If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)

by Gayle Forman

In books and movies, the stories always end when the two people finally have their romantic kiss. The happily-ever-after part is just assumed.

you talk to her. You tell her to take all the time she needs, but to come on back. You’re waiting for her.”

“Girlfriend is such a stupid word,” he said. “I couldn’t stand calling her that. So, we had to get married, so I could call her ‘wife.’”

If I stay. If I live. It’s up to me.

But the you who you are tonight is the same you I was in love with yesterday, the

same you I’ll be in love with tomorrow. I love that you’re fragile and tough, quiet and kick-ass. Hell, you’re one of the punkest girls I know, no matter who you listen to or what you wear.”

know that all the magic kisses in the world probably couldn’t have helped him today. But I would do anything to have been able to give him one.

Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you. Does that make any sense?”

I’m not choosing. But I’m running out of fight.

Almost don’t matter. You got to deal with the situation at hand.

after what’s happened today, that would be nothing. Even going to jail would be easy compared to losing you.”

Losing me will hurt; it will be the kind of pain that won’t feel real at first, and when it does, it will take her breath away.

And I bet she’ll be a stronger person because of what she’s lost today. I have a feeling that once you live through something like this, you become a little bit invincible.

I can lose you like that if I don’t lose you today. I’ll let you go. If you stay.”