“He was like a living, breathing painting on an all-male canvas.”

“He sucked in his breath as his saw me, his eyes traveling from my toes to my hips, as if he hadn't seen it all before."Jesus," he whispered, gaze lingering everywhere. "I keep forgetting that you're art already." ...”

“I once told you to leave and not to love me,” he cried out, muffled. “I’m taking all of that back. Not because I deserve it or because I’m worthy of your love. But because I need it like the air I breathe. I need you. I need you to believe in me. I need your love to make me feel like I can be redeemed.”

“I know what I know of you," he whispered into my ear, his breath hot. "And I want to know more.”

“We're in this together, until the ocean waves crash on our feet." "You really paint this Guatala as a paradise.""If you're there with me, it will be.”

“Who is good and who is bad? Life isn’t black and white, Javier. You and I, we’re just trying to live in all the grey. Isn’t that what you’ve done? Isn’t that what you want? To live?”

“He was like a caring, hulking, nerd. And I wanted him.”