Rule (Marked Men, #1)

by Jay Crownover

but I loved Rule like it was my mission in life. I loved him like it was inevitable,

She didn’t hesitate to kiss me back and I decided then and there that kissing Shaw was probably as close to heaven as I was ever going to get.

You make him human.”

“When I look at you I don’t see anything but you, and Shaw, you are perfect. I don’t care what color your hair is, if you’re pale or tan, if you have makeup on or just woke up—all I care about is that when I look at you, you always look back and see me. You’re beautiful inside and out and if you wanted to tattoo all that pretty white skin from head to toe, I would be honored to put it there for you, but if not, I’ll take you all smooth and milky white any chance I get.”

“You have to promise not to bail on me when I get lost, Shaw. You have to promise to just wait it out until I can find my way back. I need to know you’re at the end of the tunnel when everything goes black.”

“Every day, Rem, every single day something reminds me of you, makes me think of things I want to tell you, makes me want to cry because of what happened to you. Every day I miss you and right now when I need you more than ever, I try to make decisions, try to go in a direction that I know would make you proud, would make you smile for me, but it’s hard.”

I deserved love but I also deserved him and whatever form his love came in.

“Here’s my heart, Shaw. You have it in your hands, and I promise you’re the first and last person to ever touch it. You need to be careful with it because it’s far more fragile than I ever thought, and if you try to give it back I’m not taking it.

Life without you in it is doable, but if I have a choice I want to do it with you by my side, and I’m telling you I’m not running away from the work it takes to make that happen. Shaw, I’m not scared of us anymore.”