|
513668d
|
I trail my fingers across his cheek. He stays perfectly still for me. "Please stop apologizing, Etienne." "Say my name again," he whispers. I close my eyes and lean forward. "Etienne." He takes my hands into his. Those perfect hands, that fit mine just so. "Anna?" Our foreheads touch. "Yes?" "Will you please tell me you love me? I'm dying here." And then we're laughing. And then I'm in his arms, and we're kissing, at first quickly - to make..
|
|
romance
love
etienne-and-anna
ya
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
a90d1fe
|
Shame leads to secrets, and secrets lead to lies, and lies ruin everything.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
6ced3c2
|
The directness of her question throws me. "I don't know. Sometimes I think there are only so many opportunities...to get together with someone. And we've both screwed up so many times"- my voice grows quiet - "that we've missed our chance." "Anna." Mer pauses. "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard." "But--" "But what? You love him, and he loves you, and you live in the most romantic city in the world."
|
|
romantic
paris
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
929f885
|
I finally realized how absurd it was that I'd worried so much about what my classmates thought about me. It's not like I wanted to look like them.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
07fef45
|
Just imagine! In the early nineteenth century, this cathedral was in such a state of disrepair that the city considered tearing it down. Luckily for us, Victor Hugo heard about the plans to destroy it and wrote to raise awareness of its glorious history. And, by golly, did it work! Parisians campaigned to save it, and the building was repaired and polished to the pristine state you find today.
|
|
the-hunchback-of-notre-dame
paris
victor-hugo
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
cdd84b2
|
I'm here." St. Clair is angry. "I'm just sorry I'm not With you. I wish there was something I could do." "Wanna come beat her up for me?" "I'm packing my throwing stars right now." I sniffle and wipe my nose. "I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I thought he liked me.That's the worst part, knowing he was never even interested." "Bollocks.He was interested." "No,he wasn't," I say. "Bridge said so." "Because she's jealous! Anna, I was there ..
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
e13e2c5
|
I'll be here when you return." "I fixed my door. You'll need a key." "I'll take good care of it." "What if I won't give it to you?" "Then I'll break the door again." "This dormitory makes me feel so safe."
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
e72fc8d
|
Cricket Bell." I smiled into my phone. "How did you get so wise?" --
|
|
wisdom
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
04b4754
|
People are confusing. They say one thing and mean the other.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
ff1d731
|
He's coming over," Lindsay says. "What do you want me to do? Kick him in the balls? I've been dying to kick him in the balls."
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
4e44571
|
I'm... a blank canvas. There's nothing here to love.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
1aa44d1
|
I don't know. I don't really like old movies. The acting is so, 'Hey buddy, ol' pal. Let's go wear our hats and have a big misunderstanding
|
|
old
funny-but-true
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
a8cc380
|
Andy once clipped a magazine article about how black dogs are always the last to be adopted at shelters and, therefore, more likely to be put down. Which is totally Dog Racism, if you ask me.
|
|
dogs
racism
animals
black
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
5700742
|
You know, I've heard you actually have to have sex to get pregnant.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
78d2fd9
|
Why did he do it?" "For the same reason everyone makes mistakes. He fell in love."
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
9d96c3a
|
Josh is a romantic. He likes being in love, and he craves love to fill the void left by his absentee parents. Maybe our relationship didn't happen quickly because we're perfect for each other, but because we each got swept away by it - him because of this insatiable need, me because of my pre-existing crush. Did those three years of longing cloud my perception of reality? How well do I really know him? Since I've last seen him in person, I'..
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
f701fe3
|
Why doesn't he have the same effect on them that he has on me? Don't they see him?
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
dd1b580
|
It doesn't matter. I'm with you. I'm happy to be anywhere with you.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
cec95ac
|
How could I have ever for a moment believed I wasn't in love with him?
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
214b983
|
Suddenly I register that St. Clair is shorter than Josh. Much shorter. It's odd I didn't notice earlier, but he doesn't carry himself like a short guy. Most are shy or defensive, or some messed-up combination of the two, but St. Clair is confident and friendly and--
|
|
short
self-confidence
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
f41fcfd
|
But it's a person's imperfections that make them perfect for someone else.
|
|
relationships
love
stephanie-perkins
lola-and-the-boy-next-door
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
1979d69
|
I'm just saying that if it were Anna, I'd want to meet her coworkers. See where she's spending her time." I stare at him, hard. "Obviously."
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
d72a529
|
Everyone is worthy of love." - Hattie"
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
482d480
|
Isla." Josh's voice catches on my name. "You look beautiful." Because I see it in his eyes, I feel it in my heart. He takes my hand. His skin touches mine, and he's real again. And then we lose restraint, and he sweeps me into an embrace and kisses my cheek. And then again. I hug him. He squeezes me too hard in return, but it's wonderful and perfect and sublime."
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
2f497d1
|
Did you wake me up... to talk about candy?
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
47699f1
|
I think we're the only ones in the building," he says. "Then no one will mind when I do this!" I jump onto the desk and parade back and forth. St. Clair belts out a song, and I shimmy to the sound of his voice. When he finishes,I bow with a grand flourish. "Quick!" he says. "What?" I hop off the desk. Is Nate here? Did he see? But St. Clair runs to the stairwell. He throws open the door and screams. The ehco makes us both jump, and then tog..
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
39aee54
|
Confidence, darling." He leans across the table and touches a finger to my cheek. "You could learn something from me, you know."
|
|
isla
st-clair
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
bba3603
|
I laugh, and it sounds like I've been sucking helium.
|
|
standalone
isla-and-the-happily-ever-after
stephanie-perkins
teen-fiction
contemporary
contemporary-romance
ya
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
aa4bb82
|
It's why she's always switching coaches, and it's why she'd rather get third instead of second. When she gets third, at least she's happy to have placed. But second. That's too close to first.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
13dcde3
|
It's a physical sickness. Etienne. How much I love him. I Etienne. I love it when he cocks an eyebrow whenever I say something he finds clever or amusing. I love listening to his boots clomp across my bedroom ceiling. I love that the accent over his first name is called an acute accent, and that he a cute accent. I love that. I love sitting beside him in physics. Brushing against him during lands. His messy handwriting on our worksheets..
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
7a18791
|
As for us,Etienne was right.Our schools are only a twenty-minute transit ride away.He'll stay with me on the weekends, and we'll visit each other as often as possible during the week. We'll be together.We both got our Point Zero wishes-each other.He said he wished for me every time.He was wishing for me when I entered the tower. "Mmm," I say.He's kissing my neck. "That's it," Rashmi says. "I'm outta here.Enjoy your hormones." Josh and Mer f..
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
cc059ec
|
Asi pues, ?que deseo? ?Algo que no se si quiero? ?A alguien que no se si me conviene? ?A alguien que se que no puedo tener? A la mierda. Que lo decida la suerte. <> Toma generalizacion.
|
|
deseos
anna-olimphant
etienne-st-clair
stephanie-perkins
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
f0808ab
|
I catch a glimpse of his abdomen. Yummy. "Yummy tummy." He startles. "What?" "Hmm?"
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
869283b
|
Hot. I've been upgraded to hot.No one has ever called me hot. Cute? Yes. Adorable? yes, often and it makes me want to punch them. I didn't know short girls could even be hot. I thought I'd been permanently relegated to elfin-pixie-child status.
|
|
isla
isla-and-the-happily-ever-after
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
12359b5
|
But I'm worse. I'm a child playing dress-up, who can't even recognize herself under her own costume.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
1d24f9f
|
And for the first time since coming home, i'm completely happy. It's strange. Home... to be here, in my technical house, and discover now someplace different... Is it possible for home to be a person and not a place?... For the two of us, home isn't a place. It's a person. And we're finally home.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
9f5fc9f
|
I'm not even embarrassed to hug my parents in public. Except when Nathan wears a sweatband when he goes running. Because really!
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
f19d6cc
|
But isn't it better to be honest about these things before someone else can use them against you? Before someone else can break your heart? Isn't it better to break it yourself? I thought honesty made people strong.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
abdfd39
|
Callipygian: Having shapely buttocks.
|
|
humor
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
2256950
|
The realization is surprising, but the one that follows stuns me even more. I'm not in love with him anymore. Instead, looking at him makes me feel...hollow.
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
924aa63
|
I pull back, gasping for breath. Reeling. His breath is ragged, and I place my hands on his cheeks to steady him. "Is this okay?" I whisper. "Are you okay?" His reply is anguished. Honest. "I love you."
|
|
kissing
romance
honesty
love
lola-and-the-boy-next-door
lola-nolan
whispering
i-love-you
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
6baa4eb
|
Anna Oliphant Etienne St. Clair Uncommon Prostitues I have nothing to say about prostitues (other than you'd make a terrible prostitute,the profession is much too unclean), I only wanted to type that. Isn't it odd we both have to spend Christmas with our fathers? Speaking of unpleasant matters,have you spoken with Bridge yet? I'm taking the bus to the hospital now.I expect a full breakdown of your Christmas dinner when I return. So far ..
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
1beb2e6
|
Finally, thank you to Jarrod Perkins. I'm crying now just because I typed your name. I love you more than anyone. Ever. Times a hundred million billion. Etienne, Cricket, and Josh--they were all you, but none of them came even close to you. You are my best friend. You are my true love. You are my happily ever after. (author's acknowledgments)
|
|
love
dedication
|
Stephanie Perkins |
|
170ab91
|
Oh, it's okay," I say quickly, letting go of the figurine. "You can touch anything of mine you want." He freezes. A funny look runs across his face before I realize what I've said, I didn't mean it like that. Not that that would be so bad." --
|
|
|
Stephanie Perkins |