Jennifer L. Armentrout

It was me who had to carry myself over the finish line, and all I needed to remember when I felt like not trying was that that feeling wouldn't last forever.

I don__ know how we made it to the bed or if the water was ever turned off in the shower. But we were together, our bodies slippery, our wet hair soaking the sheets we were tangled in. And then we were tangled, our legs and arms. His hands were everywhere, paying reverence to the many scars on my body. His lips followed, and I grew reacquainted with the hard muscles of his stomach, the feel of him.

I...I haven__ done a lot of this._ His cheeks flushed pink and my eyes widened. __ mean, I__e done some stuff, but not a lot. I haven__...had sex.__or the longest moment I couldn__ respond. All I could do was stare at him. __ou__e a virgin?__ne side of his lips kicked up. __eah. You sound surprised.___ am. I thought... I don__ know. You were with...Paige. I just assumed you had sex before.___hat would be a negative,_ he replied, picking up my hand. __ou__e looking at me like you don__ understand how it__ possible.__e could really read minds.__t__ gotten close, but I just never_ I haven__ wanted to go that far._ He shrugged a bare shoulder.__ haven__ done it, either,_ I blurted out. __ mean, that__ super obvious since...you__e the first boy I__e kissed, but yeah, I don__ even know...what I__ saying and I__ just going to shut up.__ider chuckled. __on__. I love it when you ramble.___nly you would enjoy that._ I curled my fingers through his. __o you want to...go that far with me?__is lashes swept up and his eyes, with their greenish flecks, met mine. __eah. Yeah, I do. Someday.__armth swept across my cheeks as I whispered, __...I want that, too. Someday.__he dimple in his right cheek appeared. __hen we__e on the same page.

People do the damndest things when they__e in love.

I don't want to know about love.''But you should, my child. You need to know about love. The things people will do for love. All truths come down to love, do they not? One way or another, they do. See, there is a difference between love and need. Sometimes, what you feel is immediate and without rhyme or reason.' She sat up a little straighter. 'Two people see each across a room or their skin brushes. Their souls recognize the person as their own. It doesn__ need time to figure it. The soul always knows... whether it__ right or wrong.

Because I know what I feel in here. And I'm not the type of person to run from anything, no matter how hard it is. I'd rather face-plant against a brick wall than live for the rest of my life wondering what could've been. And you know what? I didn't think you were that type to run, either. Maybe I was wrong.

For eight years I__e waited for you to realize that. I__e waited for you to see yourself for who you really are. You__e Lily Marks, a beautiful, extremely clever woman whose capacity for compassion sets you apart from the Nephilim. It__ not your fighting skills or how good of a warrior you are. It__ the fact you look at me and see a man rather than a Fallen._ -Julian

People are assholes, Mouse. You already know that._ He paused as he scooped some of my hair back, gently tossing the strands over my shoulder. __nd there__ nothing to be embarrassed about.__ glanced over at him. Everything about his steady gaze and the serious press of his lips screamed earnest. But he was wrong. __t is...embarrassing.___ot if you don__ let it be._ His leg brushed mine as he turned in his seat, facing me. Our eyes met. __ou have the power over that. People can say crap. They can think whatever they want, but you control how you feel about it.

What kind of motel sells condoms?" "My favorite kind of motel?

People tend to look on the beliefs of the past as being primitive and unintelligent, yet we are seeing more truth in the past every day.

My brain must have felt sorry for me, so it__ created the only type of guy I could touch__ fantasy one.

I want to back up to this whole caring about me thing,_ he said, surprising me as he made his way back to the canvas. __ know you care about me, Mallory.__y heart started beating fast as he shook the can.__ care about you._ He knelt halfway down. A second passed and he moved his arm, spraying on the canvas. __nd I think this was missing something.__aving no idea what he was doing or where he was going with this, I waited until he rose and stepped back, to the side. My lips parted on a soft gasp. Rider had spray-painted a heart between our names. I saw it with my own

My heart shattered. 'The boy that you keep painting - the one at the warehouse and at the art gallery? That boy is you, isn't it?'Rider didn't say anything.'It's not you from the past,' I whispered. His handsome face blurred. 'That's still who you are.'He closed his eyes.

She probably had her nose stuck in a book, living in a pretend fantasy world while I was actually out there living in the real fantasy world.

How are you feeling?"I leaned away from him. "Gross."Aiden frowned. "Gross?""I haven't brushed my teeth or washed my face in days. Don't come near me."He laughed. "Alex, come on.""Seriously, I'm gross." I put my hand over my mouth.Ignoring my protests, he leaned over and brushed my string hair back. "You're as beautiful as always, Alex."I stared at him. He must not get out much.

"Don't be scared of Bambi" the demon said. "She's only curious and maybe a little bit hungry."?

I shrugged. __ctually, I didn__ tell her much of anything. She must__e put two and two together all on her own and come up with you being a jerk face.__is gaze slid back to me and he grinned. __uch, shortie.___eah, like that really bothered you._ I glanced back through the small window in the door that led to bio. Mr. Tucker was already at his desk__as Mrs. Cleo ever coming back?__nd we only had a minute, tops, before the tardy bell rang. __hat did you want?__eaching into his pocket, he pulled out a thin slip of yellow paper, waving it in my face. __uess what I found?___bviously not a better personality,_ I remarked.__a. Funny._ He brushed the edge of the paper across my nose and smiled when I smacked it away.

Dawson!_ Ash yelled from below. __hat are you doing? Stop! Do something, Adam!__dam__ laugh followed. __omeone needed to put Andrew in his place. I always figured it would be Daemon. Who knew.