“You can't carry the world on yer shoulders, broad as they are.”

“I can't face losin' ya, Riley. Yer all I got left in this world.”That brutal honesty again. He'd peeled away more armor, and this time he'd exposed his heart.”

“Do what ya have to do to pay off yer debt with Heaven,’ he said, his concern for proper speech abandoned. ‘But ya do not die on me, ya understand? I can’t live without ya. Yer all I got, woman.’ Her breath caught in her lungs. ‘I don’t want to be here if you’re not.”

“I promised Paul I'd keep ya safe, he said. If that means packin' yer ass out of town so it doesen't get humped by a smooth talkin' loser, that's the way it's gonna be.”

“I’m home. Ya happy now?’ Beck’s gravelly voice demanded. ‘Yes, I am.’ ‘Yer’ treatin’ me like i’m some idiot kid,’ he complained. ‘Gee, I wonder where I learned that?’ He hung up on her.”

“Adults always acted like they could fix everything. But they can't. And they know it.”

“Do not get yourself arrested, you hear?” she urged. “I am not going to bail your butt out of jail, mister.”“Now who's goin' all old geezer, huh?” He snorted. “I'm gonna get drunk and pass out on my bed at home. Haven't done that for so long I can't remember.”“Probably a reason for that, Beck. You're killing brain cells, and you don't have that many to spare.”