“I've been exactly that lonly. You're not connected to anything. Some nights it feels like you're dying by the hour. You're so desperate you can't even attract the kind of person you once swore you'd never settle for.”

“When you're walking through the darkness, you can't depend on anything or anyone else to light your way. You have to rely on whatever sparks you've got inside you. Or you're going to get lost.”

“You're so sweet . . . Cinda ... I knew you would feel like this ... I knew it would be this way. Put your arms around me . . . ah, Cin. . .”

“I want you to admit just once what you feelfor me. I want to know if you'll miss me evena little. If you'll remember me. If you're sorryfor anything.”

“You are everything that's ever been my favourite thing," she wanted to tell him. "You're my love song, my birthday cake, the sound of ocean waves and French words and a baby's laugh. You're a snow angel, crème brulée, a kaleidoscope filled with glitter. I love you and you'll never catch up, because I've gotten a head start and my heart is racing at light speed.”

“How much do you have in common withthis guy?""Not much. Basically we're polar opposites.But do you want to know the main attraction,the weird part? . . . It's the talking.""Talking about what?""About anything," I said earnestly. "Weget started and it's like sex, this back-andforth,and we're both so there, do you knowwhat I mean? We rattle each other. Andsome conversations seem to be happening ona few different levels at once. But even whenwe're disagreeing on something, there's aweird kind of harmony in it. A connection.”

“Lately I've become so damned distracted that I can't make a decision about anything. I can't think clearly. I've got knots in my stomach, and constant pains in my chest, and whenever I see you talking to any man, or smiling at anyone, I go insane with jealousy. I can't live this way. I—" He broke off and stared at her incredulously. "Damn it, Evie, what is there for you to smile about?""Nothing," she said, hastily tucking the sudden smile back into the corners of her mouth. "It's just… it sounds as if you're trying to say that you love me.”