‘Dana?’ I’d never used her first name before. ‘Thank you. I know our relationship didn’t start out the best way, but like you say, I hope we can change that.’
She smiled and left the room, her skirts billowing after her.
I felt slightly stunned by how much of what she’d said made sense to me. I’d always felt pretty alone when it came to the situation with Mum — after all, none of my friends’ mums had abandoned them — so to have someone talk about the same hurt and fear was reassuring. It was funny how help could come in the most unexpected packages sometimes.
Obviously there was a history between Dana and me, but I had to admit that I was glad the NAD had found someone who was sensitive to his wounds and was working with him to heal them. Now that I understood her a little better, maybe she and I would become closer, especially now she and Dad had become a more permanent thing.
However, even as my stepmother, I knew she would never be a replacement for my own mother. No-one would. That relationship would always be a piece missing in the jigsaw puzzle that was my life. Part of me would always be looking for it, wanting to fill the gap so my life felt complete, but it wasn’t to be. I’d never stop feeling that sadness, but if I wanted to live a happy life I had to realise that one missing piece couldn’t detract from the overall beauty of the picture. Mum might have left me, but I couldn’t let her take all of my joy and positivity with her. I needed to focus on the relationships I did have.
I thought about Jelena’s determination to fulfil her dreams, even after someone had abused her and tried to steal them away. Chloe’s vow to not be the wounded woman again. Lindsay’s ability to stick with someone who’d once hurt her and whom she’d now hurt back, and to try to work things out until they came right. Sara’s resolve to love passionately, but stay true to her writing. The NAD’s and Dana’s bravery in standing up in front of everyone and trying again. None of it was easy. All of it took courage. And I admired them for it.
And, all of a sudden, I wanted to know that I’d been brave too.
I ran out the front door and towards the fence between the Parises’ house and ours. Hayden was already standing there, like he’d been holding a constant vigil. I leapt over the fence and his mouth dropped open in shock.
‘Please, don’t say anything yet,’ I begged him. ‘I know just last night I asked you to walk away from me, but that’s the exact opposite of what I want now. I need you to hear me out. You remember the Leap of Faith at camp? You held your arms out and I leapt into them. I think I can do that again. I’m not saying I won’t teeter at the edge sometimes and feel like my fear is getting the better of me, but I know that your voice will always cut through the terror. I couldn’t do it last night, I know. But like I told you, I didn’t have the faith in myself. I do now. I know I can take that last step and launch myself out. After all, it takes two — you can’t catch me if I don’t jump.’
‘Show me,’ Hayden whispered. ‘I’m standing with my arms open right now. I want to know you can do it.’
His arms were wide, waiting for me. Taking the remaining two steps that separated us, I launched myself into them. Our bodies entwined, I put my lips to his, kissing him over and over, each kiss a pledge to stay with him, to not let fear get the better of me. I put everything I was feeling and hoping into my kisses, desperation and conviction all jumbled into one crazy, non-verbal promise that had to win him over.
‘Are those kisses meant to convince me?’ Hayden asked when I finally pulled away.
Meant to? Was he saying they hadn’t worked?
He grinned. ‘You’ll never need to convince me. Like you said, I have faith in you. My arms are open 24/7. In fact, I had this made today in the hope of convincing you.’
He pulled something from his back pocket — a baby-pink T-shirt with Love is my religion scrawled across it in hot pink letters.
‘It’s perfect!’
My favourite quote from Keats. He knew me better than anyone. My eyes smarted as I realised how steadfast his belief in me was.
‘And now you can wear it with pride. My champion of love and Cupid’s co-pilot.’ He touched my cheek tenderly. ‘My Princess.’
Hayden pulled me to him again. Both of us knew that this was the beginning of a very happy ending.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Firstly, tremendous thanks to the beautiful Lisa Berryman for guiding Aurora’s second journey — it was absolutely wonderful to deliver How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You to such an enthusiastic recipient. Thank you for handling all aspects of the publishing process with such care and concern for not only Aurora and her story but also myself as a writer.
Kate Burnitt — I couldn’t do this without you! Your absolute calm in amongst the myriad detail of each manuscript I deliver is utterly reassuring. I am in absolute awe of your attention to detail and conscientious command of the overall editorial project. Thank you so much.
Nicola O’Shea — thank you for not passing out when handed a 160,000-word manuscript, and for expertly suggesting cuts and edits to whip the thing into slimmer shape! You are a fundamental part of ensuring Aurora’s voice stays true to her readers and I thank you for that.
Emma Dowden — thanks for picking up on all of the finer details so that Aurora’s world makes sense!
Gemma Fahy and Cristina Cappelluto — big cheers once again for the multitude of things you watch over to ensure all runs smoothly.
Amy Fox — I see how much dedication you have for what you do. You did such a wonderful job selling the first book into stores across the country and I know it’s the same case second time round. Your efforts have been vital in ensuring my stories reach readers, so huge applause for you.
Amanda Diaz — it’s been wonderful having you as my publicist so far. Your efforts with the magazines and the writers’ festival, along with your suggestions for the Facebook page, should be commended. Can’t wait to work with you more closely once this thing is launched.
Thanks also to Tim Miller for his role in the marketing of the series so far.
Thanks once again to Matt Stanton, Blueboat and the overall HarperCollins design team for another GORGEOUS cover. I know readers are going to fall in love with it.
Thanks also to the typesetting masters Graeme Jones and Yvonne Fillery!
My family — I couldn’t have got through the writing of this manuscript without you. Dad and Sue, thank you for taking the dozens of phone calls from one stressed-out-bordering-on-insane author — it’s beyond reassuring to have two creative people who fundamentally understand the creative process cheering me on. My sister Sarada, my brother Rama and my brother-in-law Angus, thank you for being on the other end of the line whenever I needed you. It’s been so wonderful to witness your support and enthusiasm for my books and to share in the joy of publication with you.
Greg — I gave you the dedication, baby! You were my rock through everything. I am blessed, blessed, blessed to experience the level of love, affection and support that you give me. You are evidence that Potential Princes really do exist.
The Sorour family — Cecil, Sharon and Helen — I wrote virtually half of this novel in your home! Thank you so much for letting a writer camp out and type away almost every weekend and for providing respite when I took breaks from the manuscript. It’s been so lovely to spend time with you all.
For my hilarious friends, Bo Hyea-Ok, Vanessa Williams and Annabel Watson, who lighten me up when it all gets too serious — and provide some truly brilliant inspiration sometimes!
My wonderful fans — on Facebook, on Goodreads, in bookstores — I have adored hearing from you. I wrote this sequel during the time that How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You was released, and your vivacious enthusiasm kept me motivated to deliver a story as good (or perhaps even better!) for you to enjoy. Please feel free to inbox me or contact me via the Facebook page. It’s an absolute joy to hear your thoughts on the book, the characters, and love and dating overall!
About the Author
Tara Eglington gre
w up in Byron Bay, NSW, and was brought up by a real-life NAD (New Age Dad), although thankfully he never dated her interpretive dance teacher. She was inspired to write the Aurora Skye series after she stumbled upon an old teenage diary and realised just how many ‘rules’ of attraction she had noted down at age seventeen. Like Aurora, she was dedicated to her field research, once using her Year Eleven statistics class to conduct a sneaky survey of what her forty classmates found attractive in the opposite sex, before creating colour-coded graphs of their preferences. How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You is her second novel.
Visit Aurora Skye and her Find a Prince Program™
at www.facebook.com/findaprince
Also by Tara Eglington
How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You
Copyright
Angus&Robertson
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, Australia
First published in Australia in 2013
This edition published in 2013
by HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Limited
ABN 36 009 913 517
harpercollins.com.au
Copyright © Tara Juanita Eglington 2013
The right of Tara Juanita Eglington to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Eglington, Tara.
How to convince a boy to kiss you / Tara Eglington.
ISBN: 978 0 7322 9518 9 (paperback)
ISBN: 978 1 7430 9563 8 (epub)
For girls aged 12+
A823.4
Cover design by Blueboat
Author photograph by Ted Sealey/Southern Cross University
How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You Page 41