Isabelle

“I hesitate, hand on my seat belt buckle. I know I need to get going somewhere,
but—well, what’s the harm in scoping the area out? Making sure it’s as safe as Remy
seems to think it is?
“All right, Remy,” I say, opening the door.
“Remy,” he shoots back. “Jesus, you can’t even remember my name? The sewers
weren’t kind to you, were they?”
“Wait—what?” I ask, shutting the door, locking it. No one’s taking my Lucy.
He just looks exasperated, which just makes me confused.
“You called me Ruby,” Remy said, indignantly.
I stare at him. There’s a flutter of something wild, panicked in my chest I don’t understand and I don’t particularly want to examine. I’m tired and when I’m tired my tongue gets lazy. “Sorry. Tired. Idiot.”
― Alexandra Bracken, The Rising Dark: A Darkest Minds Collection

“I grabbed Liam's arm as he passed me on his way to the tunnel door, kissing his cheek. "See you later tonight."
He stepped down into the tunnel, shouldering a backpack Cole had left for him there. When I turned to say good-bye to the other Stewart, he'd stooped, turned his cheek toward me, and was waiting. I flicked it with my finger, making him laugh again.
"You're impossible," I informed him.
"It's all part of my charm," he said, shifting the heavy bag on his shoulder. "Take care of things, Boss."
"Take care of him." I said, pointedly.
He gave one last mock salute before shutting the door to the tunnel. I waited until the sound of his and the others' steps faded completely before locking the door after him.”
― Alexandra Bracken, In the Afterlight

“I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd be up for hearing about the one-eyed chick," Vida said with a shrug.
"You are atually the worst person I have ever met," Chubs said.
"And people like you are the reason we have middle fingers.”
― Alexandra Bracken, Never Fade

“Oh, thank god. I saw you both on the ground & I thought you killed each other”
― Alexandra Bracken, Never Fade