It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

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Marshall glances over at the car that Ryle’s sitting in, and then back to me.“Sorry he’s not getting out. This is all still a little weird for him. Her movingin with you.”When Marshall says “her,” he doesn’t mean Lily. He’s looking atEmerson. I nod in understanding, because I do understand. “It’s fine. I can’timagine this is easy for him.”Marshall ruffles Emmy’s hair and then says, “I’ll get out of here so youguys can finish up. It was good finally meeting you.”“You too,” I say. And I mean that. Marshall seems like someone I couldbe friends with if the circumstances were different.He turns to head back to Ryle’s car, but he pauses and faces me againbefore he gets very far. “Thank you,” he says. “Lily means a lot to my wife,so… yeah. Thanks for making Lily happy. She deserves it.” As soon asMarshall says that, he shakes his head and holds up his hands, taking a stepback. “I’ll go now before it gets too awkward.” He makes a beeline forRyle’s car, but I kind of wish he wouldn’t have run off so fast. I would havethanked him, too. I know his support has meant a lot to Lily.Marshall shuts the passenger door, and Ryle puts his car in drive andheads out.I glance at Emmy, who is now chewing on my sunglasses. “You want togo say hi to Mommy?” I start to walk in the direction of the building, but Ipause when I see Lily standing in the doorway to the stairwell.As soon as she sees me, she spins around and wipes quickly at her eyes.I’m not sure why she’s crying, but I walk a little bit slower so she can erasethe tears before she greets her daughter. Sure enough, several seconds later,she spins around with a big grin and takes Emmy from me.“Did you have fun with your daddy today?” she asks, right before shesmothers Emmy with several kisses.When she looks at me, I shoot her a curious look, wondering why she wascrying. She gestures to the parking lot, where Ryle’s car was momentsbefore.“That was a big thing,” she says. “I mean, I know Marshall was with him,but the fact that he felt okay enough to leave her with you…” She’s startingto tear up again, which makes her sigh and roll her eyes at her own reaction.“It feels good knowing the men in her life can at least pretend to get along forher sake.”
It honestly makes me feel good, too. I’m glad she was upstairs when theyshowed up. I know Ryle sat in the car while Marshall handed her over, but itwas a step in the right direction. Maybe Ryle and I needed an exchange likethat just as much as Lily did.We just proved cooperation is possible, even if it stings.I wipe at Lily’s wet cheek, and then I give her a quick kiss. “I love you.” Iput my hand on Lily’s lower back and guide her toward the stairs. “One moretrip before you’re stuck with me forever.”Lily laughs. “I can’t wait to be stuck with you forever.”
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Thank you for downloadingthis Simon
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Dear reader,This book is a sequel t
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anything that came back to the kitc
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question I’m answering.” I focu
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The order is for a bouquet of roses
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I haven’t felt this conflicted in
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domestic violence, my lawyer said i
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daughter. And if Atlas Corrigan is
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It surprises me that he doesn’t h
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Chapter FourLilyMine and Ryle’s s
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I’m about to take another bite of
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I know the answers to these questio
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hard to make out facial features, b
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“Who doesn’t?”Every ounce of
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What is he doing here?And why does
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“Keys. I accidentally brought the
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“I want to help you uncomplicate
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In Allysa’s idea of a perfect wor
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He shrugs. “Kinda.”The discussi
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Chapter EightLilyIt’s almost 9:30
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“You don’t look exhausted.”I
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won’t embarrass me too much. “W
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bedroom window back then, because a
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Chapter NineAtlas“Let me see a pi
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My phone begins to buzz in my pocke
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“Yeah. Both restaurants are close
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restaurant overnight was contained
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months ago, since it happens every
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Chapter ElevenAtlasI wanted the day
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“I have a present for you,” she
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myself. “Up until last week, it w
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uses bottled water to brush his tee
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mean to write as much as I do, but
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Chapter TwelveLily“I can’t beli
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one day, that one meal, that part o
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She left the door open for me while
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All I did was ask to move home. I d
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city and ordering burgers has been
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“A redo of what?”“This date.
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Ryle is still staring at the televi
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stairwell. I take a nervous step ba
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“Everything would be so much easi
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“Oh.” His eyes dart around, as
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Chapter ThirteenAtlasIt’s amazing
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She leans back against her seat, re
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“Go back there in case he shows u
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Chapter FourteenLilyI’ve been out
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I blame Ryle for that. He took what
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Maybe that’s why I feel more prot
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years being a teenager and then it
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My father said I’d shamed our who
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There’s still a youthfulness to t
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“My house. I have a room for you
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life. You have to either figure out
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I close the door and go find my pho
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“That’s why my mother tried cal
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Chapter SeventeenAtlasJosh doesn’
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Josh doesn’t look at me. He scoot
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The Risemore Inn is clear on the ot
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I urge him forward. “Go to the ca
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“We’re not going.”“What?”
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“He’s not, really. Not to me.
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I immediately blush, and that makes
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Chapter NineteenAtlasI have no idea
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About an hour later, the kitchen is
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Chapter TwentyLilyIt’s challengin
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fingers through it. He opens his mo
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Atlas is so angry, but this is an a
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Chapter Twenty-OneAtlasThere have b
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“It’s fine!” I hear Theo yell
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my head, and of course it snags in
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Every part of my body feels like it
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so completely and wholly in the mom
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I’m not surprised she’s thinkin
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note on the pillow next to her. The
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“Let me call my mother and let he
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gripping my neck, and there’s a s
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Love,AtlasI flinch so hard, I almos
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I climb into my car right when the
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I shake my head. “Not really. I m
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“No. But he’s really upset, and
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worry about me forming an attachmen
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Her response makes my heart stutter
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This is the only negative aspect to
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By the time I drop her off with my
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Lucy appears in the doorway of my o
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“My biggest fan.” I nudge my he
Page 178 and 179: He stares at me for a beat, then sa
Page 180 and 181: Darin hands me a wet rag. “You’
Page 182 and 183: Chapter Twenty-EightLilyAllysa has
Page 184 and 185: married to Ryle, no matter how much
Page 186 and 187: wants more time off. I guess now I
Page 188 and 189: “Nine five nine five,” I repeat
Page 190 and 191: I feel his hands slide to my should
Page 192 and 193: “Hopefully.” I do hope things b
Page 194 and 195: Chapter Twenty-NineAtlasI can’t g
Page 196 and 197: “At a friend’s house.” I pull
Page 198 and 199: Lily does it for me.She starts to w
Page 200 and 201: “Where’s Emerson?” he asks.
Page 202 and 203: I pause gathering my things and wal
Page 204 and 205: Chapter Thirty-OneAtlasIt’s a thr
Page 206 and 207: “Did Tim do that to you?”I clen
Page 208 and 209: them. I only ever want to be honest
Page 210 and 211: Chapter Thirty-TwoLilyAre you at ho
Page 212 and 213: She’s giggling as soon as he make
Page 214 and 215: Ryle’s jaw is twitching. His expr
Page 216 and 217: “I did. It’s coconut shrimp.”
Page 218 and 219: depressed. I don’t know why you c
Page 220 and 221: I unfold the note and trace the lit
Page 222 and 223: but I had to get out of your bedroo
Page 224 and 225: I’ve never taken care of a sick p
Page 226 and 227: Chapter Thirty-FiveAtlas“Aren’t
Page 230 and 231: Chapter Thirty-SixLilyI’m curled
Page 232 and 233: But his question about leaving with
Page 234 and 235: from work early and the two of you
Page 236 and 237: I pull the page out of my pocket an
Page 238 and 239: Optimistically speaking, we could l
Page 240 and 241: more than words can say, and every
Page 242 and 243: About the AuthorCOLLEEN HOOVER is t
Page 244 and 245: LaylaVerityReminders of HimAlso by
Page 246: First published in the USA by Atria
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It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

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