“He was soppy! He went along with everything! I'd say what about this or what about that, and he'd always say yes. It didn't matter what I said. It was always the same answer. He gave into everything. You can't have that in a man. I like people to stand up for themselves. They've got to have their own opinion, know their own mind. I could tell it was going nowhere. I couldn't be with him. We weren't right for each other. When I broke it off, he was baffled and broken. He cried and asked how he'd wronged me. But he hadn't done anything wrong; he just wasn't the right one”

“Everyone always asks, was he mad at you for writing the book? and I have to say, Yes, yes, he was. He still is. It is one of the most fascinating things to me about the whole episode: he cheated on me, and then got to behave as if he was the one who had been wronged because I wrote about it! I mean, it's not as if I wasn't a writer. It's not as if I hadn't often written about myself. I'd even written about him. What did he think was going to happen? That I would take a vow of silence for the first time in my life?”

“But we can just go out and not have to talk and we feel comfortable. That's love. And I can;t picture it ending.”

“Villanelle for my valentineOld love, I thought I'd never see the timebecause of all we've done and often saidwhen I'd be yours, my dear, and you'd be mine.And what relief to soften, and resignthe battle of the heart over the head.old love, I thought I'd never see the timewhen qualms and cold feet that could undermineall we've held out for, dissipate insteadnow that I'm yours, my dear and you are mine.I'm still amazed how our two lives alignthe two of us! A pair! Take it as read,old love, I thought I'd never see the timeThe tangle of our jumpers in the line,the battle for the blankets in our bedconfirm that I am yours, and you are mine.So then, this is my pledge, my valentine:my hand's in yours for all that lies ahead.Oh love, there's never been a better timenow that I'm yours, and finally, you're mine.”

“This is what I will do from now; I will hurt you.”

“I'm not greedy. I just want one person. The world is so big and there are so many people. But I only want one.”

“I dialed the number slowly, wanting to get it right. Two rings, and he picked up. "Yes," I said after his hello. "Mclean?" he asked. "Is that you?""Yeah," I said, swallowing and looking out my open door, at the ocean. "The answer's yes." "The answer . . ." he said slowly. "You asked me to go out with you. I know you probably changed your mind. But you should know, the answer was yes. It's always been yes when it comes to you." He was very quiet for a moment. "Where are you?" I started crying again, my voice ragged. He told me to calm down. He told me it was going to be all right. And then, he told he'd be there soon.”