“Stop hiding condoms in my stuff. It's like some twisted Easter egg hunt in there.”

“You should see some of the stuff she keeps." He shuddered. I couldn’t help but be curious."Like what?""Finger bones."Um … ew.""You want ew? She keeps them in an old Cadbury box. Try being seven years old and thinking you found the jackpot secret stash of chocolate. Talk about a rude awakening.”

“I was usually hungry enough to eat what I was given without comment, but if the Earl served boiled tongue or calves' foot jelly, I fully intended to wrap it in my napkin and hide it in the nearest umbrella stand.”

“I tried not to look as if I was hiding a handsome young lad under the mattress.”

“Hey, get off my sister,” Kieran barked from the other side.“Get lost, Black,” I called out. “And she’s not your sister.”“May as well be.”“Well, you stop kissing Solange and I’ll stop kissing Hunter.”Silence.""Chapter 24”

“Hey.” He watched me back away as if he was dangerous. He looked entirely too pleased with himself. “Where are you going?”“To bed.” Double crap. What if he thought that was an invitation? Was it an invitation? And when, exactly, had I lost my mind? “Uh, I meant to my room. Where my bed is. And—shit.” I forced myself to stop babbling.”

“We have the same symptoms as tuberculosis, especially in the eyes of the Romantic Poets. Pale, tired, coughing up blood.”“That’s romantic?”I had to smile. “Romantic with a capital ‘R.’ You know, like Byron and Coleridge.”He gave a mock shudder. “Please, stop. I barely passed English Lit.”I snorted. “I didn’t have that option. One of my aunts took Byron as a lover.”“Get out.”“Seriously. It makes Lucy insanely jealous.”“That girl is . . .”“My best friend,” I filled in sternly.“I was only going to say she’s unique.”