A girl would be lucky to have you, but not like this, Carmine. Not the way you treat people now. You're wasting your time, and it's not worth it. You need to find something that is. So, maybe your life isn’t boring, but it has to be unfulfilling.

— J.M. Darhower

Being the first to do anything takes guts.

— J.M. Darhower

But you should never jump unless you know you can fly, or at least float. Nobody wants to fall. That’s how you end up hurt.

— J.M. Darhower

Colo DI filming. The thunderbolt, as Italians call it. When love strikes someone like lightning, so powerful and intense it can’t be denied. It’s beautiful and messy, cracking a chest open and spilling their soul out for the world to see. It turns a person inside out, and there’s no going back from it. Once the thunderbolt hits, your life is irrevocably changed.

— J.M. Darhower

Did wrinkled her nose. “Gross. You need a decent girl, one that can straighten you out.”“I don't need to be straightened out,” Carmine said. “Why drown in love when you can have so much fun swimming in lust?

— J.M. Darhower

Everyone sometimes falls, son, even me, but the trick is to get right back up. They’ll always target the ones who appear vulnerable, so you need to be strong. Fake it until you make it.

— J.M. Darhower

Go for it, while you can. I know you have it in you. And I can't promise you'll get everything you want, but I can promise nothing will change if you don't try.

— J.M. Darhower

He turned to leave when arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind, stalling him. Sighing, he closed his eyes, taking a moment to savor her touch. "Angel."" Luce." He pulled her into his arms as he whispered, "I love you."" I love you, too." Sarah said, clinging to him. "When I opened my eyes, I didn't want to be here, because I didn't think you'd be here. I thought you'd be down there again, back in the pit, and I'd take an eternity in your Hell before I took a single second in my Heaven without you.

— J.M. Darhower

His eyes alone set her insides ablaze. The blue looked dark as midnight at the moment, a twinkle in his eyes like they held all the stars in his gaze. He had a solar system inside of him, a universe of secrets Sarah yearned to explore.

— J.M. Darhower

If Luce had to rank the worst moments of his existence, Abandon's betrayal would be up there with the day he was cast into the pit by his own brother. Neither came close to the sting of losing Sarah, though.

— J.M. Darhower