Karina Halle

“Tears and a nap can be the best therapy.”

“That's the trouble with pain, Ellie. If you're lucky, you can wear it for all the world to see. Most people have their pain deep inside, in places no one ever goes. Not until it's too late.”

“You think way too much of your dick.""So do you," he replied with a smile. And God damn it. I wished I hadn't been staring at his crotch right then.”

“I wasn’t Dex Foray. I was just this emotion that was crumbling to the floor, holding onto the doorway like it was the last thread of my humanity.”

“There was pain and then there was agony. Hello, agony. I’d been waiting for you. Finish me off. Please.”

“She's just people. We all are. Just because you're in a band doesn't mean you stop having human problems. Fame, money...that doesn't fix those things. Those things will always find you.”

“Do you think because you can’t see my scars that they don’t exist?...Most People have their pain deep inside them, in places no one ever goes. Not until it’s too late.”

“Hell, if a neighbour were to stick their head out their window and see a tattooed god ramming a chick in the neighbour’s backyard all lit by romantic lights, they’d probably watch. I’d watch too.”

“Any date that ended with two people drinking wine near a fire also ended with a woman’s thong being thrown across the room.”

“If he truly wanted me to let everything go, I’d flip over and ride him right there on the range. Screw golf, I’d screw him instead.”

“Oh no, Hulk alert. Not my chips!”

“Maybe we should come back after we call the hazmat team.” “Great idea,” I yelled back. “They can spray you both down for your crotch rot while they’re at it.”

“Metro Von Dickfucker”

“you, Perry, you deserve a lifetime of servitude. Eons of groveling.”

“You are in the Thin Veil, the Black Sunshine.”

“Because even after all this, I still loved her. Love and hate were two sides of the same coin, and my coin was destined to land with love facing up. And the minute I made peace with those odds was the minute I'd start winning.”

“A world without Perry Palomino is just too fucking boring. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.”

“To cement my point, Dire Straits came on and after Perry proclaimed her sudden (and surprising) love for the band, the douchefucker stood up and asked her to dance like he was a Cajun Rhett Butler.”

“We weren’t going to be apart for a minute, not if I could help it. If that made me overprotective, so be it. I was going to protect this woman – my woman – until the day I died.”

“Oh, I was so damn close to feeding him his own dick.”

“Nothing mattered at that moment except for the fact that the love of my life was in emotional and physical pain.”

“I hadn’t heard her voice in so fucking long. I almost collapsed right there and then, her presence rolling through me, wanting to bring me to my knees like she had before.”

“Well, the flannel-coated pussy stealer won’t be taking care of her for much longer,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. She looked at me blankly. Perhaps she didn’t appreciate her sister being referred to as “pussy”. I cleared my throat. “I meant flannel-coated…ginger douche.”She dipped her chin and said dryly, “Dude, the term is douchecanoe.”

“Hello?” Bird’s stoic voice answered. “Hi, Bird?” This is Dex Foray, we met back in Red Fox last October…”“Dex,” he pronounced my name slowly. “I knew it was you.”“Oh,” I said, taken aback. Shit, maybe he was more new agey than I thought. “Could you sense me?”“No, I have caller ID”

“Frankly, I don’t think I could hang out with you if you weren’t the vice type of guy.”“Well then, you’ll be pleased to know that I’m still drinking and I’m still wanking to porn.”“That’s my boy,”

“Twatwaffling she-devil”

“Shit. Dean and I had gone from workout buddies to acting like a bunch of overanalysing pussies. Next thing you knew, we’d start having our periods at the same time.”

“If wishes were fishes, this whole place would really stink.”

“I felt like I was choking. My words came out hoarsely as I gasped for air, as I allowed myself to feel. “It hurts more than I know what to do with. I can’t handle this. I can’t.”

“I love her, more than anyone should love anything. The kind of love that either fills you up or eats away at you. I love her at my own risk. I love her…dangerously.”

“She loved you, Dex” Another fucking blow to my motherfucking heart. I was surprised it hadn’t been pulverized to dust by now.”

“I fucked up. More than I have ever fucked up before. I had the love of my life in my hands for one beautiful, exquisite moment before I ripped her apart and my heart bore the paper cuts.”

“And with madness comes the light.”

“I was hoping you’d come out and get me." I put my hands on my hips and cocked my head, pondering that revelation. "Well," I said, feeling truthful. "I’m always going to come and get you.”

“You are always a part of me Dex. You’re every part of me. Always have been. Always will be.”

“I’m not supposed to be anything else than a man that’s stupidly in love with you. That’s what I know.”

“Do you know why I freaked out? Because I realized I'd fallen in love with my best friend. The very same person who had just told me she didn't love me. Call me an asshole for overreacting but that's what happened. You're not the only one who is hurting here, Perry. At least I didn't do it deliberately.”

“I want to feel like this for the rest of my life.”

“Perry, when I fuck you, you’re going to want it. And you’re going to be sober. I don’t want just your body in all of this. I want everything. Your soul too.” “That’s a pretty tall order,” I said breathlessly…“I know,” he said determinedly. “And it’s something I am willing to work for.”

“Why are you so embarrassed?” he asked playfully. “So you passed out during an attempted blowjob. Who doesn’t?”

“You can talk the talk but you can’t walk the walk.”His eyes narrowed in challenge. “Oh, I can walk the walk. I can walk the walk so hard that you’ll be sore for days.”

“Who is it?" I asked teasingly"Bigfoot," Dex answered from his room."What do you want, Mr Foot?""Please, just call me Big."I snorted. "You wish.""You know.”

“I couldn’t even masturbate without fearing I’d cry out his name and scare the damn dog.”

“No, you’re not shooting me down, kiddo … Because I’m not really trying. When I do try, you’ll know it. And then you’ll throw the whole damn rulebook out the window.”

“Oh, Dex,”Rebecca chided from beside me, bringing me back to reality. “Put your shirt back on. Are you trying to turn me straight or something?”

“Fuck you, ginger balls.”

“His eyes shone playfully, turning his irises a deep cocoa. "That's why I like you, you're a challenge."I folded my arms and leaned back on one leg. "Oh, so that's why...""Well, that and your ass."My cheeks flamed. "Thanks.""And your breasts.""Got it.""And what's between your-""Dex," I warned, cutting him off.”

“He rubbed at his chin. "I think we're going to have to add a no eavesdropping clause to the house rules. We might have to take out the no sex thing though.”

“Because sometimes I lie, Perry. We all lie, even you, but not everyone is brave enough to admit it.”

“I hate bullshitters; you can never bullshit them.”