“The only one taking a risk here is me, if I get too attached to you.It’s not risky for you, as long as you’re not confused either.”“I’m not.”“Of course you aren’t.” A small smile played on Balthazar’s lips.”

“You’re going to tell me that last night shouldn’t have happened.”No. I’m glad it happened. For too long, I’ve been telling myself that I could spend all this time with yo and flirt with you and not have it mean anything. It does mean something. You mean something to me. But I’m not in love with you.”

“I love you,” he murmured. “That means I’m not just here for the pretty parts. I’m here no matter what.”

“I know we only talked once-""But it meant something to you." Our eyes met for only an instant. "It meant something to me, too. I just didn't realize - Well, I thought it was only me.”

“He frames my face with his hands as he says, "Tess. Only you could be brave enough to die with me. But I want you to live for me."We kiss, as desperate as though we were drowning. When our lips part, Alec says, "Forgive me.”

“I’ll never die", he said. Before I could protest, Lucas put two fingers on my lips, his smile seemed to fill the room with lights and I realized he was telling a deeper kind of truth then I’d ever known before“You’ll live forever and being remembered by you is the only immortality I’ll ever need if I only live on as a part of you – Bianca, that’s my idea of heaven”

“Either this guy really liked me, or I was inventing things in my head because I wanted him to like me. I was much too inexperienced to guess which.”