Sweet as Sin (Bad Habit, #1)

by J.T. Geissinger

“Sometimes, when things get really bad, I just remind myself that life is a boot camp. We all start out soft, weak. And then we’re tested. Over and over. It’s hard. It’s painful. At the end of it—if you survive, if you don’t give up—you’re tough. You’ve earned your stripes. And you get to graduate to the next level.”

“One of the worst days can also somehow be one of the best days.” I knew why it was one of the worst. But . . . “How so?” “Because, sweet girl, you finally gave up the cookie.” I frowned. “I hate to correct you on such a delicate subject, but I gave up the cookie a while ago.” “That wasn’t the real cookie, baby.” I felt vaguely insulted. “Excuse me?” Nico smiled at me. It was like being bathed in sunshine. “Don’t get me wrong, now, that cookie between your legs is fine. More than fine,” he amended with a chuckle when I glared at him. “But the real cookie’s your heart, baby. That’s the cookie I always wanted. You gave me little nibbles. You even gave me a couple of big bites. But you finally gave all of it to me today, right now.” All traces of humor left his face. His voice dropped to a soft, wondering whisper. “And it’s the sweetest thing I ever tasted in my life.”

Relationships end. People die. But the world doesn’t stop turning. You know that better than anyone. So for now, just enjoy every moment of what you have with Nico. If it’s meant to end, it will end. You have no control over that. But you do have control over yourself. How you act, what you say, how you show him your feelings. Just live for today and be happy, because in a way, you’re right. Everything eventually ends. We all eventually die. That’s why every day we have is so special. The fact that we only have a limited amount of time is what makes life precious.”

Your past is just that: past. Let it go and be happy. You deserve it.

“Why would he do this?” Barney crossed the room, took my hand, and gently pulled me to my feet. With an arm around my back, he ushered me out of my ruined bedroom. “Because he’s damaged, Kat.” His voice darkened. “And damaged people are dangerous.”

How the hell can one of the most famous men in the country have a drug trafficker for a brother, and no one knows?” His reply was instantaneous. “The same way he can have a sister everyone thinks is his girlfriend: lies that go so deep, nobody can find the roots.”

Don’t let something awful someone does to you make you feel like you don’t deserve love, she’d said in the video, staring straight into the camera, her blue eyes fierce with unshed tears. Don’t take that on yourself, like I did. Don’t let the bad guys win.