Kristen

“How ex are we talking?"

"The kind where you have to take everything that he ever gave you and bury it in the backyard so there will be nothing to remind you of how much you loved him.”
― Amy A. Bartol, Incendiary

“I wil never fight you,” she replies in a stern tone, like I have said somethin’ completely ridiculous.
“Why not? You thought I was gonna hurt ya, why not fight back?” I retort, rememberin’ how she cringed like I was gonna hit her and the shame of what I just did is back ful force.
“You’re my best friend,” she says, like that is an explanation.
“Yes, but ya thought I was gonna hurt ya so I’d say, at that point, al bets should be off,” I state clearly.
point, al bets should be off,” I state clearly.
“No. I won’t fight you for real. Ever. We can practice together, but I can’t look at you like you’re my enemy. It’s impossible for me,” she says firmly.
“So y’al would let me hurt you, rather than defend yerself?” I ask, like she has lost her mind.
“Yes,” she says.
“Why?” I ask again, ‘cuz I have to understand her reasons before I tel her how stupid I think she is for havin’ them.
“Because you’re my soul mate and I love you,” she says like I’m dense.”
― Amy A. Bartol

“You’ve claimed me, little firecracker. You kicked a pair of two hundred pound men’s asses. I will never get over that. You kicked my whores out. Pete told me. You staked your claim on me, even before you realized I’d staked mine already.” He fists my hair and pulls me close to his lips. “I’m yours now … Even if I screw this up, I’ll still be your screw-up.”
― Katy Evans, Real

“I slump against the cushion. “How am I going to protect him, if I’ve completely alienated him? He thinks I’m creepy…” I say sadly.
“You are not creepy,” Reed says soothingly, taking my hand.
“You’re not a good judge of creepy, Reed, since you’re creepier than I am,” I say warily, looking over at Zephyr when I hear him laughing at my comment. “I wouldn’t laugh too hard, pal, because you’re the creepiest one of us all.”
― Amy A. Bartol, Inescapable