Chelsea M. Cameron

“I love you so much, sweetheart. So much that sometimes I can't breathe. I can't think. You're all I've ever wanted, even before I knew I wanted it. I don't deserve you, Katherine.”

“You drive me insane because you never know what you want and you expect me to just accommodate you. And I do it. Every time. You say jump and I get out a goddamn trampoline. When I'm not with you, I'm thinking about you. I can't stop thinking about you and wanting you. I want to walk across this room and do what you want, but I can't. I can't fuck you anymore.' 'Why not?''I can't just fuck you because I love you!”

“We can what if ourselves to death, but it won't do anything. The only thing we can do is keep moving even when it feels like you're walking through a pit of cement.”

“I'll go anywhere and do anything with you. You're my home. My family.''I love you,' she said, kissing me once.We fell asleep, still in our clothes, her head on my heart.”

“Charlotte didn't just shake my world. She created an earthquake that had irrevocably changed the landscape of my life.”

“Subject: Get back to workMissy,You're distracting me from the very important topic of workplace safety. How would you feel if I improperly climbed a ladder due to not learning the proper procedure and then fell to my death?Always,The Boy You Dream AboutP.S. I'm also a lost prince from a faraway land. Want to do me now?”

“Subject: Challenge acceptedMr. Zaccadelli,If you keep this up, I'm going to report you to the workplace hotline for harassment. They don't take kindly to tattooed, guitar-playing dudes making advances toward sweet, innocent girls. Game ON.Sincerely,The Girl You Will Never HaveP.S. Esquire? You are so full of shit.”

“Subject: Not a chanceMissy,I accept your challenge, and may I remind you, that if you want me to leave you alone, there is that little bet we have going. Win it, and I'm gone.Impatiently (and nakedly) yours,Mr. Hunter Aaron Zaccadelli, esquire.P.S. Bring it on.”

“Subject: This is a work environment and this is harassmentMr. Zaccadelli,I am writing to inform you that your proposition has been rejected. Due to both the fact that we are coworkers, as well as roommates, I would find it inappropriate to “visit the stacks” with you. I will reject all further offers at this time. If, in the future, I decide to entertain such an offer, I will inform you via correspondence.Respectfully (not) yours,Miss Taylor CaldwellP.S. Stop fucking emailing me.”

“Subject: You're totally picturing me naked right nowMissy,So how about you and I head up to the stacks to do some “shelving”?”

“that once people decided what they thought of you, that was it. You'd been judged. You got a stamp on your forehead that you could never wash off.”

“The only bad book was a book that didn't have any pages in it.”

“No sense in worrying about the past. It's not going to worry about you.”

“No guy had ever kissed me as if his salvation depended on it. Hunter kissed like he was going to hell, and has this one kiss left and he was going to make the most of it.”

“You were born with wings.You are not meant for crawling, so don't.You have wings.Learn to use them and fly."-Zan”

“It was time for me to take charge and live my life instead of letting something that had happened to me lead it for me. So many people had told me the same thing, hundreds of times. It was something I had to learn for myself.”

“I can't take anything you don't give me. Stop giving me power over your life.”

“Have you met my boyfriend? He thinks running around in the middle of the night pretending he’s an elf is a good time. If that’s not fucked up, I don’t know what is.”

“Not even a little?” Hunter whispered as we climbed under my Disney princess sheets. “It’s too weird. I can’t have sex on a princess’ face with my mom down the hall sleeping. I just have to draw the line.”

“Why do you think Beauty picked the Beast? It was the library.”

“All that doesn’t matter. All that stuff I did before was just sex. I told you, I don’t want to have sex with you. I want to do more. You deserve so much more. More than me anyway.”“What if I don’t want more? What if I just want you?” All of my feelings and frustrations had finally spilled out of my mouth.“I take it back. That was the sexiest thing you’ve ever said.”

“A knock interrupted my thoughts. “You okay?”“Yeah. Can I have some freaking privacy?”“Sorry. You’ve just been in there for a while; I wanted to make sure you weren’t sick or anything. I’m leaving now. Also, I’m naked, so if you open the door right now, you’re going to get the full show.”“Pass.”“Suit yourself.”

“His talking voice was amazing, but his singing was like honey ands smoke had hooked up in the back of a van at a rock concert and had a love child. Smooth and rough at the same time.”

“Don’t make me punch you again, because I swear to God, I will.” That elicited a smirk. His face still had a slight shadow where I’d gotten him. “I also have no qualms about going for your man bits again.”“I don’t doubt you for a second, Missy.”

“Well, goodnight. Feel free to dream about me naked and scream all you want. I’ll sleep right through it.”

“So you’re saying you do want to sleepwith me?”“Given the fact that I just took my millionthcold shower since I’ve moved in here andI have to constantly recite the GettysburgAddress and The Bill of Rights in my headwhen I’m around you? Yeah, I’d say so.Why, you want me, too?”

“I'd rather be your loser than some other girl's winner.”

“Are you saying I'm not a badass? Then all these tattoos were for nothing. What shall I do?”

“I don't like you. I don't like how your hair smells, and how I can't stop thinking about waking up and seeing your face. I hate how my bed felt empty when you left. I don't like how good you were with my family, especially Harper, and how I wanted ot see you with them again, but not just as a guest. As a member. You're right. I don't like you at all.”

“Piece of cake. Or toast, in your case. I'll stuff your toast, baby.”

“Drunk on life.”

“Hell, Yeah. What girl doesn't want a guy who isn't ashamed to say he wants her? Everyone wants to be wanted.”

“Hunter, i'm a virgin. Not a nun." He didn't talk for a moment. "That was the sexiest thing you've ever said. God, why do you do this to me?”

“Do you have a red velvet cake?" "Of course," the waiter said, as if this was a ridiculous question. How dare I assume that they didn't have red velvet cake. The nerve.”

“Whoa, there. Calm down." "Don't tell me what to do." "Okay, fine. Freak out.”

“I love you, Missy girl. Even if I can't be with you, know that I'm here. So, that's it. More than the stars, Taylor. More than the stars.”

“Good. Because we could be amazing. You and me.”

“That's what they all say. Everyone says they want to know you, but they don't. They want to know the nice things, the pretty things. No one wants to know the ugly parts, the parts that keep you up at night. They say they're okay with it, but then they drift away and you never see them again. I've seen it happen way too many times.”

“We were both broken, trying to become unbroken. Maybe we just needed a little help. Not to fix each other, but to help us fix ourselves.”

“La vida fue a la vez igual y diferente después de la audiencia. Fue lo mismo porque pasé cada noche con Hunter, fui a clases, salí con las chicas, hice más pinturas de soplado y leí más obscenidades de vampiros.”

“De alguna manera, a pesar de que era un poco amargada y enojona, todas estas personas habían decidido que era digna de su amor. Cualquiera de ellos estaba dispuesto a mirar más allá de todo, o quizás no estaba tan jodida como pensaba que estaba.O quizás era un poco de ambos.”

“I know. And I'm not saying that this going to make up for it. I'm going to try, really try, to make you trust me again. I want you to trust me again. I want you to trust me. I just...I couldn't sleep last night without you. It was the strangest thing, being in the room alone without you. I couldn't hear you breathing, and your laughter was gone and you were gone, and it was like a part of my life was missing. A big part. I tripped going to the bathroom and banged my head. See?" HE pointed to a lovely gash on his forehead. "And then I burned my habd on the toaster oven. And then the car wouldn't start.”

“You are my business. I made you my business. I want you to be my business”

“How about the fact that you want me, I want you and for some reason, it's impossible for us to be together, according to you”

“Yes," he whispered, reaching out to hold my shoulders. "Just say yes. Say you'll be with me.”

“Look at me and tell me you don't want me to kiss you. Tell me you don't like it when I do this," he said, running his hand down my arm. "Tell me you don't like it when I touch your face." HE brushed his hands on both of my cheeks, moving up to my forehead and then back down. HE rubbed both thumbs over my lips. "Tell me you don't like it when I do this." He leaned hisjead closer, stopping just short of my lips. "Tell me to stop and I will. You're in charge, Missy.”

“I know you said you didn't want this, but here's the thing. I don't believe you.”

“Will you stay with me? I think I'll sleep better. I swear I won't hurt you.”

“What have you done to me, Missy?" he whispered, thinking I was asleep”

“You only play Pistol Annies when you're pissed, usually at me. I know your fake laugh from your real one. You have a great laugh, by the way. I know which shirts are your favorites, because they're the first ones you wear after you've done your laundry. You lick your bottom lip when you're trying to concentrate on your textbook reading. You cry during those commercials with the absurd animals when you think no one is looking. No, I don't know you at all.”