Mandy Hubbard

“What are you doing? Taking a nap?"-Ben Mackenzie”

“And as I watch him disappear around the corner, i can't help but wonder if this is the exact moment where i officially lost everything.”

“You don't have to sleep, you don't have to dream, to have nightmares.”

“But who bothers looking beyond the surface? Who even knows anything about Cinderella's Prince Charming - other than he's a handsome prince?”

“You were twisting your wet hair up into a ponytail, and then you saw us, and you smiled....""Then why didn't you-""Because you were smiling for him. And I would have had to have been an idiot to get in between that.”

“Why do yo keep doing this?""Because I've wanted to be with you for three years, okay? That's why.”

“He rests his lips against my temple. 'You need to figure out what you really want from this - from us.”

“Just being near the water makes me ache for it, makes my skin tingle with the desire to run until I am chest-deep and the water wraps around my skin like a satin ribbon, making the worries, the aches, the stress unwind. Sometimes, I wonder if this is how a recovering alcoholic would feel if someone put a beer in her hand. If her body would wage war against her mind as mine does.”

“We are traveling down a path with no happy ending, and it's too late to turn around.”

“Sometimes people simply believe the things because it's easier that way. But it doesn't make it the truth.”

“What do you mean, ruined?"From the way Emily swallows slowly, you'd think we were talking about smoking crack. "Compromised. By...by another man.""Oh!" I say, too loudly. "You mean, if the girl's not a virgin, the guy won't marry her?"She nods, her eyes wide, as if being a non-virgin is akin to being an ax-murder.”

“Shouldn't you have today off? Isn't it Sunday?""I've a half day off ever' three days. I'll be out temorra afte'noon."I snort. "A half day?"God, that's ridiculous. She doesn't even get a single full day off? What is Alex, some kind of slave driver? Jeez.”