in the warmth of early spring , with my college enrollment all lined up for fall and my insecurities carefully compartmentalized-the sting of my failed crush finally beginning to heal-i stumbled upon nash and his friends outside smoking after school ... my heart lurched , but none of them saw me and i scuttled by , hoping to hurry to my car and planning on ignoring him like i had been doing since the party , when his deep voice assaulted my ears .