How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
A ghost of a sad smile appeared on his lips, and my heart felt as if it were being choked. (11.41)
When Nikki decides to lie to Jack about whether she remembers their shared history, she does so out of a desire to spare him more pain. But in doing so, she just causes them both to suffer more. Jack's obviously hurt by this, and Nikki's hurt by seeing him hurt. It doesn't seem like there are any really easy solutions to help avoid suffering.
Quote #5
"Losing you once was hard enough. And now you're here again and everything's coming back. I'm going to get screwed. And I can't do it again. And the people around me can't watch me do it again." (17.109)
Jack says these oh-so-lovely things to Nikki during the Christmas Dance when Cole starts manipulating the crowd's emotions. Everyone who's there gets into some kind of fight, and because Jack and Nikki are dancing right then, Jack picks a fight with Nikki. We get the sense that he's speaking the truth on some level, even if he's being blunter right now than normal for him. But we also get where he's coming from: Nikki's reappearance has been painful for him, and that's a valid thing to feel.
Quote #6
The day with the flyers was excruciating, and I had no idea where it left me with Jack. (20.1)
As though Nikki doesn't have enough emotional pain on her plate, she has to spend a painfully awkward afternoon passing out flyers for her dad's reelection with Jack and Jules. It just shows that suffering comes in many flavors; it's not always outright grief or frustration, but it can also come from knowing that you've lost a sense of closeness with former friends.