Booktree.ngIt-Starts-with-Us-Colleen-Hoover

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etiquette?”It surprises me that he doesn’t have a phone yet. Brad doesn’t seem likehe would be a strict father. “Why don’t you have a phone?”“Dad says I can have one when I turn thirteen. Two more months,” hesays wistfully.Theo has been coming to the restaurant a couple of days a week afterschool since Brad’s promotion six months ago. Theo told me he wanted tobe a therapist when he grows up, so I let him practice on me. At first, thetalks we would have were intended for his benefit. But lately, I feel like I’mthe one benefiting.Brad peeks his head into my office in search of his son. “Let’s go. Atlashas work to do.” He motions for Theo to stand up, but Theo just keepsspinning in my desk chair.“Atlas is the one who called me in here. He needed advice.”“I’ll never understand whatever this is,” Brad says, pointing between meand Theo. “What advice do you get from my son? How to avoid yourchores and win at Minecraft?”Theo stands up and stretches his arms over his head. “Girls, actually.And winning isn’t the point of Minecraft, Dad. It’s more of a sandboxgame.” Theo looks over his shoulder at me as he’s leaving my office. “Justtext her.” He says that like it’s the obvious solution. Maybe it is.Brad yanks him away from the door.I settle back into my desk chair and stare at my blank phone screen.Maybe she memorized the wrong number.I open her contact and hesitate. Theo could be right. I could have comeon too strong this morning. We didn’t say much when we ran into eachother, but what we did say had meaning and intent. Maybe that scared her.Or… maybe I’m right and she memorized the wrong number.My fingers hover over my phone’s keyboard. I want to text her, but Idon’t want to pressure her. However, she and I both know our lives wouldhave turned out so different if I hadn’t made so many missteps with her inthe past.I spent years making excuses for why my life wasn’t good enough forher to be a part of it, but Lily always fit. She was a perfect fit. I refuse to lether walk away this time without a little more effort on my part. I’ll startwith making sure she has my correct number.It was good seeing you today, Lily.
I wait to see if she’s going to text me back. When I see the three dots popup, I hold my breath in anticipation.You too.I stare at her response for way too long, hoping it’ll be accompanied byanother text. But it isn’t. That’s all I’m getting.It’s only two words, but I can read between the lines.I sigh in defeat and drop my phone onto my desk.
Page 3: Thank you for downloadingthis Simon
Page 6 and 7: Dear reader,This book is a sequel t
Page 8 and 9: anything that came back to the kitc
Page 10 and 11: question I’m answering.” I focu
Page 12 and 13: The order is for a bouquet of roses
Page 14 and 15: But are we worth it? Is us potentia
Page 16 and 17: custody. Unless I was willing to dr
Page 18 and 19: consequences is that Ryle will alwa
Page 22 and 23: Chapter FourLilyMine and Ryle’s s
Page 24 and 25: I’m about to take another bite of
Page 26 and 27: I know the answers to these questio
Page 28 and 29: I rewind the footage even more unti
Page 30 and 31: “Am I dying?” She repeats my qu
Page 32 and 33: “Yes, he is a god,” Allysa whis
Page 34 and 35: She’s digging through her purse f
Page 36 and 37: “Atlas…” I say his name like
Page 38 and 39: She looks momentarily satisfied by
Page 40 and 41: He shrugs. “Kinda.”The discussi
Page 42 and 43: Chapter EightLilyIt’s almost 9:30
Page 44 and 45: “You don’t look exhausted.”I
Page 46 and 47: something that won’t embarrass me
Page 48 and 49: Atlas clears his throat, leaning fo
Page 50 and 51: Chapter NineAtlas“Let me see a pi
Page 52 and 53: My phone begins to buzz in my pocke
Page 54 and 55: “Yeah. Both restaurants are close
Page 56 and 57: I open my office door and find Brad
Page 58 and 59: other sick months ago, since it hap
Page 60 and 61: Chapter ElevenAtlasI wanted the day
Page 62 and 63: “I’ve never been there, either,
Page 64 and 65: I love that she’s asking me such
Page 66 and 67: He shrugged. “I don’t know. I w
Page 68 and 69: It’s obvious she has no clue how
Page 70 and 71:
Chapter TwelveLily“I can’t beli
Page 72 and 73:
that one day, that one meal, that p
Page 74 and 75:
She left the door open for me while
Page 76 and 77:
All I did was ask to move home. I d
Page 78 and 79:
the city and ordering burgers has b
Page 80 and 81:
“Do I get a redo?” I ask.“A r
Page 82 and 83:
dead giveaway that he’s angry. I
Page 84 and 85:
the stairwell. I take a nervous ste
Page 86 and 87:
“Everything would be so much easi
Page 88 and 89:
“Oh.” His eyes dart around, as
Page 90 and 91:
Chapter ThirteenAtlasIt’s amazing
Page 92 and 93:
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not he
Page 94 and 95:
“Where do you live?” I ask her.
Page 96 and 97:
Chapter FourteenLilyI’ve been out
Page 98 and 99:
I close the door and press my foreh
Page 100 and 101:
it flourish and grow. Like what Lil
Page 102 and 103:
sever. I feel like he could go spen
Page 104 and 105:
little girl from the homeless boy w
Page 106 and 107:
“You’re holding it wrong.” My
Page 108 and 109:
I have to hold back my irritation.
Page 110 and 111:
Chapter SixteenLilyYou lose your mo
Page 112 and 113:
“Look at this adorable outfit,”
Page 114 and 115:
It’s a kid.A kid who looks just l
Page 116 and 117:
He exhales. “I should probably ge
Page 118 and 119:
He takes a bite, and one of his eye
Page 120 and 121:
number and put the phone to my ear.
Page 122 and 123:
Josh reluctantly takes the credit c
Page 124 and 125:
and I was about to send him right b
Page 126 and 127:
“What are you wearing to Lucy’s
Page 128 and 129:
“He’s not, really. Not to me.
Page 130 and 131:
I immediately blush, and that makes
Page 132 and 133:
Chapter NineteenAtlasI have no idea
Page 134 and 135:
About an hour later, the kitchen is
Page 136 and 137:
Chapter TwentyLilyIt’s challengin
Page 138 and 139:
Atlas touches my hand that’s cupp
Page 140 and 141:
My lack of response is enough confi
Page 142 and 143:
other again, I could cry.
Page 144 and 145:
Lily tonight, it was hard to focus
Page 146 and 147:
Chapter Twenty-TwoLilyI’m trying
Page 148 and 149:
were younger. The desire, the thril
Page 150 and 151:
looks me up and down. I’m still a
Page 152 and 153:
Chapter Twenty-ThreeAtlasI should d
Page 154 and 155:
danger by showing up at your house
Page 156 and 157:
Chapter Twenty-FourLilyThere’s a
Page 158 and 159:
I blow out a calming breath, reliev
Page 160 and 161:
She hasn’t spotted me yet, so I t
Page 162 and 163:
There may come a day when I officia
Page 164 and 165:
Chapter Twenty-FiveAtlas“What tim
Page 166 and 167:
She sighs. “That’s the thing. I
Page 168 and 169:
Josh can’t see us from the dining
Page 170 and 171:
I’d never admit any of this out l
Page 172 and 173:
seeing, so they use their child as
Page 174 and 175:
Chapter Twenty-SixLilyYou disappoin
Page 176 and 177:
I’m so sick of his remorse. I wan
Page 178 and 179:
Chapter Twenty-SevenAtlasIt’s onl
Page 180 and 181:
“You think I don’t know the law
Page 182 and 183:
know I can make Lily, she’ll neve
Page 184 and 185:
guess this is the best possible out
Page 186 and 187:
“Then when?”It’s not really a
Page 188 and 189:
makes a beeline for me, sidesteppin
Page 190 and 191:
He nips at my ear, sending chills d
Page 192 and 193:
I make it to the doorway of his bat
Page 194 and 195:
squeezing water out of it with both
Page 196 and 197:
we have to pretend like we don’t
Page 198 and 199:
Chapter Twenty-NineAtlasI can’t g
Page 200 and 201:
“Where is he?”“At a friend’
Page 202 and 203:
Lily does it for me.She starts to w
Page 204 and 205:
plate of breakfast. I sit across fr
Page 206 and 207:
“I found your dad’s address.”
Page 208 and 209:
Chapter Thirty-OneAtlasIt’s a thr
Page 210 and 211:
remain from the shit I endured livi
Page 212 and 213:
make this decision for him.I just s
Page 214 and 215:
Chapter Thirty-TwoLilyAre you at ho
Page 216 and 217:
She’s giggling as soon as he make
Page 218 and 219:
Ryle’s jaw is twitching. His expr
Page 220 and 221:
“I did. It’s coconut shrimp.”
Page 222 and 223:
have been really difficult for you.
Page 224 and 225:
I unfold the note and trace the lit
Page 226 and 227:
and I had to swallow before I could
Page 228 and 229:
I’ve written in this letter. And
Page 230 and 231:
Chapter Thirty-FiveAtlas“Aren’t
Page 232 and 233:
Marshall glances over at the car th
Page 234 and 235:
Chapter Thirty-SixLilyI’m curled
Page 236 and 237:
But his question about leaving with
Page 238 and 239:
home from work early and the two of
Page 240 and 241:
I pull the page out of my pocket an
Page 242 and 243:
Optimistically speaking, we could l
Page 244 and 245:
both more than words can say, and e
Page 246 and 247:
About the AuthorCOLLEEN HOOVER is t
Page 248 and 249:
LaylaVerityReminders of HimAlso by
Page 250:
First published in the USA by Atria
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Booktree.ngIt-Starts-with-Us-Colleen-Hoover

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