Chapter 17

Stella searches for something pretty to wear to her date with Will while Poe watches from the doorway. Poe teases her for choosing a pair of boxers and a tank top. At the atrium, Stella waits for Will on a bench, with the pool cue, and a rose tucked behind her ear. When Will arrives at the atrium, she tells him to hold the other end of the cue. Since the cue measures five feet, this way they will be able to maintain the exact distance between them. Will is struck by how pretty Stella looks.

Chapter 18

Will feels he is falling in love with Stella in a way he never has before. The two walk around the atrium, stopping to admire its giant fish tank, then head out to explore the sleeping hospital. Will tells Stella that his beautiful, ambitious, and driven mother treats him like a problem to be solved rather than a person. Stella suggests Will talk to her, but Will tells her he will be an adult in two days and free to make his own decisions. Stella leads Will to the gym, where they sit by the poolside. As they discuss the possibility of death, Stella tells Will that she often wonders if Abby felt afraid and lonely when she died. Will says every person dies alone, so Stella shouldn’t feel guilty. They decide to dive in the pool. Stella tells Will she has never been intimate with anyone, since there is nothing sexy about her scars and tube. However, Will tells her she is perfect. The two feel deeply attracted to each other and wish they could touch.