“Stay here!" he commanded me, then he raced off after Cal. I stopped for just a moment. Then I ran after them.”

“In fairy tales there's always one person who is made for one other, and they find each other and live happily ever after. Cal was my person. I couldn't imagine anyone more perfect. Yet what kind of sick fairy tale would it be if he was the one made exactly right for me and I wasn't right for him?”

“At that moment I remembered something Cal had told me: that there is beauty in darkness in everything. Sorrow in joy, life and death, thorns on the rose. I knew then that I could not escape pain and torment any more than I could give up joy and beauty”

“Sorry." he said, rubbing his temples. "Do you have any Tylenol?""Nope, sorry. Your doctor's appointment is today right?""Yeah.""Here take this." Jenna rummaged in her purse and took out two tablets.Robbie squinted at them, then tossed them down with the rest of his soda. "What was that?""Cyanide." said Sharon, and we laughed."Actually, it was Midol." Jenna said.Matt whooped with laughter as Robbie gaped at her in dismay."It'll really help." Jenna insisted. "It's what I take for my headaches.""Oh man." Robbie shook his head. I was almost doubled over with laughter."Look at it this way," said Cal brightly. "You won't get that awful bloated feeling.""You'll feel pretty all day." suggested Matt, laughing so hard, he had to wipe his eyes.”

“I-just want you. I want you so bad, all the time. I know I shouldn't, I know I can't, I know it's wrong... but even when you're pissing me off, when you're reminding me of pain and despair and torture-it's there, the wanting. I'm tired of fighting it. I fight so many things, all the time, every day. I don't want to fight this. Not anymore.”

“He gave a hard smile and the oxygen in my lungs evaporated. “Weboth know I’m not a gentleman.”“Yeah. Okay, let me out. I’m tired.”“There’s something else,” he said, and I groaned.“What now?”“This.” He stepped closer to me, so close that the containers weresandwiched between us. His eyeslooked down into mine, intent and golden, like a lion.“Oh, no, you don’t!” I hissed, dropping everything. I pushed hardagainst his chest; it was like shovinga tree.“Yes,” he said very softly, leaning down. “Yes, I do.”

“David held up his hands. "Hold it. This is going nowhere. You two are both afraid, and being afraid makes you angry, and being angry makes you lash out.""Thank you, Dr. Laura," I said snippily."I'm not afraid of her," Hunter said, like a six-year-old, and I wanted to kick him under the table. Now that I knew he was actually alive, I remembered just how unpleasant he was.”