Beth’s voice broke. “I can’t lose you guys.” And there it was. She sat here bleeding because she loved me and Isaiah. For the millionth time, I wished the system was a person. One person I could name, know and hold responsible for screwing every single one of us. Right now, Beth’s mom’s new boyfriend would have to do.

Luke used to give me butterflies. Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls.

Her eyes met mine again. “So what does this mean for us?”I lowered my forehead to hers. “It means you’re mine.

The worst type of letting go isn't thekicking or the screaming ,because at least then there's enough emotion left to fight.No,the worst type is the silent acceptance.The quietness of the release.That's when the person realizes they no longer give a damn.

Sometimes we don’t choose the memories, but they choose us.

I barely heard her muffled comment of “Yay,” but the sarcastic jazz hands were hard to miss.

Isaiah opens the door to the bathroom, and steam pours out. He sports a pair of jeans and no shirt. “Wear some clothes around my girl.” Isaiah digs through his duffel bag. “Why? She already knows I’m the better-looking one. Echo chose you because you’ve got that smooth mouth.”

My siren had sung to me for way too long, capturing my heart, tempting me with her body, driving me slowly insane. Now, I expected her to pay up.

He brought up that game like it was yesterday. For me, it was eons ago. Those memories belonged to a boy who died alongside his parents in a house fire.