“And when he winked at her, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt thatfrom that moment on, she would do anything for him.”

“Even when she was pretending she wasn’t hurt, she never pretended not tomiss him.”

“Don’t ever apologize for being you, Andie.” She opened her eyes and turned to him. He was looking at her, and there was such conviction and sincerity in his expression that Andie felt like she was going to break under the weight of it.”

“His face, like everything she knew about him, was purely contradictory. That cherubic mouth with those penetrating eyes: he was too lovely to be menacing, but too intense to be innocent.”

“Hey, Lauren?” he called, and she stopped so abruptly her bag slid off her shoulder. She caught it at the last second and turned, her expression taken aback.Del smirked. “Don’t be so surprised that I know your name. You’re not as invisible as you think you are.”She closed her mouth, looking at him. “I’m not gonna stop calling you Red, though” he added casually.”

“Everyone deserved the chance to be redeemed, and Michael had gone his whole life never having it. He never got to redeem himself with his father. He never got to redeem himself with his brother. And if he was trying to redeem himself now for what he'd done ro her, then she was going to let him, even if it left her vulnerable.”

“Everything happens for a reason,” she finally said.“What?” Chase scoffed as his eyes flashed back to hers. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.”“Why?”“Because it’s total horseshit,” he laughed. “That’s just some crap people say when something bad happens and they have no way to explain it. It’s a pathetic way to try and make somebody feel better. And if anything, it has the reverse effect.”Andie shrugged. “I disagree.”“Anytime anyone has ever said that to me, it just made me want to punch them in the face.”“That’s because you’re an asshole,” she said matter-of factly.”