She was magic, a direct light—the kind that seeps through in places that didn’t exist inside him anymore. The light he thought he lost forever, but Nick realized we don’t lose the light, we absorb it, and with Olivia he wanted to absorb every small speck of it.

He stood there watching for a moment, not able to move. Even with her mascara running down her face and her hair beginning to frizz, she was still by far the most beautiful girl he’d ever laid eyes on. It was quite simple, wasn’t it? This great affection he had for Olivia was so overwhelming he chose to walk away instead of being brutally honest with himself.

If there was anything he’d learned in his life, it was to fight fire with fire, and if that didn’t work, piss on the fire to put it out.

She came out of nowhere like a two-by-four against the skull, knocking all common sense out of him and turning him into a walking woody.

Claire, if you don’t move, I will have served two tours of duty only to die in this bed.

She had no doubt in her mind what he was going to do. And while her ever-elusive shred of common sense squealed, “no,” every thing else in her shouted, “Bring it on.

How did you know the dog was a boy before you read the tag?”Looking up at him with her cinnamon-colored eyes, she stated very matter-of-factly, “Boys have penises.” At that moment, Michael was very aware that he, himself, was a boy.

He loved her in spite of her unlovableness. Armande had many trying, thought not necessarily rare, traits, all of which he accepted as absurd clues in a clever puzzle.

He loved her in spite of her unlovableness. Armande had many trying, though not necessarily rare, traits, all of which he accepted as absurd clues in a clever puzzle.