It's horrible being ashamed of someone you care about; it eats away at you. And if you let it get to you, if you give up the fight and surrender, eventually that shame turns to hate.

Get through today – you can fall apart tomorrow. Get through tomorrow, you can fall apart the day after . . .

But I don't want to be fine, not if it means she's going to let go of my hand; not if it means we're going to go back to being polite strangers.

He will think Lochan wasn't loved, but he was, more deeply than most people are in a lifetime.

Before there was anything, there was Lochan.

The sight of such aching beauty would infuse his soul with pain.

Any guy, even imaginary, would just feel like second best. Second best to what? I don't even have an image of the perfect boyfriend. I just know he must exist. Because I have all these feelings-love, longing, wanting to be touched, dreaming of being kissed-yet no one to focus them on.