“Claire freed him, and then lifted Ryan to his feet. She pushed back his head to inspect his wound, overly rough. “You’ll live.” Ryan winced. “Thanks, Honey, I love you, too.”

“Ryan held out his hands. "What the hell is this? Beat The Shit Out Of Ryan Week?" "I didn't think you'd mind, since you're always insisting upon getting yourself hospitalized,"Claire said.Ryan's face screwed into disgust. "That was uncalled for.""The truth hurts, baby."He smiled. "If you're going to talk to me like that, you can insult me all day long."Claire pulled her car keys from her pocket, and then pulled on Ryan's hand. "I meant that you're a baby. It wasn't a term of endearment.""Yeah, right.”

“So you would literally take a bullet for me.""No," Claire said, with zero emotion."No?" Ryan said, surprised at her answer.Claire rolled her eyes, annoyed that she had to answer. "If I have time to stand in the way of a bullet, you have time to move.”

“I rolled my eyes and slipped the purple silk over my head, crawling in bed beside him. I straddled his lap and kissed his neck, giggling when he let his head fall against the headboard. “Again? You’re gonna kill me, Pidge.”“You can’t die,” I said, covering his face with kisses. “You’re too damn mean.”“No, I can’t die because there are too many jackasses falling over themselves to take my place! I may live forever just to spite them!”

“She ripped the wild bun down from the crown of her head, and then brushed her long hair with her fingers. I couldn’t stop staring while she rewrapped it and tied it back again. I imagined that this was what she looked like in the morning, and then had to think about the first ten minutes of Saving Private Ryan to keep my dick from getting hard.”

“I lifted my head up once more, noticing the contentment in his eyes as he looked at me. It was similar to the peace I had seen on his face after I lost the bet to stay with him in the apartment, after I told him I loved him for the first time, and the morning after the Valentine’s dance. It was similar, but different. This was absolute—permanent. The cautious hope had vanished from his eyes, unqualified trust taking its place.I recognized it only because his eyes mirrored what I was feeling.”

“I'm done, Travis." He winced. "Don't say that." "It's over. Go home." His eyebrows pulled in. "You're my home.”