Becca Fitzpatrick

“Anthony raised his red plastic cup to me and shouted something, but it was too hard to hear over the music. “What?” I called back. “You look great!” A goofy smile was plastered on his face. “Oh boy,” Vee said. “Not just a pimp, but a smashed pimp.” “So maybe he’s a little drunk.” “Drunk and hoping to corner you alone in a bedroom upstairs.” Ugh.”

“Being nice? He’s being horny.”

“Did you hear something, Nora?” Vee asked. “I thought I heard something.” “You definitely heard something,” I agreed. “Could that be … a dog fart I heard?” Vee asked me.”

“Touch her,” he said in Scott’s ear, his voice low and threatening, “and it’ll be the biggest regret of your life.”

“I didn’t break his jaw, but if he lays a hand on you, it will be the first of many things to break,” Patch said.”

“HUSH,HUSH IS ♥!PATCH! I HATE YOU WHEN YOU'RE LIKE THAT *giggle* :))NORA IS SUCH A CLEVER LADY ♥”

“If you could see into my past just by touching my back, you’d have a hard time resisting the temptation too.”

“Rollover minutes don’t work with curfews.”

“For someone who’s made it clear that her life is superior to every other student’s at this school, you sure make it a habit of pursuing every facet of our boring, worthless lives.”

“...I need a boyfriend. And to get a boyfriend, you have to look good. Doesn’t hurt to smell good too.”

“Jev stroked his chin. "Do I look like a summer fling?”

“We still have a lot to talk about,” I said.“Talk?” He shook his head, his eyes full of desire. Kiss, he whispered to my thoughts. It wasn’t a question, but a warning. He grinned when I didn’t protest, and lowered his mouth toward mine. The first touch was just that—a touch. A teasing, tempting softness. I licked my lips and Patch’s grin deepened.“More?” he asked.I curled my hands into his hair, pulling him closer.“More.”

“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.”

“Can you climb trees? Tell me you can climb a tree!”Patch grinned. “I can fly.”

“You’re a guardian angel now.”...."I’m your guardian angel,” he said.“I get my very own guardian angel? What, exactly, is your job description?”“Guard your body.” His smile tipped higher. “I take my job seriously, which means I’m going to need to get acquainted with the subject matter on a personal level.”

“I didn’t accept your sacrifice. I turned it down.” I felt a small Oh form at my mouth, but it never quite made it past my lips. “Are you saying you gave up getting a human body for me?”

“That was a good fight back in the gym,” he said.“But I think you could benefit from a few more boxinglessons.”

“It makes no difference to me whether I shoot you or you fall to your death.”“It does make a difference,” I said, my voice small but confident. “You and I share the same blood.” I lifted my hand precariously, showing him my birthmark. “I’m your descendant. If I sacrifice my blood, Patch will become human and you’ll die. It’s written in The Book of Enoch.”

“Door’s locked,” he said. “And we have unfinished business.”

“This isn’t a good idea. This isn’t right.”....“There’s all kinds of right,” he murmured. “On the spectrum, we’re still in the safe zone.”

“I’m keeping a lot of things from you.”My insides took a steep dive. “Like?”“Like the way I feel about being locked up in here with you.” Patch braced one hand against the mirror behind me, his weight tipping toward me. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

“You’re crowding me. I need— room.”... What I needed were boundaries. I needed willpower. I needed to be caged up, since yet again I was proving I couldn’t be trusted in Patch’s presence. I should have been bolting for the door, and yet … I wasn’t.”

“I’m not going to kill you, Nora. I don’t kill people who are important to me. And you top the list.”

“What is it with you and girls’ bathrooms?”

“Who wants to kill you?” the guy asked. He was still looking over his shoulder, but his expression was puzzled.“There’s nobody there,” the girlfriend told me.“You’re making them think they can’t see you, aren’t you?” I said to Patch, awed by his power even as I despised his use of it.”

“Shh!” the guy beside me hissed again.“Blame him,” I told the guy, pointing at Patch. The guy craned his neck back. “Listen,” he said, facing me again. “If you don’t quiet down, I’ll get security.”“Fine, go get security. Tell them to take him away,” I said, again signaling Patch. “Tell them he wants to kill me.”“I want to kill you,” hissed the guy’s girlfriend,”

“Walk out,” he repeated. “We need to talk.”“About how you need to sacrifice me to get a human body?” I asked, my tone light, my insides feeling leaden.“That might be cute if you thought it was true.”

“Don’t panic, I thought. But already my breathing was faster, shallower. “You mean you can feel happy or sad or—”“Desire.” A barely-there smile.”

“Patch traced a finger along my collarbone, then headed south, stopping at my heart. I felt it pounding through my skin. “Because I feel it here, in my heart,” he said quietly. “I haven’t lost the ability to feel emotion.” He watched me closely. “Let me put it this way. Our emotional connection isn’t lacking.”

“Do you want to possess my body?"I want to do a lot of things to your body, but that’s not one of them.”

“I’m not going anywhere near a motel with you.”

“He cracked a slight smile, but it didn’t look amused. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. You’re looking a little deranged, Angel. We’ll go together.”

“You didn’t tell me she was so soft on the eyes,” he said to Patch, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He spoke with a heavy Irish accent.“I didn’t tell her how hard you are on them either,” Patch returned, his mouth at the relaxed stage just before a grin.”

“I squinted at the cue ball, then at the triangle of balls farther down the table. “You’re a tiny bit off,” I said.I felt him smile. “How much you want to bet?”“Five dollars.”I felt him give a soft shake of his head. “Your jacket.”“You want my jacket?”“I want it off.”

“Are we going to have to teach you to fight, Angel?”

“I was tired of admiring your legs from a distance.”

“Gosh, it was nice talking to you, but I’ve got a lot of things I’d rather be doing. Like sticking my hand in the garbage disposal.”

“The subject’s pulse increased on contact,” he said.“Don’t write that.”

“A girl could lather up in soap like that.”

“The older woman waiting for admittance looked at me, then over her shoulder at Patch, who was vanishing down the hall. “Honey,” she told me, “he looks slippery as soap.”

“I need to get back to work,” Patch said. He gave me a once-over that lingered a bit below the hips. “Killer skirt. Deadly legs.”

“What is it with girls?” Elliot said, splitting a smile between us. “I swear, I’ve never known a girl who could go to the bathroom alone.” He leaned forward and grinned conspiratorially. “Let me in on the secret. Seriously. I’ll pay you five bucks each.” He reached for his back pocket. “Ten, if I can come along and see what the big deal is.”

“There was no sign of Jules.“Bad news,” said Elliot. “The man is sick. You’re going to have to settle for me.”“Sick?” Vee demanded. “How sick? What kind of excuse is sick?”“Sick as in it’s coming out both ends.”Vee scrunched her nose. “Too much information.”

“So?” I asked Vee. “What’s the verdict?”“The verdict? My doctor is a lard-arse. Closely resembles an Oompa-Loompa. Don’t give me your severe look. Last time he came in, he broke into the Funky Chicken. And he’s forever eating chocolate. Mostly chocolate animals. You know the solid chocolate bunnies they’re selling for Easter? That’s what the Oompa-Loompa ate for dinner. Had a chocolate duck at lunch with a side of yellow Peeps.”

“Did they look like anyone we know? For example… a cross between Pippi Longstocking and the Wicked Witch of the West would obviously give us Marcie Miller.”

“Would you girls like a free measuring—”“Put the damn measuring tape away,” Vee ordered. “I already know my size. I don’t need reminding.”

“This isn't over," I said. "After everything we've been through, you don't get the right to brush me off. I'm not letting you off that easily." I wasn't sure if it was a threat, my last stab at defiance, or irrational words spoken straight from my splintered heart."I want to protect you," Patch said quietly.He stood so close. All strength and heat and silent power. I couldn't escape him, now or ever. He'd always be there, consuming my every thought, my heart locked in his hands. I was drawn to him by forces I couldn't control, let alone escape."But you didn't.”

“I love you, Nora. Whatever happens, promise me you'll remember that. I don't care why you came into my life, only that you did. I don't remember all the things I did wrong. I remember what I did right, I remember you. You made my life meaningful. You made my life special.”

“your biggest dream? - kiss you”

“Heat flushed Chauncey's neck; it took all his energy to curl his hands into two weak fists. He laughed at himself, but there was no humor. He had no idea how, but the boy was inflicting the nausea and weakness inside him. It would not lift until he took the oath. He would say what he had to, but he swore in his heart he would destroy the boy for this humiliation.”