Breaking the Rules (The Dating Playbook #2)

by Mariah Dietz

“Astra indlinant, sed non obligant.” “I know this is tough to imagine, but not all of us speak Latin.” His lips tip higher. “It translates to the stars incline us, they do not bind us.”

“We have our own free will. No star, god, or other power can force us to do anything.”

“Being a girl sucks,” she says, a dry chuckle following her words. “There’s this impossible balance we’re all working to find: being tough without being too masculine, smart without being arrogant, kind without being a pushover, beautiful without being prissy, and successful without being aggressive. This massive pendulum is constantly in flux, and the joke is on us women because everyone is constantly judging us—and more often than not, we’re our own toughest critic.”

“I’m in this. I’m all in, and I know if I’d told you how I felt after your accident, this would be easier, but I want this. I want you and me and us. And I’ll pull your weight and mine until you’re ready.”