Jennifer L. Armentrout

Once I got home, though, and saw several packages on my front porch, all the crap from the day disappeared. A few had smiley faces on them. Squealing, I grabbed the boxes. Books were inside-- new release books I'd preordered weeks ago.

Thanks,_ I muttered and added under my breath, __ouchebag.__e laughed, deep and throaty. __ow that__ not very ladylike, Kittycat.__ whipped around. __on__ ever call me that,_ I snapped.__t__ better than calling someone a douchebag, isn__ it?_ He pushed out the door. __his has been a stimulating visit. I__l cherish it for a long time to come.__kay. That was it. __ou know, you__e right. How wrong of me to call you a douchebag. Because a douchebag is too nice of a word for you,_ I said, smiling sweetly. __ou__e a dickhead.___ dickhead?_ he repeated. __ow charming.__ flipped him off.

The Arum are nothing more than what a human would call a parasite. They are not worth the filthy floor you lie upon.

I like you, Mallory. And God knows you deserve a hell of a lot better than me._ He dipped his chin, laughing as he thrust his hand through his hair. __od. I suck at this. Can we just forget___ snapped out of it. __ou like me?__is gaze flew to mine. __eah, I do. And I know I__e been with Paige and I__ not going to pretend that meant nothing, but it__ not how I feel for you. Not remotely like how I feel for you. And it__ not because of our past__ecause of you and I knowing each other for so long,_ he said, and the words kept coming out in a rush. __t first, I thought that was why__his attraction I have to you. I thought it was because of everything we__ shared. And then the night I came to your place and you fixed me up, I thought it was just this physical thing._ Pink raced across his cheeks. __nd it is most definitely a physical thing, but it wasn__ just that. I think part of me knew that from the very first time you said my name.__ow my pulse was pounding. He liked-liked me. Oh my God, this was unexpected. This was totally unplanned. It was an infinite, vast sea of un

Something weird moved through me, a feeling of familiarity, and as I stood in front of my locker, I found myself thinking of the one bright thing in a past full of shadows and darkness.I thought about the boy who made my chest hurt, the one who__ promised forever.It had been four years since I__ seen him or even heard him speak. Four years of trying to erase everything that had to do with that portion of my childhood, but I remembered him. I wondered about him.How could I not? I always would.He had been the sole reason I survived the house we__ grown up in.

I wanted Kat out. Every cell of my being demanded that I protect her, even though I knew she was hella capable of doing so herself, but I wanted her far away from here. Hell, I'd keep her in Bubble Wrap if it weren't so damn creepy and also inconvenient, considering I had a terrible habit of obsessively popping the damn things until not a single bubble was left.

It was just a kiss and it was nearly too much and it still wasn't enough, and it was just beautiful.

You make me wish I had a soul so I could be worthy of you.

Because you're beautiful, Layla, and while I may say that one word to you a lot, I don't simply toss it around. And I've seen many, many beautiful things. People as beautiful as demons are atrocious. You, by far, shine brighter than any of them. It's more than what's on the outside. It comes from within you. I've seen a lot of things and nothing, nothing, comes close to you.

You must stay away from the one who brings nothing but heartache and death. Do you hear me? He brings nothing but death. Always has.

You really shouldn__ trust a soul in this game. Not when everyone has something to gain or lose.

Hope that had sparked in my chest now lit a fire, and I fanned it, wanting it to burn hot and bright, because hope_ hope was not the enemy. It was a friend, a savior. Hope was more than a new beginning. Hope was tomorrow, and hope was the symbol that I would get better, that I would undo the bad choices that I__ made, and that I would never make them again. Hope was more than a chance of redemption. It was the promise of one day finding absolution, of forgiving my

And I learned that sometimes when someone says something so devastatingly perfect, there isn't a need for a response. The words said it all.

That kind of love should've been able to beat sickness. That kind of love should've conquered anything.

I promise you that this isn't going to be our future, Kitten. I will give that to you__ normal life."Her eyes glistened. "I don__ expect a normal life. I just expect a life with you

This is everyone's fight. Becauseit's everyone's future.

The past never went away and it was not designed to do so. It would always be there, and it should be acknowledged.

My chest clenched as I looked down at the oil-stained asphalt. Here but not. Existing but not living. I knew that feeling. Lived it for several years. Some days it felt like I was still wearing that feeling like a heavy jacket buttoned up too tightly.