Caitlin

“I’m overstepping. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go too far.” “You don’t understand, Bee.” A small smile. Our foreheads touch, his skin warm against mine. I really, really want a kiss from this man. I want it bad enough to burn. “You can’t go too far.” “Then why . . . ?” His eyes flutter closed. His lips move closer. “I’m terrified that you won’t go far enough.”
― Ali Hazelwood, Love on the Brain

“We weren’t meant to last but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t something valuable in what we had. Stop punishing yourself.” Stop punishing yourself. His words strike deep, like they were meant to, and he’s right—my time with Caleb might not have been meant to last forever, but that doesn’t mean it was cheap. I did love him, we had a good life together. “I’ve hated myself so much,” I finally admit out loud. He reaches for my hand and takes it, tugging me forward. “You have to stop.” “I don’t know how.” “It’s not always easy to forgive yourself—there is no step-by-step process. Just remember no one is perfect.”
― Micalea Smeltzer, The Resurrection of Wildflowers