And don't pay attention to Christina. Your face doesn't look that bad." He smiles a little. "I mean, it looks good. It always looks good. i mean--you look brave. Dauntless." His eyes skirt mine, and he scratches the back of his head. The silence grows between us. It was a nice thing to say, but he acts like it means more than just words. I hope I am wrong. I could not be attracted to Al-- I could not be attracted to anyone that fragile. I smile as much as my bruised cheek will allow, hoping that will diffuse the tension.
Veronica RothI keep finding myself stifled by the company of others and then crippled by loneliness when I leave them. I am terrified and I don't even know of what, because I have lost everything already.
Veronica RothYou're the one who has to live with your choice, everyone else will get over it, move on, no matter what you decide. But you never will
Veronica RothI could never hurt him enough to make his betrayal stop hurting. And it hurts, in every part of my body.
Veronica RothI shield my eyes from the sun to see her cold lookโthe expression I saw in my mind even before I looked at her. She looks older to me than she ever has, stern and tough and worn by time. I feel that way, too. โThese people have no regard for human life,โ she says. โTheyโre about to wipe the memories of all our friends and neighbors. Theyโre responsible for the deaths of a large majority of our old faction.โ She sidesteps me and marches toward the door. โI think theyโre lucky Iโm not going to kill them.
Veronica RothWho is he when he isn't Dauntless, isn't an instructor, isn't Four, isn't anything in particular? Whoever he is, I like him. It's easier to admit that to myself now, in the dark, after all that just happened. He is not sweet or gentle or particularly kind. But he is smart and brave, and even though he saved me, he treated me like I was strong. That is all I need to know.
Veronica Roth