“Ryan stood over me. “What are you doing?”“Dying.”

“Wow,” Ryan said, taking the excedo in from his bare feet to his worn jeans and wrinkled T-shirt. “Protesting showers?”“Bite me.” Trance stood aside and let Ryan inside, despite his growled words.Ryan strode to the living room, went straight to Trance's DVD player, and inserted one of his sex discs.Trance stood in the entrance to the living room, arms crossed, leaning against the wall as if it were the only thing holding him up. “I don't remember making a movie date with you.”“Keep your dick in your pants, Romeo.” Ryan pushed Play and stood back. “What do you know about that?”Trance's eyes shot wide, and he yanked himself off the wall. “I know you need an ass-kicking if you came to watch porn with me—oh, fuck me, that's you. Turn it off! I don't need to see that.”Ryan hit the Pause button. “Well?”“Well, what?” Trance shuddered. “Christ. I'm going to have to gouge out my eyes now.”

“I do feel it, Ryan. I know how much you love me. I don't deserve you.”

“He’s coming over,” Lindsay says. “What do you want me to do? Kick him in the balls? I’ve been dying to kick him in the balls.”

“My cell rings. I answer it without looking at the caller ID."Hannah, I'm sorry." My voice is a moan."It's Ryan, actually.''"Oh. Hey, Ryan." I grin."What'd you do to Hannah?"I try to be evasive. "What are you talking about?""Uh-huh. Good try. What did you do?""She'll thank me for it one day.""Oh man! It was that bad?""Will you relax? It is not bad.""Is? Present tense? It's still going on?""Calm down, Ryan!""I have known you too long, Laurie Holbrook, to relax.”

“It’s really better this way, Ryan,” Paige said with a sympathy that made me nauseous.“Better for who?” he asked her. “For Jamie? For me? Or maybe just better for you. I can’t believe you, Paige! You have no idea what she’s beenthrough! Pain like you could never imagine! And you’re throwing it in her face over and over again for what? Because I’d rather go out with her thanwith you?You call her the ice queen, but Jamie would never do something like that to anyone.”“But look at what she’s doing to you,” Paige said.“She’s done nothing but make me happy, and she’s had to turn her entire life around just to do it.You guys are the ones doing all the damage!”