I might be in love with you." He smiles a little. "I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though.

No one's perfect," I whisper. "It doesn't work that way. One bad thing goes away, and another bad thing replaces it." I traded cowardice for cruelty; I traded weakness for ferocity.

Then his eyes focus on something over my shoulder, and he starts walking. I turn to see Uriah jogging from the elevator bank. He is grinning. “Heard a rumor you were a dirty traitor,” Uriah says. “Yeah, whatever,” says Zeke. They collide in an embrace that looks almost painful to me, slapping each other’s backs and laughing with their fists clasped between them.

How have I never realized before that for all the strong, kind parts of him, there are also hurting, broken parts?

Trust me when I tell you, Eaton boy, that resisting is worth doing.

Nothing else is all right.” His whisper tickles my cheek. “But we are.

Some people will always fear change. But we can't indulge them.