“We left behind this small townBut we couldn't leave behind the ghostsAs we headed for the coast, yeah, and you knowThere was something in the way she told meHow my hair looked stupid, andHow she couldn't hold her tequila, andHow she was broken and beautiful andStill standing, and how was I supposed to knowAll along we were saving JuneSaving June, yeahShe had flowers in her hair and one powerful glareMy modern day Rubik's Cube, she made me feelLike maybe we could have it allBut you can never have it allAnd now I've gone and lostAll these things that they always sang aboutAll the things that I still dream aboutNow I'm counting up the days, counting all the waysI never said what it means, but it's too late 'causeJune is over and so are weAnd I'm the one left, with nothing to save”
“Maybe Laney's right. Maybe June did love me. But I'm far less certain that she knew I loved her. Did she realise how much I needed her around? It's not like I ever told her. I was too wrapped up in my own world to notice what was going on in hers. Even if she did know, it wasn't enough to count. It wasn't enough to make her stay. So really, what did it matter, in the end?The bottom line is, it's my fault. I didn't love her enough. I didn't do enough. I wasn't enough. There's no excuse. There is nothing that will ever make that okay.”
“I still go to bed sad, and wake up sad, and it still hurts like hell, but there are moments during the day when it hurts less. Sometimes I can think of June and not want to burst into tears or put my fist through a wall. Sometimes I'm close to happy and it doesn't even hurt. Much. I'll never be the way I was before, but maybe that's okay. Life goes on, I'm going on, even without her. Not every day hurts. Not every breath hurts.Maybe that's all we can really ask for.”
“I don't know what I believe anymore. If God does exist, then He's just an asshole, creating this world full of human suffering and letting all these terrible things happen to good people, and sitting there and doing nothing about it. At June's memorial service, a few people came up to me and said some really stupid things, like how everything happens for a reason, and God never gives us more than we can handle. All I could think was, does that mean if I was a weaker person, this never would've happened? Am I seriously supposed to buy that June's death was part of some stupid divine plan? I don't believe that. I can't. It just doesn't make sense.”
“She does know we're coming, right?' I ask.'Well...' He hems and haws a bit. 'Not exactly.'Laney immediately smacks the back of his head. 'Jake! You mean we're showing up unannounced? That is so rude!''What if she isn't there? What are we going to do?' I smack him once, too, for good measure. 'What is *wrong* with you?''Can we please stop with the abuse?”
“June is gone. For the first time, the enormity of that hits me. Every muscle aches, my heart most of all. I am throbbing with how much I miss her. It hurts worse than anything. I don't know how I'm supposed to be expected to live day to day carrying this kind of pain. I don't know how I'm supposed to go out there, spread her ashes, and let her go.I want to stop running away from everything.I want to find something to run toward.”
“I already told you, I'm not gonna subscribe to your stupid magazine!' she yells.'We're not selling anything,' Jake calls back. 'We just came to see my favorite chula this side of the Mississippi.'The girl pauses and shields her eyes to get a better look. 'Jacob? That you?''In the flesh,' he confirms with a broad grin.”