Beautiful Sacrifice Chapter 9: Kirby’s Mother is Greek

Previously, a man died so that our narrators had an excuse to touch one another. They discuss their backstories, and it turns out that Falyn might be connected to Olive, the child featured in Trenton’s story.

Beautiful Sacrifice Chapter 9:

The chapter picks up with Taylor complaining about how hard the hike they’re on has been.

Falyn uses this time to dramatically and vaguely remind us of her fraught past and problems with her parents.

Both times that I’d hiked Barr Trail were with my parents, and we were some of the only locals who had hiked the Peak once, much less twice. My parents were always passionate about seizing opportunities, and failing to hike a famous trail that was practically in our backyard when hundreds of thousands would travel to experience it would have most certainly been a missed opportunity.

That was back when I had been their Falyn— the girl they felt died the night they’d found me in the bathroom, crouched and sweaty, praying for help I couldn’t ask for. But the Falyn they had known didn’t die. She never existed, and that was probably what was so hard for them to accept— that they’d never known me at all. Now they never would.

It just takes such an abrupt turn from, “My parents had us hike this trail” to “THEY NEVER KNEW ME AT ALL. HERE IS SOMETHING VAGUE FROM MY DARK PAST!” Why is this even in there?

Taylor tells Falyn it’s his best day ever, and he gets upset when she just stares at him. I like that Falyn isn’t a character that always has the right thing to say, but I also still just have no idea how anything is progressing between these two (on either side.)

They don’t want to hike back down the mountain so they decide to hitchhike, and there’s an odd interlude where Kirby’s mother picks them up and is weirdly mistrustful of Taylor because of her own past?

“Apapa, Falyn,” she scolded with a perfect Greek accent. “What would your mother say?” Her words were free of any accent at all.

“A lot probably.”

Corinne clicked her tongue and shook her head in disapproval. “Where is he from?”

“Illinois,” Taylor said.

Corinne was unhappy that he had addressed her, so her questions ceased. She slowed in the parking lot, and we directed her toward Taylor’s truck. She twisted around to watch us exit the van, glaring at Taylor as if she were trying to cast some sort of Greek curse on him with her eyes.

Oh my gosh we get it she’s Greek! I don’t understand her vendetta against Taylor, but I do hope she’s actually casting a “Greek curse” on him. That would be an amazing twist for a Maddox Bro book.

Corinne pulled away, scowling at Taylor, until she decided it was time to watch the road.

The time to watch the road should be always when you are driving!

Once they’re in Taylor’s car and headed the rest of the the way home they…talk more about Kirby’s mom?

“She’s Greek. Kirby’s dad was Canadian, I think. Corinne wanted to name her Circe, after a Greek witch. The dad nixed it, thankfully. Kirby was the compromise.”

I wonder if we’re ever going to even see this woman again.

Taylor asks where Kirby’s dad is now, and Falyn replies that they don’t know. All they know is that he was a ‘hotshot’. Oh wow, so you mean that’s why Corinne was being so rude to Taylor? That’s deep.

Once they’re back at Falyn’s, Taylor again confronts her for not telling him she had a great day too. He even pulls out his secret weapon:

“Thank you, Taylor. You’re my best day, too, Taylor. I’m hopelessly in love with your preciously sculpted abs, Taylor,” he said, pulling up his shirt to reveal the best thing I’d seen in a while.

When a Maddox bro falls in love, he shows his abs.

Falyn is a hardass about this, and then she goes to take a shower. They continue to chat through the door, and Taylor reveals ANOTHER MADDOX BRO will be visiting soon.

“Which one?” I asked, ducking my head under the water.

“Does it matter?” he asked.

“I guess not.”

Fuck, I love when these books do my job for me. But for the record it’s Tyler. I have no idea how I am going to handle switching between Taylor and Tyler in the future. Pray for me.

Then, without warning, Taylor just fucking walks into the bathroom, complaining that talking through the door is annoying. I’m trying to be fair here, but he opens the door AND THEN IS LIKE, “Oh can I come in?” and Falyn says, “Whatever.” So it’s consensual, but he really should have fucking asked before entering. I feel like we can all agree on that.

Taylor tells Falyn he wants her to meet his brother. They…banter? I don’t even know. It ends with her shouting at him to get out of the bathroom/apartment, but it’s played for laughs.

“Get out,” I snapped.

“I’m… going.” He finally opened the door and closed it behind him. I heard the front door slam.

I touched my fingers to my mouth, suppressing the giggle that was desperately attempting to bubble to the surface. I hadn’t giggled in a very long time.

This is the first time that I’ve really been like, “Oh my god, Falyn, what happened to you????”