【】saroundherddle.quietly,alstsadly,she

said,”iuyeadsoneof

theocrazytobeheredoingthis.artisnt

busiheyebathecityh

adesignerhandbagandiortedboots.”shetookafreshbreath.”do

youhavesiblings””fivebrothersandasister,”hesaid,thoughit

hadnothingtodoily.the

peoplehehrarelyasked.

notonlyhadrachelasked,butthoseuph

hisanssgreat.idonthaveany.”

”thatshinkitsgreat.thereen

years,livinghouse.ihe

lue.

suers,igottheporch.”

”aretheothersdoingnoheyallovertheuntryare

anyoftheuthere””theyrebackho.

iheonlyoout.”hereyesgrew.”reallywhy

you

houdy.desperation.ihadtoleave.

idoalongyfaly.”

””sheaskedinsuihatheactually

answered.

”theyreive.aligtoverupfortheylack,

buttheonlythingtheyreallylaydadulddone

anythingheedhesabrightguyonly,hegotstuapotato

proybrothersaregoingtobejust

likehidifferentjobs,saedpotential.itollege,

akessller.theyllneverfive

forthat.”

”iosorry.”hesled.”notyourfault.”

”thenyoudontgohoo.andyoubaewyork”

shenota

stuckdoingallthethingsihate.”

”dontyouhavefriendsthere””afealk.iveneverhadto

goaroundte””noton

yourlife.ihadenoughofthosegrooneveranotherone,

atleastnotofthesasex.

syourfavoritethingintu””thedesert.syours”

”thesantaorethanhazel.

”doyouhike”e,too.whendoyouhave

tiareyoutakingafullurseloadhoanyhoursaweekdoyou

havetogivetooberyer”jasionsandasked

reofhisoingtond,he

askedreagain,andsheaskedhersharerightback.she

judgntal,justcurious.

sheseedasiedinheddone,he

likedanddidntlikeashealkednonstop

untilralothessloaded,

theyfinallyleftthelaundrot,hekneesaschabouther

asheke.

takingthatasassageofsosort,hebrokeuphcelestethe

day,hel,andtherforpizza.theypickedrightup

at.

jacked.hehadneverbeenatalker.hedidntlike

baringhisthoughtsandideas,heldthelosetothevest,butthere

ethingaboutrachelthatfelt...safe,thereitwasagsun.

sheart.beingaschof

alonerasheedjustasstartledashetobeopeningup

toavirtualstranger,buttheygaveeaissiorusted

herinstinthesaback.

assilyasthat,theybeseparable.theyatetogether,studied

together,sketchedtogether.theyovies.theyhiked.they

huddledbeforepusbenches,but

itadelove.

intheory,aeatall.inpractianageoffree

sexhttrahother,iteity,

andtheyelyattrahother.nodoubtabout

that.

jackprettyfastbythelureofanartistsslenderfingersand

gracefular.hedidntssthescurvedaroundher

buttortheentiidriffainway.

thebreastsunderhertanktopsed.at

least,thattheshadowof

shapesandtheoasionalnobofanipple.thefactthathedidnt

knolooking.

herehatnipple,tightestwhen

he,sosubtle,when

theypus,andthehcaughtwhenhe

losetoethinginherear.allthat,evenhouther

eyes,tohotatalltheappropriatetis.oh,yes,

she.heuldhavetakeerthe

laundrot.

hedidntbecauseheionshiplike

thisanbefore.physiotional,not

psyadehieelfortable

enoughtosayix

entoingtoher

apartnt,avoidedevenkissingher.

aorethay.hedhadithavoidance

bythetisheinvitedhiverfordinner,andapparentlyshehad,

too.

hee.itwasa

srcher,purityinflas,hotterandhotterastheyslidalongthe

andfellonthebed.thereadscraletoget

clothesoffandbecloseandinsideandithe

deepest,stlovekinghehadeverinhislifedread

uldtakeplace.

onthebedhpendpaperanddrew

hiandergedsaiditall.ind,herheart

shedehintosothingfihanhehadeverbeenbefore.she

washisangel,andhewasinlove.

chaptertwo.

ithesurgicalhesendfloorattheendofa

verylonghall.droppingintoaseatthere,jason

hischestandfocusedonthedoor.hiseyesired.fearalone

keptthepen.

itinutesbeforeherealizedthathealone.a

anfroheendofanearbysofa.shelookedwary,

butshedidntblinkared.

”areyoukatherine”hefinallyasked,andsaheghostofacrooked

sle.

”hesurprise”heatic,buthewas

tootired,tootense.”beyype,”

hesaid,staringstill.racheluralhair,faails.

thisaned,froarklashestopaintednailstohairthat

oussedintofashiona

...