“"My point is, I’m kinda easy to talk into things, that’s why I got the problems I got. People say shit like, ‘Wait in the car and keep it running, I just gotta run in and do something,’ or ‘I know this guy in Dousman needs a favor,’ and I say, ‘Yeah, sure, I just point the gun at my foot and pull the trigger, is that what I do?’ Bang! ‘Ow! What a surprise, I blew my toe off. Should I do it again? Okay!’ But I have spent a lot of time working on my personal self and talking to smart people and learning to ask what’s good for me and to not just dive into shit. Which is what I am doing right now, okay? I am taking a fucking moment." "I understand. I respect that." "It is very, very important to learn to tell everybody in the whole world to fuck off all the time. It took me forever to learn that." "I’m not sure that was the exact message you were supposed to—" But he glared at her, so she stopped and recharted her course. "I’m sorry. I get you had some bad stuff happen to you. I was not being cool." "Okay. Good. That’s more like it." He took a deep breath and let it out again, then pulled a flashlight off a battery charger on the wall next to the desk and headed for the gate that led deeper into the building. "You coming or what?"”

COLD STORAGE (2026)

“There was a second there where Teacake could look into her eyes from up close without coming off as creepy, a second where it was just gratitude and connection. The first half of that second was thrilling- her eyes were home, they were the only place he ever wanted to be, and the last lines of the only poem he knew flitted through his mind- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent. But then came the other half second, and his mind was no longer at peace, it felt only sorrow. Because he knew no matter how she felt tonight, no matter the thrill or danger or exhilaration of discovery, inevitably tomorrow morning would come, those feelings would fade, and she would realize they couldn't possibly be together.”

“"C’mon," she said. "This is the most fun I’ve had in years. This is a night out for me." "Jesus. That’s depressing. You don’t go out?" "Not really." "What about just, like, for a beer?" "I don’t drink." He persisted. "Not even for one beer?" "That would be drinking." "You never go out for one beer?" "This is getting off the point." But he was determined. "What about a coffee?"”