“Even though I'd told her that I couldn't walk away from her, I finally realized that I loved her too much to fuck her life by staying, or to lose her completely by forcing us both to hang on until we hated each other.”

“I was in love with her; couldn’t imagine my life without her in it; but at the same time, I wanted her to have better.”

“Her words at the party replayed in my mind.If we were in another life, I could love you.Abby was lying weak and sick in my arms, depending on me to take care of her. Inthat moment I recognized that my feelings for her were a lot stronger than I thought. Sometime betweenthe moment we met, and holding her on that bathroom floor, I had fallen in love with her.”

“I told you, Baby. They’re gonna love you. Love you like I love you, love you,” Shepley said, tucking her hair behind her ear.”

“I need to hear you say it.”“I love you,” she said. She touched her lips to mine, and then pulled a few inches away. “Now quit being such a baby.”Once she kissed me, my heart slowed, and every muscle in my body relaxed. How much I needed her terrified me. I couldn’t imagine love was like this for everyone, or men would all be walking around like lunatics the second they were old enough to notice girls.Maybe it was just me. Maybe it was just me and her. Maybe together we were this volatile entity that would either implode or meld together. Either way, it seemed the moment I met her, my life had been turned upside down. And I didn’t want it any other way.”

“You can't tell me what to do anymore, Travis! I don't belong to you!"Her words ignited a deep anger inside me. I stomped to the bed, planted my hands on the mattress on each side of her thighs, and leaned into her face. "Well, I belong to you!" I screamed. I put so much force behind my words, I could feel all the blood rush to my face. Abby met my glare, refusing to even flinch. I looked at her lips, panting. "I belong you," I whispered, my anger fading as desire took over.”

“I even got a pretty good handle on which week I shouldn’t give her any extra shit, which fortunately for Shepley, was the same week not to fuck with America. That way, we had three weeks to not be on guard instead of two, and we could give each other fair warning.”