Catalina

“Declan was there. He was curled just next to Ronan, an arm draped over his side. They thought he was sleeping, but when Niall’s foot set off a floorboard’s squeal, his eyes came straight open. He looked at his parents so directly that they squirmed, consciences guilty. But of course Declan didn’t know- that was simply his ordinary expression, even as a little kid.
“He was lonely,” Declan explained.
“How do you know?” Niall asked.
Declan carefully moved away from the child to join his parents. “He was crying”
Niall put his hand in Declan’s curls, trying to sound light, unfettered. “I didn’t hear anything.”
Declan’s voice was somewhat haughty. “He was very quiet about it.”
― Maggie Stiefvater, Greywaren

“From the loneliness, from the fear that I would never escape it. Because feelings were changeable, and people were unpredictable. You couldn’t hold on to them through the force of will.”
― Emily Henry, Happy Place

“I received an interesting call from my accountant when I was in Paris,” I said in an effort to distract myself from our disturbing proximity. “One hundred thousand dollars charged to my Amex in one day, including ten grand on flowers. Care to explain?” “You gave me a black Amex, I used it,” Vivian said with an elegant shrug. “What can I say? I like flowers. And shoes.” Translation: You were an asshole before you left, and I took it out on your bank account.”
― Ana Huang, King of Wrath

“Some men's childhoods are permitted to last forever, but women are so often reminded that there is work to be done.”
― Taylor Jenkins Reid, Carrie Soto Is Back