Start a Fire Quotes

“But I thought I was beautiful when I cried.” His lips quirked. “I could eat your tears for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Next to your pussy, they’re my favorite flavor. But those aren’t tears of sadness. Those are tears of frustration and anger and pleasure. They’re mine, and mine alone, that’s why I love them.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“Fine.” He said the word, but seemed anything but fine with it. “Now, come sit down next to me for my five minutes. We’re gonna look at the fucking stars.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“If anyone fucks with you, I need to know. Promise me you’ll tell me.” His tone brooked no argument, but that wasn’t anything new for Sebastian. He spoke in absolutes, as if his word was law.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“We were really happy.” I clung to her tiny frame. “But I can’t, Mom. I couldn’t even look at him. I don’t know how I’m going to bear sitting in class with Elena tomorrow while she gloats. It’s all just so stupid. I wish I never met him.” “Shhh.” She stroked my hair like she’d done my whole life. “One thing I’ve learned over my years is the human heart is resilient. It hurts, and it breaks, but as long as it’s beating, you have a chance to heal. Your heart is young and strong as hell. Even though you feel like you’re ruined, you aren’t. High school is a way station before real life begins. Those awkward moments sharing a class with Elena are a blip in your life. Don’t give them more importance than they deserve.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“You know I’m never going to let you go now, right?” He slid his nose along the length of mine, shuddering. “I thought that had always been your plan.” “There was an escape clause before. It’s been incinerated now. I hope you like me, because I’m going to be your shadow until you go to your grave, and then I’ll follow you into the dark, baby.” I planted a hard kiss on his mouth. “Sebastian...that’s so sweet and creepy.” He grinned as he kissed me back.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“Grace Patel…” Bradley wiped his mouth with his cloth napkin, “that’s an Indian name, right?” “Yes. My father’s parents were from India.” He nodded. “Interesting. Do you plan on going into engineering or computer science?” Sara hissed, but she didn’t speak up. She’d barely said anything since Bradley had come into the room. Sebastian’s leg jiggled under the table so hard, his silverware rattled. I gripped his knee as I flashed Bradley a smile when I really wanted to stab his racist ass with my salad fork. “No. My dad didn’t pass any of those genes onto me. I’m an artist, but my plan is to study both art and graphic design in college. I have dreams of making a living from my sculptures, but since I’m a pragmatist, I want to have a marketable skill along with it.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“You were watching me?” “Of course I was.” I nearly smiled at that, my own personal stalker. “Of course you were.” His black eyes hardened with determination. “Are you going to tell me what happened?” I touched his face, the tight muscle in his jaw. How could this boy, who’d once acted like he hated me, be laying here with me now, taking care of me? How had we come this far? “Elena happened.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“His tongue slid over mine, tasting me, licking me, battling and conquering me. My hands slipped under the back of his T-shirt, pressing into his hot, bare skin and pulling him as close as I could. Our bodies were flush, not even a ray of light could penetrate between us. “Let me come in,” he said against my lips. His erection dug into my stomach, and I couldn’t stop the answering rock of my hips, making him groan. “Grace.” “No.” I shook my head. “No. I’m not...no.” He tugged on my hair, tipping my head back so far he took my breath away. “I don’t like this. I don’t like waiting for some arbitrary time frame. My dick is hard, and I know if I stuck my hand down your pants, you’d be soaked. Let me come inside, Grace.” “I don’t want to be a random hole you stick your dick in, Sebastian. I’ve been that, and I didn’t like it. Two weeks isn’t a long time by any means, and you know that. Especially given how we started.” Tears welled in my eyes from the sting in my scalp, and his grip on my hair loosened. “I want to go home now.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“Remember when we used to be friends?” he murmured. I squirmed in his hold, flashing back to the last time he touched me this way. It wasn’t quite non-consensual because the words couldn’t seem to climb out of my throat, but if he really cared enough to notice, he’d know I didn’t want his hands on me. “That was a long time ago, Nate.” I wriggled in his hold, but his arm could have been an iron band around me. Each of his fingertips dug into my upper arm hard enough, I was sure there would be marks when he finally let me go. “Come on, man.” His friend, the nacho thief, swatted Nate’s knee. “I’m bored. Let’s get outta here.” Nate leaned his head against mine. “I’m good here. Think I’ll watch the rest of the game beside my girl, Grace.” A phantom voice cut through the night from behind us. “I don’t think your pretty girlfriend would like that too much, Bergen.” Nate jumped to his feet, spinning to face my defender. “Fuck off, Vega. You don’t know shit.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“So, Cassie spoke in exclamation points. No surprise, given how she was dressed, but I was surprised she and Bex were friends. Talk about polar opposites. Cassie and I hugged, and I reminded myself to be friendly. Judging a book by its cover was something I’d done in my old life. Some habits were hard to kick, but that was one I needed to punt into outer space.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“Damn, I hadn’t realized how bad I was.” “Did Gabe say something? Is that why you’re asking?” “It was more Sebastian. He seems to really hate me, and I don’t get it. I don’t remember him at all. I doubt we ever crossed paths.” She gave me a knowing smile. “Because you’d remember the hell out of that fine, psychopathic specimen, right?” I nearly choked on my chip. “So, I’m not the only one who thinks he’s got future serial killer written all over him?” “Maybe. But I’d probably get in his murder van.” I laughed. “I worry for you, Bex.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“Am I Jack?” I whispered. “Floating around, missing the obvious?” He huffed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess so. You missed how much I fucking love you. That no one exists for me but you.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“There was an escape clause before. It’s been incinerated now. I hope you like me, because I’m going to be your shadow until you go to your grave, and then I’ll follow you into the dark, baby.” I planted a hard kiss on his mouth. “Sebastian...that’s so sweet and creepy.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“Me: Are you saying we’ll be doing homework at our sleepover? Bash: How about we don’t call it a sleepover? You’re making us sound like twelve-year-old besties. Me: Ew, yeah. I’ll do better. Bash: And no, no homework. I’m not texting you all the things I’m going to do to you. Me: So it can’t be used against you at the trial? Bash: What am I going to be on trial for? Me: Um...stalking? Bash: Is it really stalking if the victim likes it? Me: You should ask your lawyer. Bash: Just called. She said no. I’m not your stalker, just your boyfriend. Me: My psycho boyfriend? Bash: Goes without saying. Me: Okay. Just checking. I’m going to do some homework for real now. Bash: Look under your pillow first. Me: My black panties? Bash: Wear them tomorrow. Me: And if I don’t? Bash: Guess you’ll find out. Me: Why do I like you? Bash: That’s a good question. Me: Good night! Bash: Good night, baby.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“Me: Bahahaha…sooo…what do you think about Elijah? Would he make a good boyfriend? Bash: For you? No, because he’d be a rotting corpse in the ground if he tried. Anyone else, sure, nice guy.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“He stuck his hand out. “I’m Liam.” I went to slide my hand in his, but before we connected, iron bars banded around my middle from behind and hot lips touched the curve of my neck. Liam’s pretty blue eyes rounded, and his hand fell in a heavy fist on the counter. “Hey. Bash. S’up?” Sebastian’s chest rumbled against my back. “Just checking in on my girl. We had a late night, so I was thinking she might be tired.” He rubbed his nose along my cheek. “How’re you doing, baby?”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“It bothered me in that I’ve dealt with you stalking me relentlessly and taking more than I would ever give you while you’re out…what? Having sex with other girls? On a triple date with your pals? Maybe some twisted part of me thought you were doing this to me because you felt something for me other than the need to dominate me. But you proved me wrong.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“What is your type?” She shrugged. “Well, if they’re nice to me, I’m immediately not interested.” I snorted hard, gripping both her arms. “Oh, god. What in the internalized misogyny?” “Hey, just because a guy’s nice doesn’t mean he’s good, you know? Not that I have a lot of experience, but women thought Ted Bundy was charming and hot, and look where they ended up.” She made a slitting motion with her hand across her throat.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“He went tense under me, his knuckles whitening from gripping the arms so hard. “I’m not that diabolical. In fact, I’d say I’m fairly simple. I think I’ve been quite clear I want you. Put two pretty girls in front of me, I’m gonna look. Doesn’t mean shit—not when the second you show up, you’re the only fucking thing I see.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“Yes, on me. Notice I’m asking and not dragging you by your hair?”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“I’m not threatening you, Grace. I feel protective of you.” His thumb pushed against the center of my bottom lip. “If anyone’s going to hurt you, it’ll be me. Anyone else, I need to make it right.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire

“Stay away from that boy. He’s angrier than the devil. Sophomore year, he and Nate Bergen got into a fight in the hallway. Bash walked away with a bloody lip and a black eye. Nate’s ribs were cracked, wrist broken, and his eyes were swollen shut. He had to sit out most of the football season, and Sebastian got sent to a school for troubled youth. He’s psycho.”
― Julia Wolf, Start a Fire