“A smile bloomed again in his eyes. "I love that you let me bring out that softness in you. You've always been such a tough little trooper, but under that snappy, tough act you put on, you're butter-soft. Sweet as honey. And I can get there! Make that softness come up. I'm so ... honored by it”

“Close your eyes," he said, low and soft. "Look inside yourself and don't think for a second, just ... tell me, how did you feel when I kissed you?"[...]"Unbroken.”

“How could you be watching me the whole year?" I asked, sensing my eyes bulging, but unable to control it. "I think I would've noticed."His smile widened. "What, you mean, since you where always checking me out?”

“Things stay with you, they say, and the past grows into a living organism that you can never really shake off. Everything you've ever done, the good and the bad, is supposed to always be on your trail, breathing down your neck. Time acts on it, people say, or so they hope, and eventually some of it even gets forgotten, buried deep within.”

“I love how you look at me."[...]"And how's that?" I asked, blushing on cue.His lower lip curled in that mischievous way it did."Like you're having a hard time deciding between my lips and this blueberry pie. And I know nothing comes between you and this pie."I giggled. "Very observant. Wonder which one will win?”

“You've been following me around.""No", he denied, without flinching."Gosh", I scoffed, "I had no idea the woods were rigged with TV cameras. My bad."One of the corners of his mouth twitched.”

“Okay, so maybe it was unexpected freedom of being able to get up-close and personal with him without having every inch of me quivering in pain that was doing the talking, but still. I couldn't remember ever experiencing freedom like this before: the warm sun, the caressing wind, his body warm and solid beneath my arms, a perfect blue sky above us. Clichéd? Maybe, but guess what? Also about as close to perfection as anyone can hope to get. Happiness can be so absurdly simple sometimes.”