Ruxandra

“Loving a guarded girl, I had realized, was a pyrrhic victory. The rare moments of happiness came at too great a cost.”
― Penelope Douglas, Nightfall

“Love isn't a decision. It arrives unannounced, breeds madness, and leaves a sea of ruin in its wake. Hate him or love him. Either way, he's in certain hell.”
― Pam Godwin, Sea of Ruin

“I can’t lose the thing I’ve held onto for so long, you know?” My face twists up from the pain of pushing it out. “I just really need it to be a love story, you know? I really, really need it to be that.”
“I know,” she says.
“Because if it isn’t a love story, then what is it”? I look to her glassy eyes, her face of wide open empathy. “It’s my life,” I say. “This has been my whole life.”
― Kate Elizabeth Russell, My Dark Vanessa

“Abuse can feel like love.”
“Abuse can feel like love…Why?”
Damon remained so still it didn’t look like he was breathing. He looked at the teacher, unwavering. “Starving people will eat anything.”
― Penelope Douglas, Nightfall