More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
“Jesus, Everett. You’re like a panting dog.” Ryan laughs at me. “I’m about to start barking.”
“I was thinking of something more like colorful. Bright. Resilient. Sprouting up in the places you least expect them and blowing away on the wind just as quickly.” That wicked smile morphs into a full grin. “Beautiful, too, of course.”
“Dios mío, hijo. ¿Eres capaz de mantener una conversación con alguien que no consista en coquetear?”
“I brought water,” Monica chimes. My head snaps sideways to face her, her dark brows raised behind her sunglasses. “Your mouth must be dry from all the panting.”
“Bella, ti parlerò in qualunque lingua tu mi dica se questo ti farà continuare a guardarmi in quel modo.”
I’m lost to her storm, and I belong to her sea.
This isn’t fake. She may be mine for show, but I’m hers for real. All I’ve got to do is prove it.
“Dahlia,” he rasps, eyes meeting mine. “I speak three fucking languages—three—and when I tell you that there is not one word in any of them to describe the way you look right now. You’re beyond beauty. You’re beyond comparison to anything in this plane of existence. You’re something beyond comprehension. Unreal.”
“Me moriría de sed por ahogarme en ti,”
“It’s not Luce, like short for Lucille. It’s Luz. L-U-Z. It means light in Spanish.” Both of the girls turn their heads to me, surprise on their faces. I only smile wider. “Because you’re like a burst of light, all bright and warm. You’re la luz.”
“She’s the light, and you’re all the colors, Wildflower.”
As I turn back toward the doors, Everett calls out, “Oh, and Tana—whoever bet on forever is going to win the pot.” “Nobody bet on forever,” she chimes back. He laughs under his breath. “Guess you’re all losers, then.”
“You know, maybe when this whole fake dating thing is over, I can hire you on as my bodyguard instead,” I muse. “You really handed her ass to her.” “Don’t be silly, Wildflower.” He smiles at me as he tosses his arm over my shoulder and pulls me against his chest. “We’re gonna have to date forever now so we can prove those assholes wrong.”
I swear to God, I’m going to obliterate fake from her vocabulary.
“And that’s the last time I hear you say the word ‘God’ tonight, understood? You need to call out for someone, Wildflower? You say my fucking name.”
“Wow.” Leo lets out a slow whistle. “That’s the same look Honeysuckle gives me when she’s reading about cowboys and I try talking to her.” My sister rolls her eyes, letting out a snort. “It’s a little insulting, honestly,” he continues. “Like, what could a cowboy offer you that I can’t?” “You know what they say,” I chime. “Save a horse.” “That’s weird. I thought the term was ‘save a wave, ride a surfer.’”
“Todo lo que siempre he querido. Te necesito para siempre. Dime que eres mía. Por favor. Mía, cariño. Sé mía.”
“You know blue is my favorite color?” She shakes her head, and I nod. “I love blue because it’s so varied. There are a thousand different shades of it in the ocean alone, depending on the depth of the water and the color of the sand, the way it reflects the sun and sky. It’s ever changing, always beautiful. I love the color blue because I convinced myself I’ve seen all its shades. Living on the beach, in a place with as much sunshine as is found here, I’ve seen every variation of the sea and sky.” She blinks at me, and I dissolve beneath the intensity of her gaze. “But the shade of blue
...more
“What have I become to you?” she whispers, as if she’s afraid to ponder those questions too. I lift my head and find my whole world in that sapphire gaze. “My purpose.”
“I know you said you can’t give me anything more than your body. I understand why that is. I don’t expect anything more.” He looks down at where my hand is pressed against the blanket, and he slowly places his over it. “But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to give you everything. All of me.” He slowly drags his eyes from our joined hands to my face, meeting my own. “You deserved to know that you’re loved, Dahlia. Loved by me.”
“You’re my wildflower.” He lets out a breathless laugh. “You blew into town one day on a whim and planted yourself right inside my soul. You’re rooted in me now, baby. I don’t mind waiting to watch you bloom.”
“You’re my compass, Wildflower. I’ll follow you forever, because that’s where I find home.”
“She’s my light,” I whisper. “And you’re all my colors, Wildflower.”
