Kristan Higgins

“God must've had single women in mind when he invented dogs”

“Then she smiled, just a flash, and something moved in Liam’s chest. Something warm, and something he hadn’t felt in a long time.”

“There was a little smile on his mouth—the mouth that had been kissing hers. Otherwise, he was incommunicado.“Liam?” she said again, more loudly this time.Nada. He was out cold. Down for the count.She straightened abruptly. Face was burning, joints buzzing with adrenaline, chest filled with helium.Liam Murphy had kissed her.And he’d fallen asleep in the middle of it. She didn’t know whether to burst into song or kick something.”

“You want to go to the movies tomorrow night?” he asked, and Posey was so shocked she actually choked.“What?” she managed.“The movies? Tomorrow?”“Um…I, uh…um…what movie?”He narrowed his eyes just a little, and Posey’s nether parts gave a long, happy squeeze. Get his clothes off, those parts advised. We’re lonely.”

“OH!” KATE GRUNTED as she sat down behind her desk.“My side is killing me. I’m ovulating, I think. That sucker must be huge.”“Must we discuss?” Jon asked.“Man up, weenie boy,” Kate said.“You man up, Venus Williams,” Jon replied. “I’m a gay home-ec teacher. I never have to man up. I never will man up. As God is my witness, I’ll never man up again.”

“That moment when she’d crouched behind the tree…it did something to her, something that made her grow up and toughen up. But one question throbbed in her brain for a long, long time. Why? Why would Liam say something so hateful? How could he—who had tamed a stray and starving cat—be so cruel to a girl who had only ever wanted to be his friend?”

“The simmering lust, the raging interest exploded into love. Who wouldn’t fall in love with a man who took the time to feed a homeless kitty? She held that image against her heart like a secret jewel. Only she knew about it, she was sure. Those girls Liam might’ve slept with, girls who left their panties in his locker or wrote things about him on the bathroom walls…they didn’t know what Posey knew—Liam Declan Murphy was not just the hottest thing ever to grace Bellsford High…he was a softy, too.”

“Granted, I'd waited a long time to hear those words. Would've sold a kidney-maybe two-to have heard them at one point. Now, though...they didn't have the same impact. They were, in fact, an overcooked noodle in the pasta salad of love.”

“Okay, we get it, Jodi-with-an-i,” I said, smiling pleasantly up at her. “You have an adorable son andare still quite available. Dennis, however, is with me. If you would just take your boobs out of myboyfriend’s face, I would deeply appreciate it.”

“If we’re not going to get married, we need to break up. So…shit or get off the pot,honey.”“That was beautiful,” murmured Father Bruce as he opened a menu.”

“If only…the saddest words in the English language.”

“And here I still think of you as the woman I loved more than I’ve ever loved anyone”

“I had to get over [him]. For months now, a stone had been sitting on my heart. I'd shed a lot of tears over [him], lost a lot of sleep, eaten a lot of cake batter. Somehow, I had to move on. [Life] would be hell if I didn't shake loose from the grip he had on my heart. I most definitely didn't want to keep feeling this way, alone in a love affair meant for two. Even if he'd felt like The One. Even if I'd always thought we'd end up together. Even if he still had a choke chain on my heart.”

“It doesn’t matter how old you are, what level of schooling you’ve had or where you live—stalking is innate to the female psyche. We’ve all been there.”

“Commandment #1: Believe in yourself. Commandment #2: Get over yourself.”

“Family gatherings were... um, let's see, what's the word I'm looking for?... Hell. They were hell. Being the middle child, I served and referee and confidante, hostess and martyr. Did I feel we should get together once in a while? Sure. Did I want my family all together? Theoretically, yes. In reality, dear God, no.”

“I'll tell you something, Harpy," he said, his voice almost a whisper now. "It never even occurred to me that we wouldn't make it. And it never occurred to you that we would. You were just waiting for us to go down in flames. I thought we could get through anything.”

“You asked why I couldn't forgive you," Nick said, very quietly, and I jumped a little. "It was because you were the love of my life, Harper. And you didn't want to be. That's hard to let go.”

“Stop smiling. Every time you smile, an angel dies.”

“God! The sexiest three words in the English language, 'you were right'. What woman doesn't love to hear that?”

“Gus, do I have to put you in a cage or something? Because I will! Don't push it, mister!""As an officer of the court, I feel obliged to speak up and tell you that child imprisonment is against the law," I said."Right. Well, then, I'll take that as your offer to babysit all four of my precious angels when you get home.""Then again, cages can be very comfortable.”

“Dearly beloved," Father Bruce began, "we are gathered here to witness the union of Nick and Harper as they pledge their love an devotion to each other for what we hope is the last time, because I don't know about you people, but I don't think any of us should have to go through this again.”

“The crowd watched. 'Sir?' said the cop. 'Can you please answer the crazy woman so we can all go home?”

“Huge mammals surrounded us, any one of whom could easily overturn our stupid little boat. Tripod would drown. I would drown. Joe would undoubtedly be rescued by mermaids seduced by his beauty.”

“And so I make a pact with the devil, or in this case, my mommy.”

“I fold my laundry discretely, putting my jeans and tops on anything I don’t want the guys to see. I sneak a look at Malone every once in a while, and each time I do, he seems to know. Blushing becomes my permanent facial state. I pretend to watch the game, though the Sox could have all been murdered and left disemboweled on the field for all the attention I truly pay.”