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“He kept his head down in what seemed to be a prayer. “He counts. You’ve smiled at him four hundred and forty-six times as of a few minutes ago. He announces the number every time I see him.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Blake took her face in his hands. “You let me touch you. Kiss you. Your skin? It feels like piano keys. My hands know just where to go.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Livia held her spatula as Blake whispered in her ear. “I see us just like this a hundred years from now, old and deaf. I’ll be the luckiest man.â€�
Emotion caught her—this was all she wanted. Simple, beautiful frittata moments with this man.
“Someday, Livia, I’ll be man enough to buy the food,â€� he continued. “I’ll give you an oven. I’ll try so hard.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Hello, beautiful Livia," Blake answered.

"How did you know it was me?" Livia saw her wide smile in the rear view mirror.

"The phone looked sexier when it rang.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Don't put off happiness you can have today. Tomorrow is a hope, not a promise”
― Debra Anastasia

“Holy fucking dogs! You scared the uterus out of me!”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Beckett's probably the hardest man there is to love," Blake said. "He does life wrong for all the right reasons.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“It was like he’d just discovered fire, and she was the main ingredient.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Simple shit makes this chick crap bubbles and rainbows" -Beckett”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Oh my God! I'm engaged! I'm marrying Cole!"

"What?!" Livia squeezed her sister hard. "Let me see. When did this happen? Did you tell Dad? When is it going to be? How did he propose?"

The men stopped their congratulatory handshake to stare at the speed-talking ladies.

"Last night, not yet, four weeks from today, naked!" Kyle blurted in response

The girls became a moving, jumping circle of hug.

"Cole, you popped the question in your birthday suit?" Blake teased.

Cole put his face in his hands. "Did not think she would share that bit of information.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“We’re going to find your hobo. We’re going to work hard—work nights. Liv, we’re going to put our balls into it.â€� She hugged her tightly.

“When did we get balls?� Livia loved her ridiculous sister.

“Just now.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“What do you have there?â€�
Mouse perked up at her interest. “I’m making ski masks to have on hand for bank robberies. Last night I finished the fingerless mermaid gloves for Eve. She likes her fingers free for gunplay.�

Mouse’s needles clicked together in a peaceful rhythm.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“He gripped the edge of the desk. “I’ve done my best to make sure my brothers have no blood on their hands,â€� he said with menacing quiet. “I’m going to hell for all three of us.â€� Beckett said defiantly.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Blake Hartt, I choose you. I deserve you. I want you.â€� Livia proved it by kissing his cold lips until they were warm.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“As Blake leaned down to accept her hug she whispered, “Remember when you and Livia tried to hog the spotlight at my wedding? Just when you and Livia get to the good part, Cole and I are going to have porno sex right there.â€�
She pointed discreetly at the spot to Blake’s right, and he couldn’t help but laugh.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“But Blake infused hope in his music. Love was the only song he knew how to play.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Beckett started the Hummer and texted Eve:
Tak4e Ur Cloth3s OFF Im on my qway
Her reply came back quick as lightning:
Take ur clothes off and f*ck yourself.
“One way or another, this chick is gonna kill me,â€� Beckett growled as the Hummer roared away.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Eve held his eyes and confidently licked the length of the razor-sharp blade with the tip of her tongue. Red blood beaded up on her tongue, and she licked her lips, giving them a fresh coat of color. Eve used the knife to blow a kiss in Beckett’s direction and disappeared into the crowd. Beckett forgot to keep dancing. He stood stock still with Kyle still twirling around him.
Eve had just f*cked his mind so hard, he wanted to smoke a cigarette and cuddle like some soap-watching woman.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Kyle’s shrill voice interrupted their moment. “Figured you two would turn this into a scout meeting. Will you get your asses up here? People are waiting. I mean Beckett here has maybe a few
hours before he’s bent over a metal toilet getting it up the ass from a
guy named Bubba. Do you want him to have fun now or not?�
The streetlight illuminated Beckett as he appeared next to Kyle. “Why would I be the bitch? I don’t think that’s a fair f*cking assumption.�
Kyle refused to look at him and crossed her arms. “Of course you’d be the bitch. You have dimples. Bitches have dimples. And I bet your ass is soft like two pillows. Bubba’s going to love bouncing off of you.�
Beckett stormed away, dragging Kyle with him. “I’ll be the f*cker,� he told her. “Not the f*ckee. The f*cker.�
“Fine, a$$hole, you’re the f*cker,â€� Kyle’s voice faded away as they returned to the party.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“After soft kisses, they pressed their hands together palm to palm. The tingling scattered all over Livia's body, warming her.

"Do you feel that?" she whispered with a smile.

His lips moved in his silent count. Blake wrapped his fingers around her hand. She copied the movement. Their hands together now resembled a heart-not a cartoon rendering of the shape, but a real human heart.

He touched her lips with his and murmured, "I've been feeling it since you first smiled at me.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“She kissed his lips and felt his smile form. Alone in this beautiful space, Blake and Livia made things right. Blake kissed her slowly and patiently, like he had all the time in the world.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“No one has really seen me in years.â€� Blake looked at the sky. “Sometimes I wonder how they know I don’t have a home. I try to dress decently.â€� He waved a hand at his jeans and army jacket. “I think it just seeps out of me. I’m not the same as everyone else.â€� He shook his head, pulling himself out of his despair, and looked at Livia again. “But when you saw me for the first time, you actually saw me. You saw me, and then you smiled like I was just the same as everyone else on that platform.”
― Debra Anastasia

“If you think I give a rat’s ass about that cooler, you don’t know me at all. Nothing I own is worth your pain.â€�

Then, quietly, he took down one of his walls for her. “I know you.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“So you’re the music note, Beckett’s obviously the knife, who’s the cross?â€� She stroked Blake’s tattoo.
“You’re about to find out. We’re headed to church.� Blake leaned in to kiss her forehead.
“Of course we are. That makes perfect sense.â€� From hell to heaven.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“I know it doesn’t make noise,â€� he explained. “Going through the motions is comforting to me. I wish I had a real piano.â€� The wistfulness in his tone was aching to hear.

“Did it used to have keys on it?� Livia asked.

“I did draw them once, but it was in pencil. No matter. My heart knows right where they are.â€� He watched her as he tickled the pretend keys again.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“A very bouncy Kyle woke Livia at some ridiculous o’clock on Friday morning.
“Wakey-wakey, you sloppy, old whore. It’s time to do you up. You’re going out tonight, so you don’t get to dress in nursing home casual.â€� Kyle ripped off Livia’s covers.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“We better get over to Beckett’s if you want to see how my day goes—before his crowd gets too raunchy.â€� Blake stood up and held out his hand.

“It’s eight thirty in the morning. How raunchy could they be?�

Livia wondered what, exactly, Beckett did for a living. Her question was soon answered. Everything bad.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Stop. Stop that. Tell me what happened to you.â€� She gently ran her fingers down the length of his chest.

Blake shook his head. “My life outside of this train station won’t touch you.â€� His green eyes swam with pain and determination.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Don’t pray to me. Don’t pray to me!â€� Kyle said, alarmed. “We’re in this together. I’ve done things wrong too. We’re human, Cole. We’ll still make mistakes, but now we’ll always have each other to hold when it hurts.â€� Kyle’s eyes filled with tears.”
― Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie

“Is that shooting star just a happy accident or has the universe had it planned for a thousand years?â€�
He tilted his face to the sky, his eyes tracking an imaginary star as it screamed to earth. He looked back to her. “Either way, you can’t stop it. You can beg it to slow down or you can just enjoy the show.�

“Am I the star in this story or you?�

Blake wrinkled his nose and chuckled. “Was that a bad analogy? I meant we’re the star, Livia. Us. This.â€� He shrugged his shoulders like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Us being in the same atmosphere is either a great cosmic catastrophe or the most serendipitous rendezvous.”
― Debra Anastasia