“What are you doing here?” I asked. I was breathless, not certain any longer if it was my nearly plummeting to my death or his nearness that was making it so hard to draw in air.“Protecting you. What does it look like I’m doing?”

“I love you,' he said. His voice shook with effort. 'I love you so much, it's like my whole life was just leading up to the moment I met you. And then as soon as I did, I lived in fear, every day, that you would be taken from me.' He looked down. 'I just never thought you'd be the one to do it.”

“You don't have a heartbeat," I realized. "Does that bother you?" He asked."No." I thought for a minute. "As long as you can feel things and care about things.""It's a misconception that you need a heart to love," Asher whispered into my hair.”

“Please, do you see the apocalypse? Because I'd give up on that happening until you do. And even then, it's negotiable.""I'm holding out for a hot zombie.""Yeah, or, like, the hot scientist who finds the cure.""Or the hot government agent who's assigned to protect you from the international terrorist who plans to wipe out the nation with the world's first zombie virus weapon of mass destruction.""Because you carry the zombie virus antidote in your blood.""Exactly.""It's a recessive trait.”

“Why would he do that? I thought--he said--he loved me." "As if I needed a reason to hate him more," Asher muttered, avoiding my gaze.”

“No, I mean why are you here? You just happen to be at the same place I am? The girl who believes in coincidence always ends up dead, Devin.”

“Then all of a sudden he'd taken two giant steps towards me, and before I knew it, had taken my face into his hands and the rest of me into the darkness of his wings and we were kissing each other in my little bedroom, in my little house, in my little town, while the mountains soared into the sky.”