Collided (Dirty Air, #2)

by Lauren Asher

“What’s your favorite book?” Doubt colors my voice. “If you have a favorite, I don’t trust you. Any book lover has at least five they can name off the top of their head.” His blue eyes hold mine.

“A man who prefers to live in a fantasy. How cute.” “I’d be your best fantasy, no book needed.”

“You’re no princess. You’re a motherfucking queen. Don’t let anyone forget it, not even yourself. People think the king matters, but the queen brings down all the other pieces. Good luck in uni, and chug a beer in my honor.”

Men should be the least of his worries because, excuse my language, but I’m ready to fuck shit up.

“Everyone knows the books are better than the movies or TV shows.” “Says who?” “Says everyone who reads books!”

“But remember this. I want to get to know all of you, including the parts you’re too scared to share. I want to learn about the man no one else knows. So give me every part of you because I’m not here to piece you back together. I like you too much, just the way you are, broken parts and all.”

“That’s my fear with someone like you. You take and take until I have nothing left to give. You’d be easy to fall in love with until you walk away, breaking my heart in the process.”

Screw platonic. I want catastrophic.

Liam acts like the ocean, erasing my carefully drawn line in the sand, similar to a rolling tide flooding my ability to think of reasons to disagree.

And then he asked me to be friends with benefits.” Maya’s eyebrows draw together, the pinched look adding a couple temporary wrinkles to her forehead. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” “What do you mean? Nothing else can happen besides that. And nothing will change between us because we’re adults who can separate feelings from sexy time.”

Famous last words

“You can’t predict the future, no matter how hard you try to control everything in your life. Sometimes the best changes aren’t the ones you plan for.

Years ago, I told Sophie about how she should do the saving in her story. But I didn’t realize she was saving herself from me because I’m the real villain in this messed-up fairy tale. Because unfortunately for us, everything in my life is temporary.

My phone buzzes in my bag. I pull it out after searching around for a good minute, my purse an endless pit of loose gum strips, old receipts, and plane ticket stubs.

Relatable

Basically, to put it short, Liam is fine as fuck. Screw looking like a Ken doll when he fits the expectations of a G.I. Joe action figure reporting for Operation O.

“My beautiful angel. Too wicked for heaven, too good for hell.” I may be his beautiful angel, but he’s my masked devil—too naughty for my heart, too irresistible for my body.

I hope Sophie likes the color gray because she’ll look killer in my number.

My heart throbs at his use of the L-word. I ignore it, afraid to inquire more about his feelings. “Are you a possessive type?” My voice croaks as his fingers grip my waist tightly. “With you? Yes.”

Liking Sophie is kind of like jumping out of a plane. Exhilarating, addicting, and damn near impossible to forget.

Because life is funny that way, fucking you over without your consent.

Welcome to my disaster ever after. Pull up a chair, bust out the popcorn, and enjoy the show.

“Catch flights, not feelings.” Do I make sense anymore? The jury’s still out.