Shattered by M.Lathan - Quotes/Highlights

“If you’re pregnant…” “Christine! Stop with that!” “Okay. You’re not pregnant. What is it?”

“Don’t get all Christine on me,” he said. Too late. I was already squeezing him hard, as if I could love his troubles away. “I have a drinking problem, not a terminal illness.”

“Vincent Shaw was an interesting man,” he said. “He was oddly caring, but deadly, and crazy as a loon … like your mother.”

“I remember when my wife met your mother. She came home and screamed that she’d met the devil. Vincent Shaw’s daughter, Julian’s rumored student, and a demon all wrapped up in one little girl.”

“Get back here, Nathan,” Lydia said. She always managed to put terror in everything she said. I was sure she could ask me if I wanted a million dollars and still make me shiver.

Apparently being raised by Kamon made him prone to useless speeches.

It looked like Emma had barfed rainbows and sunshine in here when she was younger.

Paul saying something profound usually had that effect, like the world needed time to adjust to him being serious.

“Don’t say hooking up when it applies to my parents,” I said and shivered.

And then they started kissing. In my bed! I shooed them out and pushed them into the hall. “Goodnight!” I yelled. They laughed and pulled me into a three-way hug. “I love you, honey,” Mom said. “And we’re just going to go talk.” “Yeah,” Dad said. “Talk. We’ll come back after we … talk.”

Acting first and talking later seemed much more productive.

“Friends don’t need time away from friends,” Paul said. “If you’re going through something, you keep them around. That’s why the hell you have them in the first place.”

“Need I remind you of what I did?” She shook her head. “Before that, I was secretly getting involved in finding my killer. Before that, I snuck off to Chicago and…”

“Thanks,” he said. “For what?” “For being you. Last night, I thought you were going to ask me a bunch of questions, but we just hung out and slept. That was exactly what I needed.” He kissed my ear again. “You are exactly what I needed.”

Lydia examined Christine’s eyes and stared into her nose. I wasn’t exactly sure what she expected to learn about her powers from that, but it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. I had to tell myself that I was too old to be jealous.

Devin had a special kind of stench. He smelled like a huddle of homeless people around a fire, a bit of garbage, cigarettes, weed, and determination.

In my fragile state, it was like I had never seen her before. Her beauty stunned me, and in the next moment, I remembered she was mine, and was stunned again.

You took a huge risk because you know what I know– that even if you changed into a fish, I would somehow become one too.”

“Thanks,” he said. “For what?” “For being you. Last night, I thought you were going to ask me a bunch of questions, but we just hung out and slept. That was exactly what I needed.” He kissed my ear again. “You are exactly what I needed.”

“Chris, I’m not pregnant,” Emma said. “Oh.” “Wait … do I look pregnant?”

“You sure? Pools are dangerous places, baby. It’s where Christines are made.”

I’d seen how our lives would’ve been if she’d kept me, and truth was, my mother was nuts and being Lydia Shaw probably kept her sane enough to function, and my Dad was once crazy in love with her with an emphasis on crazy.

And that was it. How my life changed in a week. How my sole reason for living became Christine Cecilia Gavin.

“What does that mean?” I asked. He snorted. “It means you have OCD and you obsess over everything.” I laughed. “I’m not joking. I bet you a million dollars that you have a glass of water on your nightstand and it’s slightly off-center and a little less than half full.” I looked over my shoulder. He was right.

You know what should be on your mind? That hot girl you’re sleeping with but not sleeping with.”

“My dad is going to be pissed,” I said. “Because I still live with you?” he asked.

“Why does it seem like …” I couldn’t finish my question. He did it for me. “Like I’m prepared?” he said. I nodded. “Because I am.”

“I can’t ever repay you for what you did today, Nathan. You saved her. Us, really.” “No sweat. She’s kind of my life,” I said.

“You can’t imagine how happy you made her. She cried.” “She cries for everything,” I said.

I didn’t want to fight an army, but I did want to protect Christine with more than candles and laundry chutes.

I will not live through caring for another Lydia Shaw. I’ve nearly strangled the first one to death too many times to count.”

And then, I was fine, because, although our lives were crazy right now, Christine was my harmony, the one that existed outside of myself

Nate hadn’t made the best first impression with my dad. Or second or third. This would be his 40th impression or so, and I would say he’d sufficiently ruined this one.