest that this is your problem and not mine?” He licked his lips and bent toward me. “If it keeps Sean from asking you out, it’s going to be your problem, and you’re going to make it my problem.” “Speaking of which,” I said, crossing my legs like a girl. “Thanks for staying out of my way. How the hell am I supposed to get Sean to ask me out when he’s all pissy?” “You wanted me to lose to him at team calisthenics? That was too sweet to miss.” “You didn’t have to win by quite so much, Adam. You knew I needed him in a good mood. You didn’t have to rub it in.” Adam grinned. “And you wanted me to stop growing?” “Do not make a joke about your size. If you can’t think of anything to talk about except your large size, please say nothing at all.”",
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                        "text": "“He grabbed the back of my parka,but I got the distinct impression he was not trying to be a gentleman by helping me out of it.He just wanted his parka back. \"When you feel cornered,you'll just fling whatever you've got at people, and you don't care who gets hurt with what.\" \"I am not scared.\" I slid down from the truck seat into Liz's stepdad's galoshes, then turned to face Nick one last time. \"I am not scared of boarding or you,and I will prove it to you tomorrow.If you think I'm going easy on you in the comp just because you have a debilitating injury from yesterday-\" \"That's what you think,\" he snarked. \"I've been going yoga.\" \"-you have another think coming.You will buy me those Poser tickets. And I'm not even taking you.You will hand the tickets over to me,and I'll take someone else.\" \"Who? Your little brother's friends?\" \"No,Everett Walsh.\" I closed the door softly behind me so as not to alarm sleeping adults,because I was that mature. Even through the door and the rolled up window,I could clearly hear every filthy work Nick uttered, ending with, \"Everett [cuss word] Walsh.\" I opened the passenger door. \"Ask not for whom the fire-crotch burns;it burns for thee!\" I'd meant this to be an insult.Then I realized it sounded like I wanted Nick.Or like I had a feminine problem.”",
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                        "text": "“I’m not spending the whole weekend with you two sniping at each other,” Tommy said. “Erin, we’re going to solve this the way we settle things at the stable when your grandmother isn’t looking.” He nodded at Hunter. “Hit him.” “Don’t make her do that,” Hunter told Tommy. “She’ll break her hand.” “Ha! You think awfully well of your chiseled chin,” I said, but Tommy drowned me out, yelling, “Let her hit you or I will hit you myself.” “This is excellent parenting.” Hunter emphasized his words with an okay sign of his thick fingers. His Rolex flashed in the sunlight before he put his hand down. “Here, Erin.” He closed his eyes and lifted his chin. I edged toward him, balling my fist, feeling better already. “Open your eyes,” I said. “I want you to see it coming.” “If I open my eyes, I’ll dodge you,” he said matter-of-factly, as if he was used to settling his differences this way with the other stable hands. He closed his eyes again. I struck while I had the opportunity. Didn’t pause to think about technique or the proper position for my fist, thumb in or thumb out, just hauled back and hit him. But in the split second before my hand connected with his face, I saw a flash of one of my family’s apartments in Los Angeles, an early one, because I glimpsed the ocean through the window across the room, and as the years went on we’d had less and less money and we’d move farther and farther from the sea. I saw my dad hitting my mom. I redirected my fist, only grazing Hunter’s chin, and stumbled into the side of the truck. A strong arm hooked in mine and kept me from falling. Hunter drew me to him, chuckling. “Are you okay?” I shoved him away from me, slid back into the truck, and slammed the door. He wasn’t even sorry and I couldn’t even get revenge. There was no good in this. With a final sniffle I opened my history book, wishing I hadn’t come.”",
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                        "text": "“We were already in school by then. Your friends had made fun of me. I was twelve. My higher brain functions weren’t fully developed. I was so in love with you.” The cold had woven its way into the fabric of my jeans and settled like a coating of ice in the folds of my jacket. Now I warmed again, puzzling through Hunter’s words. I didn’t know whether to take him seriously. “Your love for me was a symptom that your brain hadn’t developed, or-“ “Shut up.” He turned to face me. “I am drunk and I am trying to confess, so just let me do it, okay? I had fallen in love with you over the summer. Then this horrible thing happened to you and you stopped talking t me. I thought you blamed me, or my dad. Which he deserved.” “No,” I protested. “It was an acc-“ “I took it as a rejection.” He put his hand on my knee and looked me straight in the eyes. “It’s taken me all this time to figure that out. But I regretted it every day. And I’m truly sorry.” He sat back against the bench and faced the stars. The place where his hand had rested on my knee felt colder than ever. “I’m sorry, too,” I said, “so we’re even. I didn’t visit you in the hospital when you got crushed by a horse. For much the same reasons regarding love and rejection and being young.”",
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                        "text": "“He moved his lips to my cheek, to my ear, back to my mouth. I had never been kissed like this in my life. Each time I thought I should protest because there were so many unsettled matters between us, Hunter kissed me harder, forcing those concerns out of my mind. The cold air heated up around us. He unsnapped the top of my jacket and slipped his hand inside. His warm palm cupped my breast beneath my shirt. Then he straightened, blinking at me, and pulled his hand away. “What is it?” I asked. “Okay,” he panted. “I’m going to kick myself for this in the morning, but I don’t want to do this while I’m drunk. And I don’t want to do it behind the stable. I want everything to be perfect between you and me.” He stroked my hair away from my face. “Are you mad?” “Mad?” I squeaked. “No. Horny? Yes. Frustrated?” “Yes.” He set his forehead against mine. “Yes,” I agreed. “Mad? No.” He watched me with serious eyes. His gaze fell to my chest. He fastened the snaps he’d unfastened a few moments before, then put his hands on my shoulders. “I’m just so thankful we’re finally together.” “Me, too,” I whispered. I felt uncomfortable saying this. I wished I had a cell phone so I could call Summer for verification that I was not making a terrible mistake. But she would yell at me and tell me to stop being stupid. I did not need her permission to fall in love. He kissed me on the forehead, then stood, holding out his hand to me. “I’ll walk you home.” I took his hand and swung it as we rounded the stable again, back the way we’d come. “ I’ll walk you home,” I said. With his other hand he gestured toward the top of my grandmother’s mansion, just visible over the rise. “I’m not leaving you wandering around in the night with all these drunk people and, my God, Whitfield Farrell and his fucking bowl.” I giggled. It made me insanely happy that he was jealous of Whitfield Farrell. “You’re drunk, though. You might stumble into the road and get hit by a car.” “They will be sorry,” he said. “I will dent their car. I am strong like an ox.” I burst into laughter, and he laughed with me. He was so handsome in the gentle starlight, and he looked so happy. I couldn’t remember ever being this happy myself. I was still nearly broke and my grandmother hated me and I had a history paper due Monday that I hadn’t started writing, but I could handle all of this with Hunter laughing beside me. I squeezed his warm hand. “I’ll cross back through the pasture if it makes you feel better.” Dropping my hand, he draped his arm around me and pulled me close for another kiss on the forehead. He walked me all the way down to his house, backed me against the front door, and thoroughly kissed me good night.”",
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                        "text": "“Hunter filled the opening in the privacy curtains. He wore green scrubs like the doctors and nurses who had scraped me off the pavement. For a split second I mistook him for an adorable doctor who looked a lot like Hunter. I knew it was Hunter when he gaped at me with a mixture of outrage and horror, his face pale, and demanded, “What did you do?” “Crossed the street,” I said. “Badly.” Wincing, I eased up from the gurney, putting my weight on my hand and my good hip. Only a few minutes had passed since they had brought me in, ascertained I wasn’t dying, and dumped me here. I still felt very shaky from the shock of being hit. But I didn’t want to face Hunter lying down. In two steps he bent over me and wrapped his arms around me. He was careful not to press on my hospital gown low against my back where the road rash was, but his touch on my shoulders radiated pain to the raw parts. I winced again. “Oh, God. I’m sorry.” He let me go but hovered over me, placing his big hands on my shoulder blades. He was so close that the air felt hot between us. “What did you hurt?” “This is just where I skidded across the road.” I gestured behind my back and then flinched at the sting in my skin as I moved my arm. “How far down does it go?” My back felt cold as he lifted on flap of my paper gown and looked. I kept my head down, my red cheeks hidden. He was peering at my back where my skin was missing. What could be sexier? Even if the circumstances had been happier, I was wearing no makeup and I was sure my hair was matted from my scarf. There was no reason for my blood to heat as if we were on a date instead of a gurney. But my body did not listen to logic when it came to Hunter. He was no examining my wound. He was captivated by the sight of my lovely and unblemished bottom. I was a novelist. I could dream, couldn’t I? Lightly I asked, “Are you asking whether I have gravel embedded in my ass? By the grace of God, no.” Hunter let my gown go and stood up “The doc said the car hit your hip,” he insisted. “Is it broken?” I rolled on my side to face him. “It really hurts,” I said. “If it were broken, I think it would hurt worse.” He nodded. “When I broke my ribs, I couldn’t breathe.” “That’s because your ribs punctured your lung.” He pointed at me. “True.” Then he cocked his head to one side, blond hair falling into his eyes. “I’m surprised you remember that.”",
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                        "text": "“Instead of driving straight to the wharf where we usually parked the boat, Adam slowed at the marina dock so the boys could mock Mr. Vader, who hadn’t moved from the position he’d been in when I splashed him, except he’d started on another beer. The boys told him he was all washed up and he should enter a wet T-shirt contest with that figure, and so forth. My brother called to Dad, “Nice save, Pops.” “Hey.” Dad tipped his beer to us. “You’ve got to be fast with Lori around.” “I have to say, young lady,” grumbled Mr. Vader. “I was very impressed with all your shenanigans. Right up to the point I got doused. I want you to plan to close the Crappie Festival show until further notice.” Which meant, Until you screw up. That was okay. He’d told me I was better than the boys at something for once in my life! I turned to Sean and beamed so big that my cheeks hurt. Sean squinted into the sun, wearing that strange, fixed smile. Even my brother and Cameron gave each other puzzled looks rather than congratulating me again. Only Adam met my eyes. He shook his head at me. Oh, crap. Crappy. Holy Crappie Festival! I had upset the natural order. After Adam had already upset the natural order in team calisthenics. I should have thought all of this through better. Sean began, “But I didn’t even get a chance to-“ “I saw what happened,” Mr. Vader told him. “You had your chance. The Big Kahuna has spoken.”",
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                        "text": "“I didn’t want to go, but his arms were underneath me, easing me toward the edge of the gurney and a waiting wheelchair padded with pillows. I was afraid any resistance would result in another game of hospital gown peekaboo. He settled me so gently in the soft wheelchair that my hip and my back hardly hurt. Pushing me past the curtain and into the bustling emergency room, he leaned close, over me, to say, “I fixed it. They’re going to lose the records of your visit, so you’ll never get billed. But you’re my girlfriend.” “What do you mean, I’m your girlfriend?” What delicious blackmail was this? And was it worth the price? Perhaps I could stand it. ‘I had to make them think I have a vested interest in you,” he whispered. “They never would have agreed to lose your records if I told them you were my friend at twelve years old but not so much at eighteen and I had pretty much walked in and stolen the birthright to your family farm. See? Shhh. Hey, Brody.” He slapped hands with another man in scrubs wheeling an empty gurney in the opposite direction. The man eyed me, waggled his eyebrows at Hunter, and kept going. “Couldn’t you have said we’re friends and left it at that?” I needed to keep up the façade that I did not like the idea at all. At the same time, I was a little afraid Hunter would call the charade off. “I have a lot of friends,” he explained, wheeling me into a waiting room marked X-RAY. he rounded the wheelchair and knelt in front of me. Behind him, a door stood ajar. A contraption I assumed to be an X-ray machine was visible through the crack. He glanced over his shoulder at the door, then turned back to me. “Sorry about this,” he murmured as he slid both hands into my hair and kissed me. All I could do at first was feel. His lips were on mine. His hands held me steady, so I couldn’t have shrugged away if I’d tried, but I would not try. Bright tingles spread from my lips across my face and down my neck to my chest. I longed to pull him closer for more. I reminded myself that we were faking this for a reason. I didn’t want to make the kiss deeper than necessary in case it turned him off. Hunter deepened it. His tongue pressed past my teeth and swept inside my mouth. One of his hands released my hair and caressed my shoulder, traveling down. The farther his hand went, the higher I felt. My hip hardly hurt and my back pain was gone. I wondered how low his hand would go. I never found out. A shadow stood in the doorway and cleared its throat. I stopped kissing Hunter back and braced for him to jump away. He did back off, but very slowly. He sat back on his haunches and glared at the X-ray tech as if she had a lot of nerve. His cheeks were bright red. “So, Hunter,” she said mischievously. “This is your girlfriend.” “Hullo.” I gave her a small wave. “And you got hit by a taxi while you were crossing the street to visit Hunter? That is so romantic! Have you seen Sleepless in Seattle?” “Not romantic,” I said flatly. “I hate that movie. They don’t meet until the last scene. They don’t kiss at all.” Too late I realized I sounded like I was begging Hunter for more. “But in that movie,” the tech said, “they talk about An Affair to Remember. Have you seen that? Deborah Kerr is crossing the street to meet Cary Grant and gets hit by a car. Years later he comes back to her and she’s paralyzed from the waist down.” “You call that romantic?” I heard myself yelling. “That is repulsive!” Hunter stood and put a heavy hand on my shoulder as he pushed my wheelchair past the tech and through the doorway to the X-ray machine. “Erin is in a lot of pain,” he murmured to the tech, “and she doesn’t want to think about being paralyzed from the waist down.” After that the tech was a lot nicer, because Hunter had a way with people. Hunter lifted me onto the table and left the room so he wouldn’t be irradiated or see my bony ass.”",
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                        "text": "“Laughing,I poked him for his embarrassingly accurate imitation of my southern accent. He continued in my voice, \"Then one day my boyfriend was being an ass and I challenged him to a comp.I had to do a front 1080 off a jump just to show him up,and the rest is history.\" \"I hope so.\" \"I know so.\" He kissed my cheek. I reached back to run my fingers through his long hair. \"Right now I want to lie low,have a normal life,and hang out with my boyfriend. I'll meet you in People in a few years.\" He chuckled, making my insides sparkle with anticipation. \"It's a date.”",
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                        "text": "“Her dad brought his hands together and popped a knuckle. “Trevor,” Frances said soothingly, rubbing her hand on his back. But she was looking hard at me over her glasses, telling me upstanding citizens did not act this way. When we were kids, that look from Frances could make Lori and her brother behave, and sometimes even my brothers, but I never seemed to get the message. “I saw you coming out of the woods,” Lori’s dad shouted at me. “Together!” “We weren’t rolling in the leaves or anything. Look, no evidence.” I put my other hand on Lori’s other shoulder and turned her around backward, hoping against hope she didn’t have scratches from the tree on her bare back, or bark on her butt. “Get your hands off my daughter.”",
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                        "text": "“Look at me.\" I stood in front of both of them. To Liz I said, “You and Davis are adorable together.” I moved to Chloe. “And you and Gavin are—” She raised her eyebrows at me. “— interesting together. You can’t let my fight with Nick ruin your relationships with your hot boyfriends. Come on, now. My fight with Nick has been going on for years. It’s like this black hole, with gravity so strong that not even light can escape, sucking in winter breaks and dates and whole relationships, until the world—are you listening to me?” When I’d started waxing poetic, Chloe’s attention had wandered around the room. I grabbed her chin and turned her face to me again. “Until the very world is devoid of love!” “It’s not that bad,” Nick’s voice came faintly through the locker room wall. We all looked at one another.”",
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                        "text": "“Yes,but only if we employ careful strategy,as in rock-paper-scissors,\" I said. \"My 720 totally beats Nick falling down, like paper covers rock. Unless the rock is a boy,in which case the boy always wins.\" \"Hayden-\"Liz began. \"I am getting sick of your attitude, Hayden,\" Chloe talked over Liz. \"We've been up here all day with you.All we have left is to get you off this jump. Every time you try, you have some excuse: wind in your face, bug in your ear, panties up your butt-\" \"I was not making that up,\" I broke in. \"Imagine trying a trick with umcomfortable underwear.\" I squirmed, rocking back and forth on my board to make a point. \"Or you make some stupid joke!\" Chloe hollered at me.Her voice echoed against the rocky slope of the mountain overhead.i stealthily looked around in my goggles to see if any boarders I knew had heard,but it was getting late,and the slopes were empty except for us.”",
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                        "text": "“I knew I was only getting myself in more trouble. Lori’s dad unballed and balled his fists, daring me to talk back. I was beyond caring. I was right and he was wrong. I said, “Of course I’m going to see her. I live next door.” “Not for long,” he shouted. “Lori, go with Frances. Go home.” I balled my own fists then. Now it sounded like Lori was a dog. Lori gave me a wide-eyed warning look, then obediently jogged a few steps forward and walked with Frances toward her house. Her dad turned to me. “You. Follow me.” “Woof,” I said.”",
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                        "text": "“Here was Nick Krieger tenderly touching my face with the sun setting behind him and snowflakes sliding off his bare shoulders. \"Hayden,\"he said again,gently. \"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?\" \"I don't think so.\" He moved the t-shirt aside and leaned closer,examining my ear. Oooh,it would be so much more romantic if he looked into my eyes rather than fixating on my ear.Shouldn't I be able to make this happen? What was the world comng to,that I couldn't even control what Nick did in my own wet dream? He poked my ear. \"Ow,ow,ow!\" I squealed, and then felt faint again,out of breath.This was no wet dream.It was reality after all. He let out a disgusted sigh. \"Hayden, Josh is right.The doctor might not even put a stitch in that.What's the matter with you? Do you faint at the sight of blood?\" Oh,no.There was no way I would let him get the upper hand,even if I was lying on my back in the snow and he was kneeling over me. I laughed. \"Of course I don't faint at the sight of blood.I jump onto the dance floor and do the Soulja Boy.Get the hell off me,Dr. McDreamy.”",
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                        "text": "“He cupped my chin with his big hand and watched me. He breathed hard through his nose. His shoulders heaved way harder than they should have after a few minutes of kissing. I was about to suggest some additional conditioning exercises before football season started. I opened my mouth to tell him. He kissed me again. His tongue passed my lips and played across my teeth. We’d only been kissing like this for a week, but it seemed very natural when I kissed him back the same way. My body was on autopilot as I reached blindly for his waist and dragged him even closer, his torso skin-to-skin with mine against the tree. Who were we? I was turning into any of the assorted older girls who’d been seen leaving the cab of Sean’s truck at night. I’d always viewed those girls with a mixture of awe and derision. Sexual attraction was funny. Lust was hilarious. Now, not so much. Those girls had my sympathy, because I totally got it. I ran my fingers lightly up Adam’s bare back. He gasped. I opened my eyes to see if I’d done something wrong. He still touched the tree, but his muscles were taut, holding on to it for dear life. His eyes were closed. He rubbed his rough cheek slowly against mine. I had done nothing wrong. He was savoring. I knew how he felt. Tracing my fingernails down his back again, I whispered, “Stubble or what?” Eyes still closed, he chuckled. “I’m not shaving until our parents let us date again.” He kissed my cheek. “What if it takes… a… while?” I asked, struggling to talk.”",
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                        "text": "“Everett and his mom broke up with me ,thank you very much.\" \"You shouldn't have made out with him in his mother's scrapbooking room,\" Liz said sagely. \"We're seventeen,\"I snapped, \"and Everett and I had been dating for two months when that happened.What were we supposed to do,eat dinner with his family and keep our hands on the table where everyone could see them?I mean, you and Davis are Mr. and Mrs. Polite Reserve, and even you were macking in the hot tub an hour ago.\" I picked up a pink fuzzy pillow that had fallen from he bed and threw it at Liz. \"You were ?\" Chloe gushed. \"You what ? Hello,I need the details of Liz and Davis.\" \"Hayden!\" Liz squealed, ducking behind Chloe. \"I'm not saying you shouldn't have made out with Everett.I'm saying you shouldn't have done it in his mother's scrapbooking room.Location, location,location.You might have disorganized her supplies.Some people are very particular about their chipboard getting mixed up with their cardstock.\" I closed my eyes,inhaled through my nose,and felt my lungs fill with air. My blood spread the life-giving oxygen throughout my body. \"Watch out,\"Chloe whispered to Liz. \"She's doing yoga.\" My eyes snapped open.So much for controlling my temper. \"Why the hell didn't you tell me Nick's mother left before I went into the sauna with him?\" I hollered at Chloe. \"We didn't know he was here!\" Liz came to Chloe's defense. \"And if we'd warned you about him before he got here,\" Chloe explained, \"You would have known he was coming.We didn't want you to leave.The two of you are surprisingly hard to throw together,let me tell you.\" \"I'm not buying it,\" I informed Chloe. \"You were distracted.You had your mind on taking inventory.\" Liz giggled,turned red, and fell back to the pillows. \"Taking inventory requires enormous concentration!\" Chloe said with a straight face,but she was blushing,too.”",
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                        "text": "“I didn’t think we were being quiet, particularly. High heels may have looked dainty, but they didn’t sound that way on a tile floor. Maybe it was just that my dad was so absorbed in the convo on his cell phone. For whatever reason, when we emerged from the kitchen into the den, he started, and he stuffed the phone down by his side in the cushions. I was sorry I’d startled him, but it really was comical to see this big blond manly man jump three feet off the sofa when he saw two teenage girls. I mean, it would have been funny if it weren’t so sad. Dad was a ferocious lawyer in court. Out of court, he was one of those Big Man on Campus types who shook hands with everybody from the mayor to the alleged ax murderer. A lot like Sean, actually. There were only two things Dad was afraid of. First, he wigged out when anything in the house was misplaced. I won’t even go into all the arguments we’d had about my room being a mess. They’d ended when I told him it was my room, and if he didn’t stop bugging me about it, I would put kitchen utensils in the wrong drawers, maybe even hide some (cue horror movie music). No spoons for you! Second, he was easily startled, and very pissed off afterward. “Damn it, Lori!” he hollered. “It’s great to see you too, loving father. Lo, I have brought my friend Tammy to witness out domestic bliss. She’s on the tennis team with me.” Actually, I was on the tennis team with her. “Hello, Tammy. It’s nice to meet you,” Dad said without getting up or shaking her hand or anything else he would normally do. While the two of them recited a few more snippets of polite nonsense, I watched my dad. From the angle of his body, I could tell he was protecting that cell phone behind the cushions. I nodded toward the hiding place. “Hot date?” I was totally kidding. I didn’t expect him to say, “When?” So I said, “Ever.” And then I realized I’d brought up a subject that I didn’t want to bring up, especially not while I was busy being self-absorbed. I clapped my hands. “Okay, then! Tammy and I are going upstairs very loudly, and after a few minutes we will come back down, ringing a cowbell. Please continue with your top secret phone convo.” I turned and headed for the stairs. Tammy followed me. I thought Dad might order me back, send Tammy out, and give me one of those lectures about my attitude (who, me?). But obviously he was chatting with Pamela Anderson and couldn’t wait for me to leave the room. Behind us, I heard him say, “I’m so sorry. I’m still here. Lori came in. Oh, yeah? I’d like to see you try.” “He seems jumpy,” Tammy whispered on the stairs. “Always,” I said. “Do you have a lot of explosions around your house?” I glanced at my watch. “Not this early.”",
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                        "text": "“Hey, Buddy,” he said to me. I got a close-up view of his strange, light blue eyes and golden skin as he threw his arms around me and kept walking right over me. I had to throw my arms around him, too, to keep from thudding flat on my back on the dock. “Oh, pardon me!” he said, pulling me out from under him and setting me on my feet again. “I didn’t even see you there.” “That’s quite all right,” I managed in the same fake-formal tone. His warm hands still held my waist. This was the first time a boy had ever touched my bare tummy. My happy skin sent shocked messages to my brain that went something like, He’s touching me! Are you getting this? He’s touching me! Eeeeeeee! My brain got it, all right, and put the rest of my body on high alert. My heart thumped painfully, just like in my dream. But as I looked into his eyes, I saw he was already gone, glancing up the stairs to the marina. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’d been flirting with me. I knew better. He treated all girls this way. He slid out of my grasp. He may have had to shake one hand violently to extricate it from my friendly vise-like grip. “See you later, Junior,” he threw over his shoulder at me as he climbed the steps to the marina.”",
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                        "text": "“While walking toward them, I dropped my backpack, then pulled my tank top off over my head to reveal my bikini. And just balled up my tank top in one hand as if it were nothing, and threw it into the boat. “Heeeeeey!” I said in a high girl-voice as I hugged Cameron, whom I hadn’t seen since he’d come home from college for the summer a few days ago. He hugged me back and kept glancing at my boobs and trying not to. My brother had that look on his face like he was going to ask Dad to take me to the shrink again. I bent over with my butt toward them, dropped my shorts, and threw those in the boat, too. When I straightened and turned toward the boys, I was in for a shock. I had thought I wanted Sean to stare at me. I did want him to stare. But now that Sean and Cameron and Adam were all staring at me, speechless, I wondered whether there was chicken salad on my bikini, or-somewhat worse-an exposed nipple. I didn’t feel a breeze down there, though. And even I, with my limited understanding of grand entrances and seducing boys, understood that if I glanced in the direction they were staring and there were no nipple, the effect of the grand entrance would be lost. So I snapped my fingers and asked, “Zone much?” Translation: I’m hot? Really? Hmph. Adam blinked and turned to Sean. “Bikini or what?” Sean still stared at my boobs. Slowly he brought his strange pale eyes up to meet my eyes. “This does a lot for you,” he said, gesturing to the bikini with the hand flourish of Clinton from What Not to Wear. Surely this was my imagination. He didn’t really know I’d been studying how to be a girl for the past year! “Sean,” I said without missing a beat, “ I do a lot for the bikini. ” Cameron snorted and shoved Sean. Adam shoved him in the other direction. Sean smiled and seemed perplexed, like he was trying to think of a comeback but couldn’t, for once. Off to the side, my brother still looked very uncomfortable. I hadn’t thought through how he’d react to the unveiling of the swan. I hadn’t thought through any of their reactions very well, in case you weren’t getting this. I wanted Sean to ask me out, but I didn’t want to lose my relationship, such as it was, with everybody else.”",
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                        "text": "“Suddenly I realized I was standing on the hot wood of the dock, still touching elbows with Adam, staring at the skull-and-crossbones pendant. And when I looked up into his light blue eyes, I saw that he was staring at my neck. No. Down lower. “What’cha staring at?” I asked. He cleared his throat. “Tank top or what?” This was his seal of approval, as in, Last day of school or what? or, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders or what? Hooray! He wasn’t Sean, but he was built of the same material. This was a good sign. I pumped him for more info, to make sure. “What about my tank top?” “You’re wearing it.” He looked out across the lake, showing me his profile. His cheek had turned bright red under his tan. I had embarrassed the wrong boy. Damn, it was back to the football T-shirt for me. No it wasn’t, either. I couldn’t abandon my plan. I had a fish to catch. “Look,” I told Adam, as if he hadn’t already looked. “Sean’s leaving at the end of the summer. Yeah, yeah, he’ll be back next summer, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to compete once he’s had a taste of college life and sorority girls. It’s now or never, and desperate times call for desperate tank tops.” Adam opened his mouth to say something. I shut him up by raising my hand. Imitating his deep boy-voice, I said, “I don’t know why you want to hook up with that jerk.” We’d had this conversation whenever we saw each other lately. I said in my normal voice, “I just do, okay? Let me do it, and don’t get in my way. Stay out of my net, little dolphin.” I bumped his hip with my hip. Or tried to, but he was a lot taller than me. I actually hit somewhere around his mid-thigh. He folded his arms, stared me down, and pressed his lips together. He tried to look grim. I could tell he was struggling not to laugh. “Don’t call me that.” “Why not?” “Dolphins don’t live in the lake,” he said matter-of-factly, as if this were the real reason. The real reason was that the man-child within him did not want to be called “little” anything. Boys were like that. I shrugged. “Fine, little brim. Little bass.” He walked toward the stairs. “Little striper.” He turned. “What if Sean actually asked you out?” I didn’t want to be teased about this. It could happen! “You act like it’s the most remote poss-“ “He has to ride around with the sunroof open just so he can fit his big head in the truck. Where would you sit?” “In his lap?” A look of disgust flashed across Adam’s face before he jogged up the stairs, his weight making the weathered planks creaked with every step.”",
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                        "text": "“Everything okay?” Hunter called to me. He sounded like a noncommittal friend asking after my health. I looked like a crazy person sitting at the table after everyone else had left, staring at “The Space Between.” I was going to sound like a crazy person no matter what I said to him next. It had to be said. I stood with my book bag, swept up “The Space Between” without a single mark on it, and crumpled it in one fist. Rounding the table, I showed his story at his chest. He took the wad of paper. “What’s the matter?” he asked innocently. I thought of Sumer, Manohar, and Brian just outside the door, listening. I did not want them to hear this. But if I asked Hunter to step away from the door and close it so we could have a private conversation, I would be showing him how much I cared. I was through with that. I moved even closer to him and met his gaze. “I’m below you?” “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said evenly, looking me straight in the eye, obviously waiting at the door for exactly this altercation, which proved he did in fact know what I was talking about, and I had had enough. “I’ll tell you what I’m talking about.” I touched the thumb of my opposite hand. “I wrote a story about how much I liked you. I never meant for you to read it.” I touched my pointer finger. “You wrote a story about how much you hated me.” Hunter’s grin melted from his face. He took a breath to say something. “No, you’re right,” I interrupted him. “Not one story. You wrote three stories like that.” I touched my third finger. “I wrote a story about my mother, hoping we could talk about it.” I touched my fourth finger. “In response, you wrote a story about looking down on me.” I touched my pinkie, really banged on it with my other finger, until I bent it backward and hurt it. “Don’t write any more stories about me, Hunter. And I won’t write any more stories about you. Deal?” I whirled toward the door. “Wait,” he said. Whatever. I’d reached the threshold. The light was brighter in the hallway, and Summer, talking to Manohar and Brian, looked up at me with concern in her eyes. “Erin.” His hot hand was on my shoulder. He pulled me back into the room, against the door, out of their line of sight. He leaned close. This must have been because he didn’t want the others to hear, but I could almost have pretend that he wanted to be near me as he growled against my cheek, “If that’s all you got from my story, that I hate you, you’re not a careful reader.” Even though my heart raced with his closeness, I tilted my head and stared at him blankly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Two could play that game. I rolled away from him and stepped around the door frame. He caught me and pulled me back again. Pinned me against the door. Crushed my lips beneath his.”",
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                        "text": "“I'm glad this happened,\" he said softly. I hoped it was for real,and I didn't want to talk about it too much and ruin the lovely illusion that we were a couple. So I said noncommittally, \"Me too.\" \"Because I've been trying to get you back since the seventh grade.\" I must have given him a very skeptical look. He laughed at my expression. \"Yeah, I have a funny way of showing it. I know. But you're always on my mind. You're in the front of my mind,on the tip of my tongue. So if someone breaks a beaker in chemistry class, I raise my hand and tell Ms. Abernathy you did it. If somebody brings a copy of Playboy to class, I stuff it in your locker.\" \"Oh!\" I thought back to the January issue. \"I wondered where that came from.\" \"And if Everett Walsh tells the lunch table what a wicked kisser you are and how far he would have gotten with you if his mother hadn't come in-\" I stamped my foot on the floorboard of the SUV.\"That is so not true! He'd already gotten as far as he was going. He's not that cute, and I had to go home and study for algebra. \"-It drives me insane to the point that I tell him to shut up or I'll make him shut up right there in front of everybody. Because I am supposed to be your boyfriend, and my mother is supposed to hate you,and you're supposed to be making out with me.\" Twisted as this declaration was,it was the sweetest thing a boy had ever said to me.I dwelled on the soft lips that had formed the statement,and on the meaning of his words. \"Okay.\" I scooted across the seat and nibbled the very edge of his superhero chin. \"Ah,\" he gasped, moving both hands from the steering wheel to the seat to brace himself. \"I didn't mean now .I meant in general.Your dad will come out of the house and kill me.”",
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