But He's My Grumpy Neighbor (But He's a Carter Brother #1)

by Annah Conwell

“Sorry about him!” Smiley twin yells across the yard. “He gets nervous around beautiful women.”

“I think people do that a lot. Fall in love with the idea of a life that isn’t theirs and then when they step into that life, suddenly it’s different than what they thought. Duller than they imagined.”

“It’s a depressing thought, though, that you chase something only for it to turn out differently than you wanted.”

“Running is like dying but without the relief of death.” Her words come out stilted in between short, panting breaths. “That’s a disturbing analogy.”

“Wow, you must really care about her.” I do, too much. “She’s my friend.” “I hear friendship makes a great foundation for marriage.”

“I care about what you think, Juliette. The list of people who get to have opinions on my life is admittedly short, but you’re on it.”

I’ve never been one for music, but her giggle might just be my new favorite song.

Because living without Juliette just isn’t an option, it’s no more possible than surviving without the sun or oxygen.

“Please don’t ever hold back or change yourself around me. You’re incredible, Jules. You’re like a sunflower, always growing toward the light. You make everyone around you want to be better, including me–especially me.

“I don’t have anyone.” I feel like someone else is speaking. I’ve never admitted my loneliness out loud, even to Caroline. My tendency is to make everyone think I’m doing great even when I’m not. “You have me.”

I’ll give her the heart straight out of my chest if it means I get to soak up the sweetness of her presence for even the shortest length of time.

He said drive safe, but my heart heard: you matter.

I’ve come to accept the fact that while I can’t be who you deserve, neither can any other man. So, I’m asking for permission to fail you.

“Jules, you said you’d stay here all night for me, well I’m telling you I’d leave for you. Because I love you.”

“You should know by now I’d go to great lengths to give you everything you deserve. If you said you wanted a star out of the sky I’d start building a rocket.”