“Was it hard?” I ask.“Letting go?”“Not as hard as holding on to something thatwasn’t real.”I gulp. “Can I ask how you did it?”“I just decided, Ava.That’s all.I just decided.”

“Was it hard?" I ask.Letting go?"Not as hard as holding on to something that wasn't real.”

“I think fear is normal, Cade. Just don't let it win.”

“Another long run, hoping to put distance between me and everything else. The farther, the better. Only problem is, the distance is just temporary, because no matter how far I go, I always have to come back.”

“Life is so freaking hard. How do people do it? How do people get up every day and deal with the shit? It really makes you understand why there are so many messed-up people in the world. I mean, it's tough, trying to deal with demands coming at you from all sides.”

“Many times when I read a book, I want to savor each word, each phrase, each page, loving the prose so much, I don’t want it to end. Other times the story pulls me in, and I can hardly read fast enough, the details flying by, some of them lost because all that matters is making sure the character is all right when it’s over.”

“Cade motions with a nod to follow him. He's holding the pole, and I'm the fish on the line. Just how far will he pull me in?”