“Good. Or instead, what if I just told you that I love you?” Payton gazedinto his eyes. “What would you say, J. D. Jameson, if I told you that?”J.D. smiled. He touched his forehead to Payton’s, closed his eyes, andanswered her with one word.“Finally.”

“We're out of time, Payton. You said it yourself: the only way we'll make it is for us to go into this together. I know we can do this. But I need you to believe it. You need to believe... in us."Peyton didn't say anything for a long moment, and J.D. could literally hear his heart beating. Then she finally answered."It would have to be called Kendall and Jameson."It took J.D a moment to catch on. Then he grinned. "No way. Jameson and Kendall. It's alphabetical.""You told our boss that you banged me on top of your desk.""Kendall and Jameson sounds great”

“Payton and Laney watched him go.Laney shook her head. “Unbelievable.”Payton gestured. “See—I told you.”“That man has such a great butt.”“Laney!”“What? I’m conservative, Payton, not blind.”

“J.D. cleared his throat and pushed the button on the intercom.“Uh, Payton, hi. It’s J.D.”Dead silence.Then another crackle.“Sorry. Not interested.”Cute. But J.D. persisted. Again with the button.“I want to talk to you.”Crackle.“Ever hear of a telephone, asshole?”Okay, he probably deserved that.”

“I love you, Rylann." He cupped her face, peering down into her eyes. "And now I finally have a good answer to the one question everyone always asks me--why I hacked into Twitter. I didn't know it at the time... but I did it to find you again."She leaned into him, curling her fingers around his shirt. "That may be the best justification I've ever heard for committing a crime." She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "And I love you, too, you know.”

“I’m a bit of a novice myself.” She smiled. Then she turned back to Jasper. “And please, call me Payton.”Like one of my favorite quarterbacks,” Jasper grinned.Only with an a instead of an e. And slightly fewer yards in passing,” Payton said. Damn—now she’d already blown one of the three measly sports references she knew in the first two minutes.Jasper laughed. “Slightly fewer yards in passing—I like that.” He turned to J.D., gesturing to Payton. “Where have you been hidin’ this girl, J.D.?”

“What? I took it because of the girls in the class. Anyway, I see a bit of a P and P dynamic going on between you and Payton."J.D. didn't think he wanted to know. Really. But he asked anyway. "P and P?"Tyler shot him a look, appalled. "Uh, hello--Pride and Prejudice?" His tone said only a cretin wouldn't know this."Oh right, P and P," J.D. said. "You know, Tyler, you might want to pick up your balls--I think they just fell right off when you said that.”