More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
“You’re meant for worship, Lily, and I’m the only one who knows how to treat your lovely cunt right.”
I’m in love with Lily Rodin. My first love.
“Look at me.” Her green eyes meet mine. “You’ve ruined me, Lily, for the rest of my fucking life.”
“No socks. What else?” Note to self: burn the cotton foot jackets as soon as possible.
“Klaus? Like Klaus Mikaelson?” I shout over the music and into Nico’s ear. “From The Vampire Diaries?”
In a blink, my right fist connects with the man’s jaw.
What am I doing? I haven’t punched someone in years. My eyes land on the man’s black shirt, scanning the name attached to his chest. Collum. Oh, shit. I punched a bouncer. That’s a major no-no.
“Good hook, hon. Hit with your knuckles next time, and it’ll hurt more,” Collum bleats at me before hoisting me over his shoulder. “That’s enough fun for the night.”
“Who are you?” Nico’s palms connect with either side of my face as I hang upside down. “A fucking badass!” I scream, the blood rushing to my skull. “With balls of fucking steel.” “I’m...
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
“You spoil me all the time…” “Because I like to and because you’ve never made me feel like a blank checkbook waiting to be signed.” My nose scrunches with a cringe. “I would like you without all the things you buy me,” I confess. “And I would go broke trying to make you smile.”
She giggles, but from the narrowing of her angular brown eyes, I can tell she’s fucking with him. I love her for it.
“Ugh, it all makes sense now.” Ren’s voice sings in my ear. “You ooze sex. It’s why you’re so fucking hot. Klaus, can you believe there’s an author in our flat?”
“You love my mouth.” Her heartbeat races with mine. “And I’m not going to use it to let you come until you use your pretty lips to give me what I want.”
“His name was Nick.” Her voice is rough. As a reward, I send my free hand to the already swollen, wet clit begging for attention. “Sounds a lot like Nico.” I slowly run my fingers over her.
My eyes shoot open, finding my right wrist secured to the railing with my own belt. Absolutely fucking pathetic.
“It’s about you, every fucking word,”
I peek at the new lily flower coiling around my kelp tattoo. Two pieces connected as one. Making her a permanent member of my family.
“At least it isn’t my name.” “What a big ego, pretty girl.”
“They’re funeral flowers.” “The perfect flower to brighten up even the darkest of days.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this.” I smile, knowing my flesh and hers will share the same mark. Permanently. “It’s just a flower.” “Yeah.” I squeeze her hand. “And we’re just friends.”
I throw the phone across the living room, shattering it to pieces. A ravaged wail leaves me. “I needed a new phone anyway,” Nico whispers. “I—I’m sorry. I’ll have to get you another one,” I stammer.
“You got it, kid.” My finger clicks the play button, and the beginning credits of the movie roll. She glances over at me. “How many times do I have to remind you that I’m older than you?” For the rest of my life, if you’ll allow it.
Not at all. I miss you. I miss being in the same bed. I miss things not being so messy.
Nico same, don’t think i’ll sleep without u tonight Lily Already longing for me? Nico i long for you always, Lily
Avery gives me an apologetic look and drags Luca away from his search behind the shower curtain. “Your brother’s an adult. He wouldn’t be hiding in the shower or under the bed like some teenager. He’s probably already at the bar.” She loops her arms in his, walking him out of the room. “Let’s go look for him.” On her way out of the room, Ave winks and tilts her head toward the nightstand. Tucked beneath it is Nico’s shirt from yesterday. Well, at least one secret is out in the open.
“Just want to let you know that you’ve been playing footsie with my right leg for the past several minutes.” Luca’s low voice is directed at Nico. “Oops, my bad, just a little antsy.” He fibs and tries to ignore my terrible attempt to hide my laughter.
“Whoa, watch out for the open flames, Luca.” I smirk. “Or you may lose another patch of hair.” “You told her?” Luca whips his head to Avery, who grins into her water and shrugs.
“Stop, you’re scaring everyone.” Nico playfully tosses his marker at Avery. Luca catches it and curveballs it back at his little brother, striking him square on the head. “Ouch.”
“Alright, couples, complete this sentence: I knew I found the love of my life when she… You have ten seconds, starting now.”
Time trickles down, and my clammy palms struggle to write down the first thing that comes to mind. “Hold up your boards,” the host commands, and we all reveal our answers. I quickly glance over to Nico, skimming the words on his board: Buried me in a sand grave. It’s a match.
“See, Ave, one relationship already ruined,” I say. “Good, less competition.”
What’s your husband’s favorite color? I randomly wrote down blue because it’s the color of the Flight Falcon logo, and I didn’t really have anything else to go off. Nico’s answer was green. “Really?” I whisper. “Green?” “Your eyes.” He says it so casually, but my heart is nearly about to explode.
“We put on a good show.” I smile up at him, my heart beating fiercely in my chest. “Two months of method acting will do that.”
“It only took Avery a few seconds to put together that you were under the bed on your first morning here. No matter how much you think you’re sneaking around in the mornings, we know. My wife’s already talking about the four of us raising our kids together.”
Nico brushes his fingers over my bare thigh. “What did you wish for?” “Are you a rookie? If I tell you, then my wish won’t come true.” I mimic his words from a few months ago.
“Have you thought about the fact that maybe you can’t move forward with him—” Oh no. I know where this is going. “I don’t—” “Stop.”
“Me equivoqué,” he whispers. “What did you say?” I try to mask my excitement. Luca admitting he’s wrong is a once-in-a-millennium occurrence.
“Good mor—” “You slept with someone else.” Lily’s voice is curt as she flies out of bed. “Come on, Lil, get back into bed.” “I had a dream that you slept with someone else.”
“We’re not going to fuck tonight, beautiful.” Nico returns to the gentle, heavenly laps of his tongue. One of his fingers enters my swollen center; a second one follows. “I’m going to make love to you.”
Because I love Nico, and I think he loves me.
“I’m yours, Lily.” Nico forces a vicious thrust into me, knotting the nerves in my body together in a way that only he knows how to pull apart. “And you’re mine.” “I am, Nico.” I moan in a torturous sob. “Always.” The promise and the lie are enough to flood pleasure through us both.
“It would destroy me to lose you.”
“I don’t want to lose you either, but summer flings aren’t permanent.” “You were never a summer fling.”
“I—I know I can’t tell you to not be with anyone else—” A strain worms its way into my jaw. “I don’t want anyone else, Lil.” “Me neither. But I don’t know how much time I’m going to need and if you want to…”
“Are you sure it’s alright that I destroy this? It is technically yours.” “Oh yeah. If this will help, then burn the thing! I’ll just donate to a textile waste foundation to help offset a little of this greenhouse gas we’re creating.”
Secrets, Sex, and Sunflowers by Lily Rodin will be my first full-length novel and I hope to release it early next year.
But emotions don’t make you less than, they make you human. Feeling them and experiencing them is healthy.
Asking for support is a sign of bravery, not weakness.
Nico hey. i’m really happy to hear from u. i’ve missed you more than u can imagine. thanks for the apology…it means a lot. give me a date and i’ll work around my schedule to book a flight to talk about it in person.
My mind takes me to the secret place we built this summer. The one filled with her laughter, her smile, her jokes, her filthy mouth, and blunt edges. The same place I fell in love with her, recklessly and passionately.
