Fall Into You (Morally Gray, #2)

by J.T. Geissinger

And every time you miss him, just remember there are plenty of fish in the sea.” “You know what else there’s plenty of in the sea? Trash.”

It’s strange how such a good-looking man can give off such an unpleasant vibe. He’s a black hole over there, extinguishing all the light around him.

I sit beside him and smile politely. “I’d apologize for the inconvenience, but I think I’m going to enjoy annoying you for the next ten minutes.” “Why would you want to annoy me?” “You look like a lot of women’s biggest regret.”

And your man didn’t dump you. He freed you. He did you a favor. Take all that energy back that you’re wasting mourning the relationship and focus it on yourself. A queen doesn’t need the love of the village idiot.”

We’re not even two minutes into the conversation, and you’ve already called my ex a clown and an idiot.” “That’s being generous. Because any man who’d let a woman like you go is nothing but a little bitch.”

“There’s no such thing as too needy. The wrong person will never be able to meet your needs. Stop giving people grace who make you feel like you’re the problem. And stop holding on to who he pretended to be. He lied.”

“I’m telling you that the more normal someone seems, the more skeletons they’ve got buried in their backyard.

It takes a man with a good heart to recognize when he’s the monster in someone else’s story. The courage it takes to break his own heart to save another’s proves he’s not really a monster. He’s a hero. He just wants to think of himself as the bad guy so he never gets hurt again.”

Many months later, after both our hearts are battered and bloodied, after all our tears have been shed and we’re strangers once again, I’ll look back on this moment and realize I was already lost.

She smiles. I wish I could take a picture of that smile. It could end wars.

“Because even a complete stranger can see how you deserve to be worshipped.”

“Christian Grey has multiple personality disorders caused by intense childhood trauma. Edward Cullen is a controlling stalker who wants to kill Bella by drinking her blood. Mr. Darcy is an arrogant prick with crippling social anxiety and prejudice against the lower class. Yet all these flawed characters have inspired millions of women to think that broken men are somehow ideal, or could be, if only the right woman loved them.”

“You can’t actually believe jerking me off under the tablecloth could be less awkward.” “At least I’d be holding onto something other than my humiliation.”

Many months later, I’ll look back on this moment and realize I never had a chance. I was a goner the second she sat down next to me and smiled.

“You three have less nurturing instinct between you than the average quokka.” “What’s a quokka?” asks Jen. “A cute little furry marsupial that throws its baby at predators so it can escape.”

It makes me smile. Then I remember I don’t do that and scowl instead.

Don’t all those he-man romance heroes of yours toss their women around like sacks of flour?”

“God. No wonder you’re so arrogant. You look like you were created by artificial intelligence to star in action movies.”

“Cole, you are fanfuckingtastic.”

and if there’s a heaven, I hope one-night stands are allowed there.

In another life, I would love this woman. I’d love her so much, I’d burn down the whole world just to spend an afternoon by her side.

“Then everyone who knows you is wrong, Cole. Your heart isn’t cold. It’s warm, and it’s beautiful. You just keep it on ice so nobody can melt it.”

We stare at each other. Neither of us smiles. The room feels stuffy and too small. I have no idea if we’re fighting or flirting. I’ve had root canals more pleasant than this.

“You said you ‘stopped’ Dylan. What does that mean?” “I shoved him.” I take in his raw knuckles, his wrinkled slacks, the stains on his shirt. “You shoved him.” “Yes.” “Into a hole you dug?”

After another long moment, the mattress dips on my right side. A strong hand tenderly smooths my hair. He orders, “Stop smiling.” “I can’t help it.” “We’re not going to have a relationship, Shay.” “I don’t care how sternly you try to say that, it still sounds like BS.” “It’s not BS.” “Oh, come on. You’re obsessed with me. How long do you think you can hold out before you’re sending me diamonds and roses and writing me love songs?”

“I’m not making a face.” “You are. It’s like, ‘Ew, smelly peasant, get out of my way with your rotting teeth and dirty rags, can’t you see the king of the universe is passing through?’ Like that. Super arrogant and scornful.

The guy you had a one-night stand with turns out to be your new boss? Don’t let him get the upper hand. Tell him he looks like an owl. The new boss makes one of your co-workers disappear? Declare the boss your boyfriend and try to seduce him. It’s insanity. All of it. Me, her, this goddamn book.

“Why do you sound so surprised to hear from me?” “I never gave you this number.” “Did you really think it would be hard for me to get?” “Riight. You being ruler of the universe and everything. I miss you.”

“I know it doesn’t make sense. I don’t get it either. It’s just how I feel. You could ask me to be the driver of your getaway car, and I’d say yes. You could ask me to lie to the FBI, and I’d say yes. Just please don’t ask me to help you bury a body because digging a big hole sounds really hard, and my arm strength isn’t what it should be.”

“I think you’re beautiful. All your parts. All your broken pieces. They’re beautiful to me, and so are you. So if I never get the chance to tell you again, I’m telling you now that if you and your monsters ever decide you need a home, you have one in me.”

“Be careful what you wish for, baby. And if I ever say I love you, be afraid. Because my love isn’t soft. It isn’t pretty. It’s the monster hiding under your bed in the dark.”

Eyes shining, he says quietly, “I meant it’s good because you’ve taken my brain hostage too. And my heart. And my soul. What’s left of it anyway. It’s all yours, if you’ll have it.”

“Good, baby. Because you offered this monster a home, and he’s taking you up on the invitation.”

So thank you for being my safe space. You’ve been giving me more grace than I deserve since the day we met.”

you carved your name into my heart, and it will stay there forever.

It’s the little things that get me. The intimate little things nobody else sees but me. How she looks when she wakes up first thing in the morning. The way she combs her hair, puts on her makeup, yawns late at night when she’s sleepy, closes her eyes when she takes the first sip of coffee in the morning. How she smiles when I touch her. How she sighs when I kiss her.

I fell in love with you the first day we met when you sat down at my table and smiled at me. And I’ll love you until I take my last breath. Nobody else has ever been as good to me or for me as you’ve been, and I want to spend the rest of my life trying to be that good for you. So please do me the honor of marrying me, because without you, I’m nothing.”