“That I love her, that I want her, that I'm never going anywhere, that she and I are going to last. That this is real. That it’s forever.”

“I wanted this to be easy. I wanted to know for sure who I loved and why. I wanted to be in love without a hint of doubt.But I realised that I could want as hard as I liked; the reality was already messier than I liked. I was in over my head … and I had a panicked feeling that I wasn’t going to be able to manoeuvre this without screwing up big time.”

“So I knew this wasn't going to be one of those things where I liked a guy and then this awful girl liked him, and I got the guy because I was so wholesome and right and good. This was real life. In real life, I had to get a serious grip.”

“Was she someone special?” I hoped it might be for a lot of reasons.“Yeah, Bren. I proposed to her right after she let me feel her up in someone’s parent’s bathroom at a house party. It was magical.”

“Are you going to kiss me?" I blabbered stupidly."I'm working up the nerve," he said softly.”

“So I get ready to let go and free-fall in the scariest jump of my life. But she's with me. So I swallow my fear and do it.”

“It’s not just a damn game. Whatever it is that I feel for you is more real than anything I’ve ever felt before.”