“He stares at his hands. Whatever word he wrote there, its been crossed off. There's only a black box. "Lola, you were the only person I wanted there that night. I was crazy about you, but I didn't know what to do. It was paralyzing. There were so many times when I wanted to take your hand, but...I couldn't. That one small move felt impossible." Now I'm staring at my hands, too. "I would have let you take it." "I know." His voice croaks.”

“Even now, I hoped he would take my hand, and when he didn't, I felt my empty hand as if it were missing a finger.”

“How did you know? That she wasn't the one for him?" Now he's staring at his hands, slowing rubbing them together. "They just didn't have that . . . natural magic. You know? It never seemed easy." My voice grows tiny. "Do you think things have to be easy? For it to work?" Cricket's head shoots up, his eyes bulging as they grasp my meaning. "NO. I mean, yes, but . . . sometimes there are ... extenuating circumstances. That prevent it from being easy. For a while. But then people overcome those ...circumstances . . . and . . .""So you believe in second chances?" I bite my lip. "Second, third, fourth. Whatever it takes. However long it takes. If the person is right," he adds.If the person is . . . Lola?"This time, he holds my gaze. "Only if the other person is Cricket."Chapter 27Pg 273”

“Ash: I know better than to interfere with the natural order, but I couldn't let you die. I didn't want to watch you suffer.Tory: Why would you do that?He led her hand to his face so that she was touching his cheek as he stared at her. His eyes and the pain in them burned her soul deep.Ash: Because I don't feel broken when you look at me.”

“About last night, I told Drew to keep his hands off you.""Why would you do that?""Because everyone talks shit about you because of it. But its not my business, so I'm sorry.""And he agreed?""Not without persuasion.""What kind of methods do you have that would work on drew?""I lied. I told him you were mine."(...)"Just so you know, you didn't lie.”

“He bent his head, bringing his lips near her ear. “Talk of the future confuses you, I know. But I think about it all the time."His hands moved slowly down her bare arms. “When the time is right, when it’s our time, I want to undress you – slowly – in front of the fire. Slowly, one item at a time. I want to roll down your stockings and unlace your corset. I want to slowly take the pins out of your hair and catch the weight of it in my hands. Then I want to learn the feel of every inch of you.”