What did you say when someone hurt like this? All she could do was rest her beating heart next to his and hurt with him.

She’d still eat it even if she hated it,

He’d developed a new kink, and it involved a shy girl who daydreamed about economics.

For several stomach-twisting moments, she ran through her list of presocialization reminders: think before you talk (anything and everything can be an insult to someone; when in doubt, say nothing), be nice, sitting on your hands prevents fidgeting and feels good, make eye contact, smile (no teeth, that’s scary), don’t start thinking about work, do

When people fought, it always felt like a personal attack for her. It didn’t matter if she was just a bystander.

What was she supposed to do? Pine over him for eternity?

She was on the verge of hyperventilating, and her muscles were so tense, she was one large impending charley horse.

Somehow, some way, Stella had used market data, math, and statistics, to quantify love into a single variable.

“People don’t like honest. Except for when you’re saying good things.