Tangled Up in You (Meant to Be, #4)

by Christina Lauren

Tomorrow was a yawning black of unknown.

But a new truth was very quickly becoming apparent: Some things in life were impossible to prepare for.

They were both sort of broken, just in totally different ways.

“This isn’t a quid pro quo moment.

She was such a paradox: delicate but unbreakable; modest but intrepid; innocent but electrifying.

He didn’t want to keep thinking about the scene back at the saloon, where she was fearless and beautiful and naive and irresistible all at once.

Everything Ren did, she did with enthusiasm, and without any ego or pretense whatsoever.

“But the way to handle problematic things isn’t to just pretend they aren’t there. It’s good to see it and feel this way. Also, you can still be impressed with the artistry. Both things can be true.”

When had he ever slowed down enough to just…enjoy something? Never.

Revenge wasn’t imminent, but it was out there, hovering patiently in the future.

The thought of having someone in her life, someone who chose to know her, who cared what she was thinking, who sought her out because he wanted to, not because they happened to occupy the same space all day, every day, made her feel dizzy with longing.

Ren wasn’t patient—grabbing at life with both fists was more her style—

Ren had barely seen anything in the world, and Fitz had already seen too much.

He’d learned too many times that when you think life is going the right direction, you were probably only inches from a blind turn.

Fitz had never known this kind of attraction before—one that was entwined with curiosity and amusement and a sense of companionship

Sometimes bad decisions can turn into something very, very good.

His twin motivations in life: revenge and restitution.

All he wanted was to run away with her. So, in a way, they did.

He’d learned early in life that there were two human emotions that served no purpose whatsoever: worry and regret.

“It seems kind of pathetic to be mad forever. Exhausting.

“An open heart feels like a curse

That he loves me in that consuming, unconditional, instinctive way of parents

thinking about how Chris listened to her like she was the most fascinating thing in the world.

Now, every day, Ren registered Chris’s amazement at her silliness and her curiosity, his admiration of her strength and grit, his pride in everything she’d managed to accomplish entirely on her own. He listened to her and valued her opinion. His love was as clear as a ringing bell in the crisp morning air.

The way I feel about you is beautiful to me. It feels like a gift. I want to let my heart stay open,