Quote 7
"Maybe no one is responsible, Dani. Maybe it's just like the report said. Maybe she killed herself. Or maybe she fell asleep at the wheel. Or maybe a deer jumped in front of her. Maybe she was a crappy driver. Maybe you should stop obsessing about it." The words shot out like bullets and each one brought her closer to tears and now my chest ached more. (27.65)
Jake makes some good points here. Dani is on the lookout for some answers, but Jake tells her she may never find them—Amy's death might have just been one of those things that happen without it being anyone's fault. This is tough for Dani to accept.
Quote 8
My phone vibrated on the counter, and I picked it up. It was Jake. "How's it going?" he asked. It was just three simple, non-committal, non-romantic words, yet the sound of his deep voice made my knees weak.
"Everything is fine." I actually had to keep the tremble out of my voice. I'd never had this reaction to any guy, but after he'd kissed me in the hallway and again in the jeep when his lips had drifted over the scars on my face, I realized I'd lost my heart to the guy. (34.11-12)
Just like Amy, Dani doesn't adore Jake for his good looks alone; he's also a super nice guy. He protects her. He calls to check on her. The caring in his voice is what really lets Dani know this guy is something special. Serious swoons.
Quote 9
The vase of dead flowers and the pathetically filthy toy polar bear lay crumpled and dirty on the roadside memorial. Right after the suicide, the road had been lined with flowers, balloons, and hand-drawn posters declaring how much everyone had loved Amy. It was all such bull. The same people had never given her the time of day when she was alive.
The scent of lime drifted up from the unattended memorial. Someone had visited the spot recently and had left a bowl of something green. There was a little sign next to the bowl that read "in case there's no lime Jell-O in heaven. Love D." I stared at the bizarre tribute for a second then headed home on foot. (1.3-4)
Jake is really annoyed with the hypocrisy surrounding Amy's death. People who never cared about her in life are paying tribute to her in death. Maybe if some of those people had reached out to her while she was still alive, she never would have driven over that cliff. Just a thought.