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Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Chapter One
  5. Chapter Two
  6. Chapter Three
  7. Chapter Four
  8. Chapter Five
  9. Chapter Six
  10. Chapter Seven
  11. Chapter Eight
  12. Chapter Nine
  13. Chapter Ten
  14. Chapter Eleven
  15. Chapter Twelve
  16. Chapter Thirteen
  17. Chapter Fourteen
  18. Chapter Fifteen
  19. Chapter Sixteen
  20. Chapter Seventeen
  21. Chapter Eighteen
  22. Chapter Nineteen
  23. Chapter Twenty
  24. Chapter Twenty-one
  25. Chapter Twenty-two
  26. Chapter Twenty-three
  27. Chapter Twenty-four
  28. Chapter Twenty-five
  29. Chapter Twenty-six
  30. Chapter Twenty-seven
  31. Chapter Twenty-eight
  32. Chapter Twenty-nine
  33. Chapter Thirty
  34. Chapter Thirty-one
  35. Chapter Thirty-two
  36. Chapter Thirty-three
  37. Chapter Thirty-four
  38. Chapter Thirty-five
  39. Chapter Thirty-six
  40. Chapter Thirty-seven
  41. Chapter Thirty-eight
  42. Chapter Thirty-nine
  43. Chapter Forty
  44. Chapter Forty-one
  45. Chapter Forty-two
  46. The Letter
  47. Chapter Forty-three
  48. Chapter Forty-four
  49. Chapter Forty-five
  50. Chapter Forty-six
  51. Chapter Forty-seven
  52. Chapter Forty-eight
  53. Chapter Forty-nine
  54. Chapter Fifty
  55. Chapter Fifty-one
  56. Chapter Fifty-two
  57. Chapter Fifty-three
  58. Author’s Note
  59. Resources
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. About the Author
  62. What’s next onyour reading list?

Since Saturday, Zach and I haven’t hung out, but we’ve been talking on the phone, like people did back in the twentieth century. I think I’ve spent more time talking on the phone in the past four days than in the entire rest of my life. Lucy’s all excited, and Grann thinks Zach is the best thing ever. At breakfast on Sunday, she kept going on about the healing power of love, and I was like Grann, would you please calm down? (Except I phrased it in a much nicer way than that, because I might be a total dick to most people, but I never would be a dick to Grann.)

Even Chim is excited for me. I guess I knew she would be, if I let her, but after Lucy’s show she texted me to ask who that cute boy was (her words, not mine) and I had to explain. Otherwise, she might have thought he was fair game.

Outside drama, Zach and I make small talk. I barely pay attention to what I’m saying because I’m entranced by his lower lip. A tiny part of me keeps going Hey, dummy, this is STUPID of you, why are you getting caught up with another human being, but then my brain replays the kiss from the other night, the feeling of Zach’s hand on mine, and for the first time since Jordan died and the letters started arriving and everything went to hell, I manage to ignore it.

Zach pulls open the door and motions for me to go in ahead of him. A couple of the other kids in the class nudge each other when they see me, no doubt remembering the scene I made the other week, but I’ve dealt with worse. Much worse. I square my shoulders and tilt my head up like I don’t have a fucking care in the world and make my way to my seat.

Kowalski’s hair is on fire today. Obviously not literal fire, but the rain did not do anything to it that could be construed as positive. I catch Zach’s eye and we exchange a smile that makes me feel all tingly and warm and sends the butterflies in my stomach into flight.

For the first time in forever, I dare to think that there might be a chance for me after all.

—

And then I get home after school, and all my optimism and dumb hope shatters when I reach into the mailbox and pull out another envelope, postmarked from the county jail.

Chapter Thirty-eight

Chapter Thirty-Eight