“Everyone takes the picture of the kid with the birthday cake on his face," he said once. "Wait for the unexpected. That's the magic.”

“We talk later,” he demands. “Or now, with everyone listening.”“Go to hell,” I say. It worked before, but not this time.His voice soft, he asks, “Aren’t we already there, Q?”

“That’s war, kid. You can hate the guy next to you, but he’s always got your back.”

“Those big reunions where everyone apologises and the family lives happily ever after? They're bullshit. The truth is, some apologies never see the light of day.”

“Some words hit you like a tree branch slapping you in the face. And some words rip into your flesh, leaving scars so deep, they never completely fade.”

“I’m two hours late when I pull in to the driveway. It won’t matter that I’m always on time. People never see how good you are. Fuck up once, and it’s like you are wearing a neon sign.”

“It sounds so perfect. He’s defending me because Carey would want him to. It’s not about me. It never is, with these two boys. Blake lets me take the blame, and Carey uses me.”