More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
“There’s no color in your world, Royal Cruz. It’s why you draw one without.”
The thing about pain is when it torments you long enough, you begin to cling to it. Suffering is preferable to the terrifying fear that without the pain you might be numb.
“Then let’s stop pretending we didn’t trade ‘you and me’ for ‘us’ a long time ago.”
Me: Tomorrow. I miss you. You’re my only family. It’s you and me and I’ll always be there for you. Eli: I know that. Why are you being weird? Me: Loving you isn’t weird, jerk. Eli: It is the way you do it.
“Find someone that challenges you. Pushes your buttons. Ignites your anger like no one else. Because in that frustration is passion. The artist doesn’t paint because he wants to. He paints because he has to. Even when he despises his creation. Even when he doesn’t have two pennies to rub together and art demands his last one. Even when the world tells him he’s no good. His passion for painting is obsession, and that’s what love is at the end of the day. It has to be you and only you. Their passion. Their obsession.”
“Fuck non-exclusive. We are exclusive as a crew. I said it at the academy and I’ll say it again. You’re our girl. I’ll share you with whoever you want as long as that guy has an angel on his arm. Anyone else touches you, they’ll wake up with me at the foot of their bed.”
I was told eighteen-year-old boys couldn’t find a G-spot with a magnifying glass, and conked out before a woman got close. Cassius and Royal dropped those stereotypes on their heads.
“Are you guys going on a date?” I couldn’t fault him. He got his bluntness from growing up around me. “Yeah. First one.” He crooked a brow. “What happened to ‘stay away from the Angels, Eli’?” If anyone could inject wry smugness into sign language, it was my brother. “Things change. They’re watching out for us now. The Angels told the school you’re not to be touched.” “Really? That’s cool of them.” He cocked his head. “Does this mean I can ask Royal to design my future tattoo?” “You two can design plans to drive me crazy. You’re both the experts.
Life is about accepting the crap you can’t change and focusing on what you can.”
“And Lighthouse too,” added Clay. “He was feeling you up the other day.” “You mean when he pulled a leaf out of my hair?” “He took his sweet time with that damn leaf.” “I’m leaving now.”
“It’s not damn obvious by now that I’d do anything for you? Your ass does have me whipped. Happy now?”
“A thought is entering my head right now,” he said softly. “If I’m not careful, I might say it.” My breath caught. “Tell me.” He pecked my nose. “I’m going to hold on to this one for a little longer.”
“I don’t want to be just your hookup, Ember.”
I’ll tell you one day. If you’re good.” “I’m pretty sure I’ll be very, very bad.” Mirrored grins met in a cheeky kiss. “Then I’ll tell you sooner.”
I took Cassius’s and Clay’s hands as he faded in the distance. “I love you.” “We love you too.”
“I love you, Ember,” Clay said. “Possibly since the first day I met you and stole a kiss that wasn’t mine.”
“And I love you,” said Cassius. “Since the first time we had sex and you said three more times.” He accepted my swat with a grin. “And the night I looked into your eyes and saw that you and I were the same. Meant to find each other. Meant to heal the other.”
“I want a new bookcase,” he signed. “A tablet too.” “I love you, dear sister. Drive safely,” I corrected. “That’s what you meant to say, right?” No one rolled their eyes at me more than this kid. “Yes, that too. I also want sneakers. My pair has a hole in them and Aunt Violet bought me nothing but leather dress shoes.
“I think there was a compliment in there somewhere,” I murmured. “Buried under your usual messed-up shit.”
he wasn’t Royal if he wasn’t masking human emotion under ten layers of anger, raw masculinity, and a pathological need to wind me up.
