“I don’t see anybody,” he whispered to the two figures behind him. “No gates or locks, neither. Do you think maybe they’re using invisible barriers or something?”

“I love Jere more than anybody. He’s my brother, my family. I hate myself for doing this. But when I see you two together, I hate him too.” His voice broke.“Don’t marry him. Don’t be with him. Be with me.”

“In the final reckoning, there’s only two types of scumbag: the dumb ones locked behind the prison gate and the smart ones with their name above it.”

“I can’t stop thinking about doing this to you,” he whispers, so quietly I can barely hear him. “Tell me to stop now if you don’t want this. If you don’t want me.”

“Someday you'll have to tell me the whole story behind you two.""Maybe. But first, I have to figure it out myself.”

“Maybe they see something in him, see something in his face, in his features. Maybe they see what I see from this disjointed, foggy perspective. The desperation in his expression, the anguish carved into his features, the way he looks at me, like he might die if I do. And I can't help but think this is an interesting parting gift from the world.”