After We Fell by Anna Todd
“Oops, did I say something I wasn’t supposed to?” Her laugh rings through the bar. She’s a fucking idiot.
Confused, I look at Mike, who has no color left in his round face. He looks like he could pass out at any moment. My mind begins to shift, and I look over at Vance, who is equally pale and nervously shifting from one foot to the other.
Why are they being so dramatic over some dumb chick’s random nonsense?
“You shut up, now.” Max removes the woman from the table and practically drags her through the bar.
“She wasn’t supposed to—” Vance runs his hand over his hair. “I was going to . . .” He balls his fists at his sides.
She wasn’t supposed to what? Make some stupid comment about Vance being my father when clearly my father is . . .
I look at the panicked man in front of me, his green eyes on fire, his fingers frantically running over his hair . . .
It takes me a moment to realize that my hands are doing the exact same thing.
acknowledgments
I can’t believe I’m writing acknowledgments for the third book already! Time has literally flown, wings and all, away from me, and I’m so grateful for this crazy ride. I have so many people in my life worth thanking, and I’m going to try and fit as many as I can here.
First, my readers and loyal Afternators. You guys never fail to amaze me with your support and love. You show up in numbers to every event I have, you tweet me about your day, you care about mine, and you are always my cyber-sidekicks everywhere I go. I feel as if we have this bond beyond the typical reader/writer relationship where we are more than that, more than friends, even. We are family, and I could never thank you enough for being there for me and for each other. We have one more book to go in this series, and I hope you feel the sense of pride and ownership as you always have. I love you all so freaking much, and you mean the world to me.
Adam Wilson, my superhero of an editor at Gallery. We have gotten through so much work together, and we’ve been a steam train at getting these books done at a super speed, with you making it “easy” for me. You teach me to be a better writer through your comments and jokes, and you get my sense of humor. I was afraid at first to have a “big, bad editor,” but you’ve been everything I could have hoped for! Thank you!
Ashleigh Gardner, you have become a very close friend to me. I’ve said this before, but honestly, you’re the type of woman I look up to. You’re strong and fierce, but so sweet and silly at the same time. You always have excellent book recommendations, and you take me to strange food places and don’t make me feel stupid for needing a fork to eat ceviche or when I don’t understand something (un-food-related, too—haha). I really just admire you a lot, and I’m so happy for your new marriage, and I want to thank you for everything.
Candice Faktor, since we met, we had so much in common to the point where it was creepy. I knew instantly that you and Amy were my type of people, and I was so relieved when you turned out to be awesome. I love the way you speak about everything so passionately—we are alike in that way as well. You are always so genuine and so organic, and I’m just thankful to be working with you and consider you a friend.
Nazia Khan, thank you for helping me learn to speak in public and make it through an interview without becoming a total disaster. You always make things fun, and you only get a little mad at me when I give people my email address without telling you first (haha). You’re a good friend to me now, too, and we are getting ready to go to AMA’s (in actual life, not when you’re reading this), and I’m so, so happy you are the one to come with me! Thanks for everything!
Caitlin, Zoe, Nick, Danielle, Kevin (both of you), Tarun, Rich, everyone at Wattpad—you guys are beyond a doubt the best team imaginable. I know none of you signed on to Wattpad thinking you would have to do so much for After and for me, and I want to thank you for welcoming me into the family and helping me with everything After-related and some things not. I can’t wait to see what the future brings all of us! You guys are the most creative, most daring and fun group, and I care so much for all of you. Thank you for all the laughs, Nick’s picture taking, the wine drinking, the rainy but super-awesome condo crawl, and the massive amounts of food that seem to be there every time I visit.
Allen and Ivan, without Wattpad I wouldn’t have found myself, so thank you for creating one of the most important things in my life. I know others share this sentiment as well.
Kristin Dwyer, thank you for making me laugh and calling me “dude” all the time. I’m so happy to work with you and appreciate all the hours of work you put into me. I really love you and your humor, your hard work, how you make me remember that the good always overcomes the bad, and everything else you do for me!
Everyone at Gallery who has welcomed me, the inexperienced, overly fangirlish, weirdo author who mostly has no idea what she’s doing but loves doing it! I appreciate all of the work you all do for this project, from the sales team to the production team. Jen Bergstrom and Louise Burke, for letting Adam sign me up. Martin Karlow, I know you’ve worked so hard on this, and I’m grateful for that! Steve Breslin, as Adam says, “You keep this train somewhat on track!”
Christina and Lo, you two have been great mentors and friends to me, and I love you both!
To all the Tessas and Hardins in the world who love fiercely and make mistakes along the way.
All of my friends and family who have supported me since I let the cat out of the bag that I just happened to, you know, write four books without them knowing. I love you all.
Last but not least, my Jordan. You are everything to me, and I can’t thank you enough for being my rock this last year and the many before. We are so lucky to have found each other so early in life, and it’s been the best adventure growing up with you. You make me laugh and make me want to murder you (not actually, because I would sort of miss you, sometimes). I love you.
AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH BY J.D. WITKOWSKI
ANNA TODD is a first-time writer spending her days in the Austin area with her husband, with whom she beat half the statistics by getting married one month after graduating high school. Between her husband’s three deployments to Iraq, she worked odd jobs from a makeup counter to the IRS processing center. Anna was always an avid reader and boy band and romance lover, so now that she’s found a way to combine the three, she’s enjoying living a real-life dream come true.
Find her at AnnaToddBooks.com, on Twitter at @imaginator1dx, on Instagram at @imaginator1d, and on Wattpad as Imaginator1D.
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Gallery Books
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 by Anna Todd
The author is represented by Wattpad.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Gallery Books Subsidiary Ri
First Gallery Books trade paperback edition December 2014
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Interior design by Davina Mock-Maniscalco
Cover design by Damonza
Cover image © Ase/Shutterstock
Infinity symbol courtesy of Grupo Planeta, Art Department
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-1-4767-9250-7
ISBN 978-1-4767-9256-9 (ebook)
Anna Todd, After We Fell