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Back Any Way the Wind Blows Save as PDF
Chapters (100)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. EPILOGUE
  96. AGATHA
  97. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  98. Also by Rainbow Rowell
  99. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  100. Newsletter Sign-up

“I can. Look at me.” I catch his chin. I wait for his blue eyes to settle on mine. “This thing between us didn’t start with us dating. It didn’t even start when you kissed me. You’re in me so deep, I wouldn’t know how to dig you out. I may get fed up with you … But, Simon, I’ll never get tired of you.”

His hand is still on my face. He traces his thumb under my eye. “Penelope always says that the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour.”

“Penelope didn’t say that. Everyone says that.”

“I literally destroy literally everything I touch.”

“That’s an overstatement.”

“I fuck it up, Baz, with everyone. Look what I did to Agatha. And the Mage. Merlin, who knows what happened with my own parents…”

“There is so much to unpack in that sentence.”

He laughs, but he looks miserable again.

I tug at his jumper. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Snow. You’re not allowed to feel sorry for yourself as long as you get to have me.”

I mean it. I’m thinking about kissing him, to drive the point home, but I’m gun-shy and unsure of my permissions. Maybe we have to build back up to kissing. Maybe Snow needs a high-speed chase to get him in the mood.

I’m thinking about it. About what I’m allowed. And what I deserve. And what I can stand—

And then he kisses me.

I kiss him back.

And back.

And back.

17

SIMON

I was worried that Baz wouldn’t want to kiss me—but it turns out, that wasn’t an issue.

He held my face with both hands, and I held his, and we kissed until my chin hurt from pushing into him. Baz can probably kiss for days without getting sore. With his superhuman vampire chin. His lips don’t even get puffed up.

We’ve stopped kissing now, but we’re still holding on to each other. I think we’re both afraid to pull away.

Baz smells terrible. Like day-old sweat, but also like day-old raw meat. I’m trying to remember if he’s ever smelled bad before. I don’t mind it, really. More proof that he isn’t dead.

He’s rubbing the corner of my mouth. “You’re bleeding,” he says, looking worried. “Did I cut you?”

I shake my head. “I think that’s from you. You’ve got a little…” I rub at the blood lingering near his chin.

“Oh, fuck!” he says, turning away from me and covering his mouth. “That’s rat blood. I got rat blood in your mouth.”

I try to pull him back by the shoulders. “Hey, I don’t mind.”

“You don’t mind rat blood?”

I shrug. “I’ll brush my teeth.”

“Fat lot of good that’ll do against the plague.” He’s still pulling away.

“Don’t go,” I say. “Not yet.”