“I’ve found the things I’ve regretted most in my life are the things I wanted to do but never had the courage to try. And I’m beginning to think I don’t want you to become one of my what-if-I’d-only-tried-it regrets.”

“It’s my job really, to help you, my reader, in accepting things as real that aren’t. Most books try to get you to accept things that, at the very least, could be real – and that’s difficult enough, goodness knows – but here, in this book, nothing seems to be even trying to be real. Except, I would say, me. I’m here, I’m real. And to be honest, I’ve never been here before. I don’t know where I am, I don’t know what I’m doing. In some ways, I’m afraid this is the most real story I’ve ever written.”

“Real life is messy and hard and never turns out like I’ve imagined. Usually it’s better. So, I try not to dream but rather to pray. If there is one thing I know, it’s that I have no clue what I want. I’m fickle. I’m picky. And I’m scared of a lot of things. Especially commitment.”

“I’ve never really found it hard to stay away from a chick before. Hell, I’ve never had reason to try. But this time I do. There’s something different about Olivia. I want her in my bed. Like, now. But she’s…I don’t know. I get the feeling she requires a gentler, more careful touch. She’s a challenge.And damn, if I don’t love a challenge!”

“I want to share my life with you, to bemonogamous with you, and my past is in the past. I wish there was some way I could prove it to you, once and for all. I do have a sordid past, but I’ve never lied to any of the women I’ve been with, and I’ve never promised to anyone the things I promise to you.”

“It feels good to know that if I died tomorrow I would have absolutely no regrets about things I wanted to do in life but did not try.”