2
" While Nape was making the bread and Dryas boiling the ram, Daphnis and Chloe had time to go forth as far as the ivy-bush; and when he had set his snares again and pricked his lime-twigs, they not only catched good store of birds, but had a sweet collation of kisses without intermission, and a dear conversation in the language of love: " Chloe, I came for thy sake." " I know it, Daphnis." " 'Tis long of thee that I destroy the poor birds." " What wilt thou with me?" " Remember me." " I remember thee, by the Nymphs by whom heretofore I have sworn in yonder cave, whither we will go as soon as ever the snow melts." " But it lies very deep, Chloe, and I fear I shall melt before the snow." " Courage, man; the Sun burns hot." " I would it burnt like that fire which now burns my very heart." " You do but gibe and cozen me!" " I do not, by the goats by which thou didst once bid me to swear to thee. "
5
" There's something I have to say," I said seriously, looking her in the eye. She smiled. " Oookay." She was mocking me-mocking my tone-but I didn't care. " Okay. Here it is. I love you," I said. " And I never, ever wanted to hurt you. It's like, the number one thing I never want to do, but somehow, I keep doing it. And I'm sorry, I just...that's all I wanted to say all this time. All I was trying to do...with that thing with your dad, not telling you...was not to hurt you. And I'm sorry that I did. Alley stared at me. " And I'm sorry that I did it again. With the Chloe thing. Which was stupid. Like, really, really, stupid. And I-" " Can you just stop, for a second?" Ally said, holding up a hand. " What?" I said. " Can you say the first part again?" she asked, rolling her fingers around for a rewind. I racked my brain. " Um...I love you?" I said. " That's the part, Cuz I love you, too. "
6
" Simon whispered to me, “But is everything okay?”
“No,” Tori said. “I kidnapped her and forced her to escape with me. I’ve been using her as a human shield against those guys with guns, and I was just about to strangle her and leave her body here to throw them off my trail. But then you showed up and foiled my evil plans. Lucky for you, though. You get to rescue poor little Chloe again and win her undying gratitude.”
“Undying gratitude?” Simon looked at me. “Cool. Does that come with eternal servitude? If so, I like my eggs sunnyside up.”
I smiled. “I’ll remember that.”
***
“Oh, right. You must be starving.” Simon reached into his pockets. “I can offer one bruised apple and one brown banana. Convenience stores aren’t the place to buy fruit, as I keep telling someone.”
“Better than these. For you, anyway, Simon.” Derek passed a bar to Tori.
“Because you aren’t supposed to have those, are you?” I said. “Which reminds me…” I took out the insulin. “Derek said it’s your backup.”
“So my dark secret is out.”
“I didn’t know it was a secret.”
“Not really. Just not something I advertise.”
...
“Backup?” Tori said. “You mean he didn’t need that?”
“Apparently not,” I murmured.
Simon looked from her to me, confused, then understanding. “You guys thought…”
“That if you didn’t get your medicine in the next twenty-four hours, you’d be dead?” I said. “Not exactly, but close. You know, the old ‘upping the ante with a fatal disease that needs medication’ twist. Apparently, it still works.”
“Kind of a letdown, then, huh?”
“No kidding. Here we were, expecting to find you minutes from death. Look at you, not even gasping.”
“All right, then. Emergency medical situation, take two.”
He leaped to his feet, staggered, keeled over, then lifted his head weakly.
“Chloe? Is that you?” He coughed. “Do you have my insulin?”
I placed it in his outstretched hand.
“You saved my life,” he said. “How can I ever repay you?”
“Undying servitude sounds good. I like my eggs scrambled.”
He held up a piece of fruit. “Would you settle for a bruised apple?”
I laughed. "
― Kelley Armstrong , The Awakening (Darkest Powers, #2)
11
" Look, I wanted to mention something to you," I said. Play it off as casual. Play it off as no big deal. Be cool.Her lips curled up in an amused smile. " Okay?" " You know what a horrible prankster Will can be." She nodded and I continued: " I may have just done something to get back at him and I swear," I said, resting a hand on her shoulder, " I swear, Hanna, you'll think it's hilarious... eventually." " Eventually?" " Absolutely. Eventually." She considered me through narrowed eyes. " This is just a prank, right? No shaved heads or scars?" I pulled back to study her. " That was a very specific question. Scars?" I shook my head, clearing it. " And no, no, no, no. Just a silly little prank." I gave Hanna my best smile, the one Chloe said made panties drop. But apparently it only made Hanna more suspicious.Her eyes narrowed further. " What would I need to do?" " Nothing," I said. " You'll probably see some weird stuff but just... go along with it." " So, basically be oblivious." " Exactly," I said." And this will be funny?" " Hilarious." She thought about it for a full ten seconds before reaching out to shake my hand. " You're on. "