“Fuck you."I shrug. "You already have."She rolls her eyes as her cheeks gain color. "So I have."Bethany puts her drink down and her voice drops a few octaves, laughingly, "And what fun i had whilst doing it."I chuckle uncontrollably, at so small a thing? No. Maybe it's the fact I've realized why other men had held nothing more than a vague interest for me "Oh, Beth!" I mock lament, both in reaction to her silliness and my own thoughts.She abruptly stops laughing. "I swear to god, I would kill for your voice. Each time you speak it's like being ear fucked.""Ear fucked," I echo and wince. "No, thank you.”

“I hadn’t heard her voice in so fucking long. I almost collapsed right there and then, her presence rolling through me, wanting to bring me to my knees like she had before.”

“If you ever…ever… touch her again, I swear to God, Grady, I‟ll fucking kill you. Do you hear me?”

“I throw my head back and laugh long and hard. Then I lean in and whisper in her ear, "You don't know who you're fucking with, princess. Ain't no one do bad like I do.”

“So, Noah, Echo’s the coat girl.” I had a nickname? Noah chuckled. “Yeah.” “Echo, is your father aware of this relationship?” “Would you believe me if I told you I didn’t know about it?” Her eyes laughed. “Yes.”

“Guess what?" Maggie said as soon as I walked into Celmentine's."What?"She clapped her hands. "I have a date to the prom!""Guess what?" I replied."What?""I don't." Her mouth dropped open. "Oh, and," I added, "I bought a bike.".... "Okay, let's just slow down." She held up her hands, palms facing me. "First things first. What do you mean, you don't have a date?""Just that," I said, sitting down at the desk. "Jason bailed on me.""Again?"I nodded."When?""About twenty minutes ago.""Oh, my God." She put her hand over her mouth: her expression was so horrified, like someone had died. "That's the worst thing ever.""No," I said, swallowing. "It's actually not.""No?"I shook my head. "The worst thing is that right afterward, I marched right into the bike shop and asked Eli to go with me, and he said no."She threw up her other hand, clapping it over the one already covering her mouth. "Holy crap," she said, her voice muffled. "Where does the bike come in?""I don't know," I said, waving my hand. "That part's kind of a blur.”