For the next couple of weeks she held Peter like a secret in her heart, lying right under her necklace. I could see him written on her face, and Tik Tok, too, seemed to catch shadows of him, because he'd stop to stare at her, puzzled, as if he'd just seen the boy flit across her eyes-seen the ghost of the kiss lingering for a second on the skin of her neck before disappearing.

Summary

This quote describes how the speaker notices that a girl is hiding her feelings for someone named Peter, symbolized by holding him "like a secret in her heart." The girl's emotions are evident on her face, and even her close companion, Tik Tok, notices the traces of Peter's presence in her expressions. Tik Tok's puzzled reaction suggests that he does not fully understand or know about the connection between the girl and Peter. The mention of a kiss and its lingering presence on her neck conveys the intensity and importance of their relationship, even though it is hidden from others.