“The first touch of his mouth was gentle, light and sweet.Fun fact, Jared put in, Ash wet the bed until he was five. Kami spluttered out a laugh against Ash's lips.”

“Kami said, "I want you to go in there and vamp that receptionist.""What?" Ash said blankly."You know," Kami said. "Dazzle her with your charms. Rock her world. Go on."[...] "What," Ash said, "all of us?""Do you want to stand around trying to guess if she likes pretty boys or rough trade?" Jared asked, gesturing lazily from Ash to himself."Excuse me, what did you just call yourself?" Ash demanded. "No, wait a second, I don't care. What did you just call me?”

“He punched me in the face," Ash said, who understandably did not seem to find the situation humorous at all. "And then he yelled at me for sleeping with our personal trainer!""I was told breakup scenes were a good way to distract people," Jared said with beautiful simplicity."Ash looked so surprised," Holly said. "He had no idea what was going on. He said, 'I didn't sleep with our personal trainer! We don't even have a personal trainer!'"Angela and Holly giggled. Ash held the back of his hand to his bleeding mouth and glared. Jared was still grinning like a maniac. "In that case," he told Ash solemnly, "I will consider taking you back.”

“Jared glared. Some people, Kami knew, had bedroom eyes. She was saddened to have to admit that Jared had filthy alleyway eyes. The thought reached Jared and he tilted his head, and Kami felt what he felt: startled and amused.”

“What the hell is going on?" demanded Kami's dad, advancing with his black eyes snapping. Jared blurted, "My intentions are honourable."Kami sat up straight in her bed and stared in Jared's direction. "Are you completely crazy?" she wanted to know. "This isn't the eighteenth century. How do you think that's going to help?""Well, I mean," Jared said, back against the wall like a cornered animal. "When we're older. I mean-""Please shut up," Kami begged."I agree with Kami," said Dad. "When you're in an abyss-like hole, quit digging.”

“Kami drew in a slow shuddering breath, and reached out for comfort where she could always find it. I can hear him coming back, she told Jared. I'm scared.Don't be scared, Jared told her. He won't touch you. I'm coming, and I'm going to kill him.”

“How do you deal with it?" Kami asked Jared. "The laughing at nothing and occasionally stopping dead in your tracks.""I have a system where when I stop, I lean casually against something," Jared told her. "It makes people think I'm a bad boy. Or possibly that I have a bad back.”