She smiled, and her eyes started to drift downward. "Cather..." Back up to his eyes."You know that I'm falling in love with you, right?

But I stayed up thinking about how I've been lying to him, no less than I lie to myself in my pre-sleep ritual. And I lied to him again just as we were growing more intimate than ever and he asked me about my scar.

He clearly suffers from some past traumas too, so hopefully he'll understand why I was untruthful to him about mine.

Adding to my emotional dizziness on Sunday, I spoke with my sister, who kept noting how amazing Michael is, and what a brave and selfless man he is for having helped as he did.

My past still haunts me when I sleep, although I saw that - much to my surprise- his does as well.

But then, as I looked in the mirror, I became fixated on some hairs near my carotid artery that were still there. I pushed the blade deep against my neck to shave them off, and then blood squirted out.

A few minutes later, my eyes began to feel a bit droopy, but I vaguely noticed that Anissa was whispering something.

The lead-up to the moment was magical in every respect, but a part of me was, and still is, uneasy about the whole thing for many reasons.

In addition to my new outlook on life, in some absurdly simple way, Anissa gave me several new reasons to live. Above all, I had to see her again and find out what, if anything, would happen between her and me.

But I did feel the vertigo of death’s invitation, beckoning me towards the dark waters below. Only a newfound perspective and desire steadied my wavering soul. I came to realize, just in time, that suicide was far too easy – and obscenely cowardly – after someone I knew, not even half my age, had been through so much worse and still marched gloriously on.

She was somehow this damaged creature I had fortuitously encountered along my path and now cared about as a result. Granted, I didn't cause her harm, as I did with Icarus, but I somehow began to feel responsible for her welfare.

The danger of prolonged despair is its tendency to cloud the gift of a new beginning that every tomorrow offers. --Anissa's Redemption

It doesn’t matter what’s wrong with him. We’re not going to act like he doesn’t exist. Not anymore.

Cheekbones that cut like ice and eyes like liquid scotch. Loren Hale is an alcoholic beverage and he doesn't even know it.

Eli . . .” I rasped. I lost track of where his kisses landed, where his fingers touched, and grew too comfortable in his arms. “I can’t.”“You can,” he urged, pulling back and grinding my hips against his. Heat quickly rushed to my cheeks. “I have you. I found you, and I’m not letting you go.”“You don’t—” Eli’s mouth crashed down on mine, stealing a kiss, and I freakin’ lost it. His mouth was absolutely sinful and there was nothing gentle about him, either. Eli was out for something good and was determined to get it. Euphoria sliced through my drunken haze and I grinned as I kissed him back. When his hands slid up my dress and his tongue pushed past my teeth, I moaned loudly and wrapped my legs around his waist.Just this. I can do this.Eli’s fingers inched closer to my panties and I threw my head back against the building to catch my breath.Oh, my God.Lights flashed behind my eyes and the red and blue spots showered over me like rain. “I-I have a wedding tomorrow. My friend’s,” I muttered, almost pulling away. To my ears, it didn’t even sound like a coherent sentence.“Cielo, I don’t really care.” Eli glanced up at me from his place between my flushed breasts and leaned in to suck my bottom lip into his mouth.“I’m drunk.”“Good.” His hand beneath my dress tugged and I heard the audible rip of my panties. “So am I.

Well, why not just snap my damn olive branch and beat me with it? I was only trying to help.

Maybe that was why another part of me--a very small part--had wanted to kiss Wallace then. Both sides of his mouth, between his brows, and every other place those stupid worry lines marred his expression. That part of me had wanted to hold him tight and give him the comfort I knew he couldn’t ask for.But that part terrified me the most.

Cole radiated that cool, bad boy sort of confidence—the kind that left most women flustered and ready.

Forget walking, right now I could fly."-Marcus

It wasn't until the morning after my uneventful shift, when I wake up, dazed and tense and frustrated as hell, that I realize I'm getting obsessed with that girl, my partner, and this thing is running me ragged.

As long as I’ve known her, she’s seen the very best version of me, even when I didn’t believe that guy existed.

Lucia opened the door. "They say not to discuss politics and religion on the first

Do I have to give you hair torture to get it out of y

The smoke burns slightly down my throat and to my lungs. I focus on this, and empty my head, empty the images of Skye’s beautiful face all bruised up. In the end, I can’t even give her what she’s rightfully asking. A kiss. Just a fucking kiss on her lips. Even that I’m unable to do. It’d be pathetic if our situation and our past weren’t so tragic. I take another drag of my cigarette and watch the smoke swirling in the room only lit by the moonlight. — Duke

At this very moment with my girl in my arms, I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do for her, for us. — Duke

At least, for once I was there for her. I didn’t fail her. She wasn’t alone. — Duke

I jumped at the sound of Drake's voice. "You scared the crap out of me! Where did you come from?"He raised his eyebrows, "From what I learned in Anatomy, I came from my Mother. But if you are refering to just now, through the door.

Wait for me.” The words come out choked and pained. “I need you to wait for me.

No one told me you can love someone and still be miserable. How is that possible?

Promises from Lo are like bars at 2 a.m.--empty.

What’s going to happen,” he breathes, “is that I’m going to carry you through this door. I’m going to draw out every single moment until you’re exhausted. And I’m going to move so slow that three months ago will feel like yesterday. And tomorrow will feel like today, and no one in this fucking universe will be able to say your name without saying mine.

I love you,” he says again, “and no other man will ever say those words and mean them the way I do.

I’m remarrying you, Lil. Fuck, I’d remarry you a hundred times until it stuck.

Well sue me for staring. I'd be willing to scrub away my shame on his washboard abs.

You're kind of... distracting.Am I?Yes. In the best way.

Can dimples wink? Because I felt like his just did.

Fine. Such a stupid word really. It feels empty and weightless. It’s the kind of word you use to hide the truth.

Sometimes people are just misunderstood. People and animals. We can’t just assume they are thinking one thing and can avoid temptation. it’s hard as hell to avoid that red flag when it’s waving in your face.

I was torn. The evil, horny side of me wanted to know more. The good side wanted to feel sympathy and pretend he'd never heard it. I think 'evil horny' is gonna win. - Tyler Campbell (main character)

In a typical college romance novel, he'd be a gorgeous but troubled sex god who'd cure all my deep-seated psych issues with a good hard fuck. I'd smell his misogyny and abusive tendencies from miles off but my brain would turn to hormone soup because abs. That's the formula. Broken girl + bad boy = sexual healing. All you need to fix that tragic past is a six-pack. More problems? Add abs.It's Magic Dick Lit.

I don’t want any other girl.” He shook his head and took a step closer, cupping my face in his hands. “I belong with you and you belong with me.

Watch it, loincloth, I’m not afraid to spork your eyes out.

Now let’s go back to your place and bake shit and watch Harry Potter.

It means that I like you for you and you should like you for you.

You could’ve pushed me away for years, I still wouldn’t have gone anywhere. I’d still be at your side, annoying the hell out of you until you finally agreed to marry me.

I like difficult. I like a challenge. And as soon I realized you were the only person in the world for me, I had no choice but to keep chasing you until you agreed to be with me. Even if it took years. And given how stubborn you are, I’m surprised it didn’t take that long.

It's bewildering to me how you can just start chatting with a complete stranger on Facebook, and - next thing you know - it seems as if there's some intense connection with the person - or at least you feel that closeness and hope it's mutual

Paradoxically, the more Michael kept me at a distance, the more I trusted him - perhaps because he was always willing to help me with tips and introductions even though he wanted absolutely nothing from me (and never reciprocated my nosiness with personal questions of his own with me).