Watch Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic #1)

by Tahereh Mafi

She murmurs a thank-you to him, and he kisses her forehead, the tender exchange making me restless, like I need to exit my body. Growing up with these two has ruined me for regular relationships. I want what they have.

I did what I thought I had to do, and in the end my sacrifices were worthless. My life, worthless. Darkness breeding darkness breeding darkness, all this blood on my hands giving birth to more bloodshed, the mutilation of my soul leading to the mutilation of others, my life gone up in flames only to set fire to the world.

I thought it was smart to choose the lesser of two perceived evils.

But I don’t want to be this person anymore.

“I warned you,” he says softly, and I stiffen, my heart stopping. “I told you if you hurt my family you’d meet a very different version of me. Try anything with me tonight, and I will take you apart, Rosabelle. Do you understand? I will fucking destroy you. I don’t care who you report to back home. Right now, you take orders from me.”

I hate that she’s everything I hoped she wouldn’t be.