“I was becoming the cold, emotionally crippled monster I always wanted to be, and I wasn’t so sure I liked it. But it was too late. The metamorphosis was already well under way.”

“I never know what you really want, if I can give it to you, or if I’m already too late.”

“I did not realize what a gift I had been given until it was too late, forever too late. Must life always be that way?”

“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.”

“I love you so much, Robbie. Sometimes it feels like too much.” His heart lurched as her eyes welled up. “But I trust it. I want it. And I want you. Always.”

“Wasn’t that kind of the basis of passion? I didn’t know that either. The only thing I knew for sure was that this kiss had been a lot like the last one. Nice, but it didn’t blow me away. My heart sank. There was something wrong with me. Everyone was always going on about how socially inept I was. Did it extend to romance as well? Was I so cold that I’d spend my life never feeling anything?”