“If I truly loved him, she said, I would let him go. I wish I loved him enough.”

“The boy is destined for greatness, but with you, he is in danger...You must leave him. This is what I have seen.""I can't," was all I said to her, and quietly."Then you will love him to ruins," she said, and let my hands go.”

“I was going to kiss him, and I was going to regret it. But at that moment, I couldn't bring myself to care.”

“Rubbish. The Taj Mahal is only a hundred eighty-six square feet. This house has twenty-five thousand."I stared at him blankly."I was kidding," he said.I stared at him blankly."All right, I wasn't kidding. Let's go, shall we.?""After you, my liege.”

“Wait," I said as Noah slipped a book from a shelf and headed toward the door. "Where are you going?""To read?"But I don't want you to. "But I need to go home," I said, my eyes meeting his. "My parents are going to kill me.""Taken care of. You're at Sophie's house."I loved Sophie."So I'm...staying here?""Daniel's covering for you."I loved Daniel."Where's Katie?" I asked, trying to sound casual."Eliza's house."I loved Eliza."And your parents?" I asked."Some charity thing."I loved charity."So why are you going to read when I'm right here?”

“You will love him to ruins.”

“Noah shifted on the bed, and the oddest crunching sound came underneath him. I looked, really looked, at the bed for the first time."What," I asked slowly, as I eyed the animal crackers strewn all over it, "the hell?""You were convinced they were your pets," Noah said, not even trying to suppress his laughter. "You wouldn't let me touch them.”