wish ⪩⪨

“I can stop talking about it if that's what you want, he goes on, I can promise to never bring this up again. But I meant it when I said that I can be whatever you want me to be: whether that's an enemy for you to curse and hold a grudge against for the rest of your life; a friend you can trust to accompany you anywhere and drive you safely back home, the one you can call at any hour of the night and tell all your secrets to; or the person you fall for, who will always wear a jacket so you don't have to bring yours, who will be the first to find you when you're lostand alone, who will remind you how heart-wrenchingly, unfathomably beautiful you are even on days when you don't feel it. The only thing I ask is that we don't ever become strangers, because I really--He breaks off. Clenches his jaw, fighting against some ineffable emotion. I don't think I could bear it, Leah. I don't think my heart would be able to survive it.”
― Ann Liang, Never Thought I'd End Up Here

“And? Do I live up to your fantasy?"
Cyrus shakes his head. "No fantasy could ever live up to you," he whispers. "Nothing can compare to how it feels to look up and see you there. Even though I thought of you every day after you left, my imagination has proven to be painfully inadequate when it comes to the sound of your laughter, or how your brows furrow when you're focused, or the way you steady yourself before entering a room. And you're going to make fun of me for saying it, but part of me is worried," he says, dropping his gaze to the white glimmer of water, "that this is just a spell. This whole trip has been so strange and wonderful and unexpected ... It's like there's magic here, and I can't stop myself from worrying that when we leave this place, the magic will disappear for you, and none of it will be real anymore.”
― Ann Liang, Never Thought I'd End Up Here

“If it helps,” she began in a singsong voice, dropping to her knees to weed the next row. “I won’t look at you as you read. You can pretend I’m not even here.” “Impossible, Iris.” “How come, Kitt?” “Because you’re highly distracting.”
― Rebecca Ross, Divine Rivals

“Why not? It’s very easy to fall in love with you, Leah. The easiest thing in the world.”
― Ann Liang, Never Thought I'd End Up Here