Meredith is a hot mess’s Reviews > What Lies > Status Update

“Love is a cage. No one likes to think of it this way, but it’s true. Love binds one person to another, limits what that person can or can’t do, the same as a real cage.”

"I do, quickly, and am rewarded with a big tip of what can only be an éclair. I bite down, and creamy goodness gushes into my mouth."

lol.

I'm quoting this because the éclair has significance in the next book. Rereading it's crazy seeing how much is interconnected between the prequel and novel.

The poetry is my favorite part of the book. I get chills each time I read the scene.

“Know that I will hurt you, but you’ll heal, like before but not exactly the same."

I can already imagine needing to hide all that has happened here, all I’ve given in to, all I’ve become.…

If I’m ever free, I could never envision giving this me to anyone else. No one will ever know this me because I’ll need to hide and pretend again.

And I don’t know if I want to go back to that. How could I?

I like this part—the ecstasy. I like the final part—the comfort. Without the in-between part, I could almost like it here, Angel.

It’s a desolate concession, no cause for a rueful laugh. A whimper escapes my lips instead. The chains clink softly.

His voice takes on a deep orator’s tone, one that would travel far without any help. It bounces off the cement and metal, each word a slap to my ears.

As His lips leave mine, His hand snakes gently around my neck to cup the back of my head.

At the shock of our touch, I pull back.

I watch His lips move in almost a whisper.

“You can consider this room your pyramid, Larissa. In here, I’ll help you to focus on what’s most important.”

The pyramid’s purpose is to bring focus into the minds and hearts of any who stand at its base. It leaves no room for anything beyond a single-mindedness. What’s most important becomes clear.

...

God I love the pyramid scene.

“I think the builders of that site understood perception and perspective—that, and a basic fact about their fellow man. We can’t really experience anything from a distance. You see, it’s in our nature to need to be close to what we most want. But we allow ourselves to be distracted by what is future versus what is now. We too easily forget one want in the pursuit of the next.”

“The Pyramid of the Moon mimics, in perfect symmetry, a massive mountain that shadows behind it. When a person starts on the journey up the avenue, the pyramid seems impressive and large, but it is nothing in comparison to what lies beyond it. With each step closer, the pyramid takes over until, standing at the base of the sacred site, only the pyramid can be seen. The mountain is but a memory then.”