Any Way the Wind Blows (Simon Snow, #3)

by Rainbow Rowell

I like her whole Velma from Scooby Doo, but make it lazy look.

“Who summoned a demon? Do people just leave the gates open in America? Have you all found a way to frak the Netherworlds?”

And then my father figured out—I’m not sure who told him, Fiona wouldn’t have—that Simon and I were being extremely homosexual together.

He watches the same YouTube videos over and over, and cries if you take the thing away. These Grimm children are being raised by algorithms.”

I thought we had the sort of love that you can’t set down or walk away from. An undying fire. The love you hear about in the old stories.

I know I’ll never love anyone like I love Baz. I know he’s the love of my life. Of all my lives.

“I never thought I’d be the first thing you ever gave up on.”

“I want to … try. Because—Because I love you, Baz. I love you, and I didn’t think that I could keep you. But if there’s a chance … If there’s any chance at all …

“You never said,” I say. “Haven’t I?” “No.” He frowns. “I thought—I mean … I’ve killed so many things for you.” I laugh. It might be another sob, but maybe it’s just a laugh. “What are you, a house cat? Am I supposed to know how you feel because you brought me a mouse?”

“This thing between us didn’t start with us dating. It didn’t even start when you kissed me. You’re in me so deep, I wouldn’t know how to dig you out. I may get fed up with you … But, Simon, I’ll never get tired of you.”

What a ridiculous creature. Happy that I put butter on his sandwich. As if I wouldn’t make the world spin backwards if I thought he’d like it better that way.

“I just want to be with you,” I say. “And this is where we are now. I’m a broken-down mess, and you’re a rat-drinking monster.”

“Plus ça change…” “Fuuuck you,” he says, extravagantly. “I know that’s French for something smug.”

“All I really know is that nothing I’ve experienced so far compares to you. Maybe that makes me gay.” He swallows. “Or maybe that just makes me yours.”

I’m not sure what he’s telling me with this kiss. I pretend it’s Yes and Yes and Be kind to me. SIMON Fine, you fucker. Have me. Just have me. Do your worst, you stubborn twat. Be the death of me. You’ll be the death of me.

Anything worth believing in should stand up to some interrogation!” She hits the table again. “Truth doesn’t burn in the sunlight!”

And all of these people don’t even realize that it just keeps getting worse, the more you know him. That he just keeps getting better. There are no diminishing returns with Shepard—you just like him more and more until your head explodes. Until you actually die from liking him so much.

“If you can’t be gay at Ikea,” Snow reasoned, “where can you?”

“Being reassuring isn’t one of my core competencies,” she tells him. “Breaking people out of towers is.”