“The best way to prevent a heartache was to cushion the coming blow.”

“Raw love, like raw heartache, could blindside you.”

“Things had a way of working out for the best when you let them run their course.”

“You figured that the only way I'd be happy is if I did the things you thought would be best for me.”

“The best relationships were the ones where both sides went out of their way to make sure the other wasn't disappointed.”

“And he made love to her, offering his body in both tenderness and anger, unsure which was the best way to pass her bits of his soul so that she could patch her own with it”

“In the past, even Alex's promises hadn't prevented a reoccurence. She didn't have a choice. She wished he could see that as clearly as she did.”