“Sage shifted beneath me. I put one of my hands back into his thick hair and left it there, pretending I needed to hold him. It took all my willpower not to start playing with it.“I guess you don’t do this very often,” I told him, my voice cracking slightly.I couldn’t see his face but I could feel him smile. “No. Usually my head’s turned the other way around.”

“That is what I thought of you, Ellie. Heartless, reckless, selfish, and cruel."He was back to shooting me when my armor was down. I turned my face away from him, not wanting to let him see the hurt in my eyes. He reached up and put his fingers under my chin, bringing my face forward again, forcing me to look at him."Beautiful, sad, wounded, and lost," he continued. "A freak, a work of art, a liar, and a lover."His gaze was starting to eat away at my insides. Razor-blade butterflies whirled in my heart."I hate you, Ellie Watt," he whispered, lips coming closer to mine, "because I still love you after all these years.”

“Who the hell is Old Roddy?” I said angrily. I was sick of feeling like I wasn’t being told the whole story. Dex was silent. I shined my light in his face, causing him to squint harshly.“If you don’t know then I don’t have time to explain,” he sneered in the brightness. He eyed my hand on his bicep. I didn’t let go. “Make time,” I said.”

“I don’t deserve your love, Eden. You have my heart, but yours should remain in your chest. Save it for a better man. Save it for someone who’s worth it.” His eyes shimmered as tears threatened to spill over. “You need to leave me.”“No,” I told him, grabbing his face. “I need to love you.”

“His eyes shone playfully, turning his irises a deep cocoa. "That's why I like you, you're a challenge."I folded my arms and leaned back on one leg. "Oh, so that's why...""Well, that and your ass."My cheeks flamed. "Thanks.""And your breasts.""Got it.""And what's between your-""Dex," I warned, cutting him off.”

“The things I want to do to you…” he whispered roughly. I took my hand behind his head and brought his ear down to my mouth. “Do them,” I breathed back, and licked the rim of his ear.He let out a small moan and suddenly his lips were on mine. The sweet business was out of the way.”

“Another snowball, this time it impacted on my shoulder. I dusted the snow off my coat with my free hand and gave him the biggest stinkeye I could muster.“How old are you again? Twelve?”He grinned, teeth white as the snow he gathered. “Old enough to make you come, young enough to make you hate me for it.”“Oh jeez,” I muttered, shaking my head, and turned around.Bam.Snowball to the back of my head.”