“Any happiness, no matter how brief, seemed better than the long, simmering torture of waking up day after day, knowing i could never have him.”

Dont panic, i thought. But already my breathing was faster, shallower. You mean you can feel happy or sad or desire. A barely-there smile.

I take my job seriously, which means i’m going to need to get acquainted with the subject matter on a personal level.

Lets be honest, nora. Youve got it bad for me.” his eyes held a lot of depth. “and ive got it bad for you.

I couldn’t picture myself with a boyfriend, but if i had to, i envisioned a nice normal guy who turned in his math homework on time and maybe even played rec baseball.

As in, i wouldn’t know normal if it marched up and poked me in the eye.

Say ‘provoking’ again. Your mouth looks provocative when you do.

The sensible part of me wanted to dissect my emotions, overthinking and overcomplicating my reaction to jev.

Don’t make me regret this” i said, breathless. ” you haven’t regretted me once”. He kissed me, and i answered so hungrily i thought my lips would bruise. Patch&nora ( p. 180)

Strangely enough, it wasnt gabe who was haunting my thoughts, though. That job belonged to a pair of sinfully black eyes that had lost their edge when they studied me, turning as soft and sultry as silk.

Citizen’s arrest,” he said. “well, that, and patch told me to.

Because i thought i was in love. And when you think you’re in love, you are willing to stick it out and make it work until it is love.

Wow. Nice bike, i said. Which was a lie. It looked like a glossy black death trap.

I got a new job. Patch locked eyes with me, and i warmed in a lot of places. In fact, i was dangerously close to feverish.

Maggots squirming in your eyeholes…And your other orifices, might be carrying things a bit too far.” “this is why i keep you around, rixon. Always seeing things from the bright side.

It isn’t about love,” vee said. “it’s about fun.

I’ll be firm,” i promised patch, adopting a no-nonsense expression. “no backing down.” by now patch was full-on grinning. He kissed me again, and i felt my mouth soften its resolve. “you look cute when you’re trying to be tough,” he said.