Imaginary Strangers (Dangerous Strangers, #1)

by Minka Kent

Good people are always so sure they’re right. —

My social butterfly persona isn’t natural; it’s a necessity. To him, I’m

I lie to give them each the best version of myself—a version I’ve curated only for them.

Sympathy (and its cousin, empathy) are strangers I’ll never know—but that doesn’t mean I can’t pretend we’re great friends.

There was always a revolving door of men coming in and out of our lives for various reasons.

From a young age, I decided that the devil I knew was better than the devil I didn’t know.

At the end of the day, every relationship is transactional, and anyone who believes otherwise is fooling themselves.

too much emotion muddies the message.

“One of the very first things you told me was that psychopaths are born, but sociopaths are made,”

Your brain might simply be looking for problems where there are none because that’s what feels natural to it. I want you to do a little exercise . . .”

If someone chooses to exit your life, you shouldn’t stalk them—you should thank them. They did you a favor. Why more people don’t realize this is beyond me. I’ve never understood the idea of longing to be with someone who has no desire to be with you. Longing is merely a type of thought, and thoughts alone are incapable of changing circumstances, facts, or other people’s feelings about you.

Society tells women we’re supposed to do it all, have it all, and be it all. But what society doesn’t tell you is that’s an impossible order.”