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Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  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. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

“I thought we were. Happy enough. But then, the night your father made the announcement with the Electric Rose? I knew in that second it was over.” His voice grew more animated, his words tumbling out faster and faster. “Elodie looked so excited, and I just knew I didn’t want to be that person—the one to propose. Not to her, at least.”

“Okay, you’re freaking me out. Don’t break up with her. It’s all good.” Paulina didn’t want to hear that her sister was about to get her heart broken. She wanted to forget this conversation ever happened. More, she wanted to forget her own unwelcome urges.

“It’s not all good,” he said. “I don’t love her. Doesn’t she deserve that?”

Paulina stood up. “I’m going to the bar to get another round. What do you want?”

Liam stood, too. “I’ll get the drinks.”

“And for the record,” she said, unsteady on her feet but not sitting down. “You can learn to love someone. So just . . . learn to love her.”

He looked at her, his face serious.

“I can never love her,” he said. And then, his voice lower and calmer, “I want to spend more time with you.”

“With me? Why?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Ever since that dinner at your parents’—the night before the Electric Rose launch—I’ve been thinking about you. I’ve tried not to, but it’s like . . . your face and your voice . . . like one of those songs you get in your head playing over and over. And with Elodie, it was never like that. We made sense together on paper. And I do like her. But I can’t pretend I’m not feeling what I’m feeling right now. Even though this is not good on paper. Not good any way you look at it.”

Paulina sat back in her seat, biting her lip. No, this wasn’t good. Not at all.

“I’m leaving tomorrow for my trip. That should give you some time to forget about me. And I’m going to pretend this conversation never happened,” she said, standing up to leave.

Her flight couldn’t come fast enough.

35

It’s just temporary,” Gemma said, uncomfortable with how quickly Celeste’s spare room filled up. Sanjay and Jack carried her folding workbench, side drawers, and chair up three flights of stairs. And her Flexshaft motor for her various drills and cutters. And those various drills and cutters.

“Seems like the perfect fit to me,” Celeste said. “Like the room was meant for this.”