Jessica Verday

“It's a pelvis thrust, not a pelvic wiggle.”

“I promise you forever," I vowed to him, staring into his green eyes. "Whatever that is. Whatever I can give you. You have all of it. All of me.""I promise you forever," he replied. "Whatever that is. Whatever I can give you. You have all of it. All of me.”

“You want me to have feelings?" he said. "I already told you that I love you. What else should I say? That I long to be near you every second of every day? I see colors, only around you....I smell perfume, only around you. God, it's like...like I'm alive again. Sometimes I go crazy just wondering if I imagined it all, and I wait to see when it...you...will be taken away from me.""I feel all these things, Abbey," he continued on. "Rage that I can't run my fingers through your hair. Sorrow that I can't lay my face next to yours. Agony that I can't steal the breath from your lips. I can't eat or breathe or sleep for wanting to touch you, and yet I don't eat or breathe or sleep. I'm just here. Stuck in between.”

“You,” he whispered, bringing his hand to hover by my cheek.“Are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”And then he touched me.”

“I promise you forever,” he replied. “Whatever that is. Whatever I can give you. You have all of it. All of me.”

“I am going to give you my heart now," I whispered. "Please don't break it again.”

“Abbey: Did you speak to me in a different language? When I was in the hospital?Caspian: Something to keep the nightmares at bay. To let you know I was there. Tu sei una stella...la mia stella. It means 'You're a star. My star.”

“Caspian: Yes, but be quiet now, my bella.Abbey: What does that mean?Caspian: Beautiful.”

“My name is Abbey. And I'm in love with a ghost.”

“...But I didnt want to set any trends. I just wanted to have sexy hair”

“So did Caspian leave this behind when he went off to college or something?' 'No.' Don't say it. Please don't say it. 'He died a little more than two years ago in a car accident. Right after Halloween”

“Katy shook her head at me. 'We don't pretend we're from the legend. We are the legend”

“...But Christman? Not for the spooky.' 'Yeah?' Kristen giggled. 'Well, tell that to Tim Burton. He thinks Cristmas is all about the spooky'”

“He didn't answer me, but held my gaze intently as he stood and slowly started to reach for the bottom of his sweater. He turned around and lifted it up over his shoulders, and I forgot how to breath. The sweater slid off of him in one long smooth motion and messed up his hair, leaving it tousled and sexy-looking. An interlooking chain of small black circles and triangles was etched onto each shoulder blde, ending halfway down his back... He turned back around to face me, and his green eyes stared right through me... I gulped again and tried very hard not to drool”

“Bye Caspian!' I called out. He stopped, and threw me a big grin over his shoulder. I grinned back like the Cheshire cat. What was it about him that made me feel so ridiculously happy?”

“If I could touch anything in the world right now, it would be your heart. I want to take that piece of you and keep it with me.”

“I slammed the back door shut and gave Caspian a look.He put both hands up in the air, "What? I didn't do anything.""No. But you wanted to. And besides, we don't really know yet what can you do.""Well, I know I can't make people disappear," he muttered darkly "or else he would have been gone a half an hour ago"I was shocked at how serious he sounded, and then I looked into his eyes, "You're jealous!""He wanted to kiss you!"Now I was dumbfounded, "How do you know that?""Because," he said, running a hand through his hair and pushing it back "It's what I'd want to do”

“It's exhilarating, Abbey. You exhilarate me"-Caspian”

“Caspian sat there with me until my sobs died down to a slow hiccup.Then he whispered, "I'd hold your hand right now if I could."His eyes were so wide and earnest that I couldn't help but smile at him."Thanks," I said, trying to hold back more tears. "It's the thought that counts.”

“He stopped an inch away from me. I felt like I was his prisoner."Let's go back to the sexy and hot thing," Caspian said, "Could we add a gorgeous or mysterious in there, too?”

“if all i have to do to get a smile like that is read your books, then i promise to read one everyday”

“Careful, Abbey," Caspian warned. "Don't get too close.""He killed her, Caspian! He was the reason she was at the bridge that night.""I know but--"Vincent suddenly turned to face Caspian. "Could you just shut up? All this back and forht is really confusing. I'll get to you in a minute."Caspian's jaw dropped.So did mine. "You can see him?" I asked. "Who are you?""Not who," Vincent said, a tone of sheer entitlement in his voice. "What.”

“Since you can't touch me, you made something that could, didn't you?" I said."Yes."My world slowed and I closed my eyes. "I am going yo give you my heart noe," I whispered. "Please don't break it again.”

“I got a head start and ws already hanging upside down when he caught up. All the blood was rushing to my head, making me feel dizzy. "I can't stay like this much longer," I told him."Head rush."He leaned down and stuck his face next to mine, gifting me with a beautiful smile."I know the feeling," he said. "You give me a head rush all the time.”

“I guess I'm the perfect match, then, for a girl who likes to visit a cemetery." He drew out every syllable so that it sounded like a love song.I closed my eyes, savoring those words. "A perfect match," I murmured. "My other half.”

“I don't say this to hurt you, love." The endearment slipped out without me even thinking about it.(...)"Say it again," he said. "Call me your love.”

“They said she killed herself.Everyone was saying It. What started out as a rumor, quietly whispered among small gatherings of polite people, quickly grew into something that was openly discussed in a large gatherings of impolite people. I was so sick of hearing them talk about It. They questioned me. Over and over again, trying to find out If i knew what happened. But my answers didn't change. Yet It never failed-someone else would ask, as if one day my reply would suddenly be different. I didn't know, but i should have...and I've been haunted ever since.”

“Every things fuzzy now,but I try to stay awake long enough to tell him one more thing."glad you . . .see. . .my colors caspian." " me too abbey," he said softly. "sweet dreams.”

“He leaned closer. “That’s what I’m trying to do. Your face is absolutely adorable when you blush.” My ears burned. Oh great, am I the color of a tomato now?“Yeah, well, I can make you blush,” I retorted. “By telling you how hot you are, and that when that little piece of black hair falls into your eyes, it’s so sexy it makes me forget my words, and...” I stopped, suddenly aware of how warm the mausoleum was.“Go on,” Caspian prodded, shaking his head so that his hair covered one green eye. I blushed again, and glanced around me, slowly backing away from him. I just needed some... space to clear my head. He followed me, stalking my every move. My blood felt like pure oxygen racing through my veins, fizzy and bubbling and making me want to float away. A hard wall at my back stopped me, but Caspian kept coming. I thought desperately of some way to change the subject.“I got you Moby-Dick,” I blurted out. He gave me a sly smile. “Mmmm, did you? How... interesting.” “And Treasure Island, and The Count of Monte Cristo.” I babbled on. “I thought you might like some boy books.” He stopped an inch away from me. I felt like I was his prisoner.“Let’s go back to the sexy and hot thing,” Caspian said. “Could we add a gorgeous or mysterious in there, too?” I gulped. “Like you don’t already know you’re all of those things. You probably had girls falling all over you before.” Caspian cocked his head to one side. “True. But I always thought it was because I was the quiet new guy. And besides, there’s only one person I was ever really interested in.” “Was?” I squeaked. Then I cleared my throat and tried again. “I mean—” “Am,” Caspian corrected himself. “Technically, I guess it’s both. I was interested the first day I saw her, and I still am interested in her.” His eyes glowed in the soft candlelight around us, and every last ounce of coherent thought left me. “It’s... um... really. It’s...” My head felt like it was thickening and my body was overheating, every word dragged from somewhere in the depths of my fuzzy brain. I waved a hand in front of my face to fan myself, and finally spit out what I was trying to say. “It’s hot in here. Don’t you think? It’s really warm.” “I only feel warmth when I’m standing next to you,” Caspian said. He stepped half an inch closer. “Like right now.”

“Too long, much too long.”

“Do you know what the name Astrid means?" He switched gears again and I was helpless to follow."No."It means 'star'. That's what I think of you as, Abbey. One day I looked up, and there you were. A fiery spot of light surrounded by darkness. You make me feel like anything is possible.”

“Vampires on TV give us an unhealthy body image stereotype too. Do you know how hard you have to work to get a body like those actors on True Blood or The Vampire Diaries? Try doing that when your blood vessels don’t work anymore and your muscles are slowly starting to waste away.”

“At that moment - in that small, concise, perfectly clear moment of time - I knew. It was that moment I fell in love with him. It actually caused me to stop, and time froze for just a second. But that feeling was so right, and so strong, that I knew I wasn't wrong.”

“Funyuns make you fart," Caspian said, and I explode in laughter. "Funyuns give you bad breath too. Not very attractive to the ladies." He paused. "On second thought, enjoy your Funyuns, Ben!”

“I tried to give him my best you're-so-sexy-and-I'm-impressed look, but I don't think it worked.”

“So that was what the blush was for? Because he was admitting he didn't wash his hands? I thought it was like some guy requirement to be dirty most of the time.”

“Are you going to be all right now? No more tears? I don't know how to handle crying girls. Every time my five-year-old sister turns on the waterworks, I end up buying her a Barbie. You don't need a new Barbie, do you?”

“I de­ci­ded right then and the­re to ma­ke a snic­ker­do­od­le per­fu­me to we­ar, so that one day he wo­uld sniff me li­ke that.”

“Obviously this was one of those stupid guy moments and he didn't understand what I wanted. I was going to explain it to him very, very soon.-Abbey”

“Anyway." I cleared my throat loudly. "Thank you again for the beautiful necklace. It's perfect, and I love it. Where did you find it? I've never seen anything like it before."It was his turn to look embarrassed and he ducked his head. "That's because I made it." He peeked up at me, and my heart melted. Am I dreaming? This has to be a dream."You made it?" Something wet hit my cheek and I brushed it away, impatiently waiting for his answer."Yeah," he said shyly. "I did.”

“How do you say hello to someone when you 've just found out that youlove him?”

“I felt my cheeks turn red, and she laughed out loud. But I didn't mind too much, because the last thing she saw was my middle finger aimed in her direction as I stepped outside”

“He didn't want me to get hurt? Wow. Just wow. I might actually be close to a swoon here”

“My world slowed and I closed my eyes. “I am going to give you my heart now,” I whispered. “Please don’t break it again.”