Wildfire (Maple Hills, #2)

by Hannah Grace

but the thought stops there when she starts to laugh. And it’s fucking magical.

The balance between being the perfect daughter and my own person is like walking a tightrope. Except there’s a hurricane. And the rope is on fire.

“Russ.” I swear I nearly say muffin.

Lmao

As much as I don’t want to be, I’m the moth and Aurora is the brightest flame.

Unnecessary worry is a mentally exhausting process, and by definition, there’s no logic to it. All it does is make me feel alone, even when I’m surrounded by people.

Her shoulders shake as she laughs. “I’m so bad. I’m literally a goalie’s dream.” “You are.” She finally looks up as I put the paper dove down in front of her. “Speaking as a goalie, that is.”

“You deserve people in your life who make you feel good, Aurora.” “You make me feel good.”

“I wouldn’t have married him if he was a bad man. People don’t wake up one day and decide to become addicted to something. They don’t choose to hurt the people they love.”

“Well, green is my favorite color.” “What type of green? Ogre green?” “Whatever shade your eyes are.”

Forgiving people who repeatedly let you down is like sticking your hand in a fire over and over and expecting it to not keep burning you.”

Seeing you is the best part of my day. And if you’re happy to wait and be patient while I work out what that means, then maybe we can have something special.” Now I’m the one who’s thrown. It feels too easy, too natural to be real life, but it is my real life. “I’d wait forever for you, Aurora.”

the butterfly effect. If I change one thing in my past, it’d cause a ripple effect, and I wouldn’t chance not meeting you.”

You’re like sunlight, Rory. I want to bask in everything you have. And I absolutely don’t want to share that with Clay. Not even for a minute.”

Every drop of self-doubt waters the soil, and once they start to grow it feels impossible to stop. But it isn’t impossible, it just takes someone to rip them out by the root, over and over if needed.

“You are the brightest thing in my life, Aurora,” he says. “And you’re a living reminder of the good things that can happen when I allow myself to be happy.”

“Your attention is a gift, Aurora. I have no intention of not valuing the time I get with you.”

You’ll never have to question if you’re wanted. You’ll never have to question if you’re my first choice.” My heart is hammering in my chest as the words pour out of me. The duvet is still draped over her shoulders, making it easier for me to pull each side, pulling her body down to mine again. “You are.”

“Dad is a word. It doesn’t mean anything unless there is action and intention behind it.

“I never expected someone like Aurora to even look in my direction, but she has, and I’m going to cling on to that with both hands. I know you love her, Jenna. All I want to do is make her happy.”

I’ve kept my head down, kept my stories and secrets and done my best to carry around my baggage alone. She makes me not want to be alone anymore. I’m sorry I broke the rules, but I don’t regret it, and I’d do it again if it meant I could do it with her. I’m grateful for the opportunity your family has given me, but I’m more grateful for her.”

“What about the wedding?” “You’re my first choice, Russ,” she whispers, burying her head into my neck. “Where you go, I go. You don’t have to face this alone.”

CRYING

I’ve lived a thousand lives between a thousand pages, but no story, no life, no page has ever made me as happy as you do, Russ Callaghan.”