Even When I'm Gone (Stay with Me, #2)

by Nicole Fiorina

I may not be above the law, but us? Together, we’re a fucking perfect storm.”

“A notion that even science can’t grasp.”

“Kiss her crazy and love her insane.” —Oliver Masters

Love was attracted to the soul inside, blind to everything else. No one had an option—no choice in the fucking matter. Love had no guilt, fear, or negatives—only pure in form, attacking the organs, embedding itself deep, hungry, to thrive and grow. Shamelessly, love had no barriers or rules, and the real tragedy was the resistance from the close-minded.

One day, love would conquer fear.

“Hey, if you’re a psycho, then I’ll love you insane.”

She’d always been that one person to quiet the turmoil seething in my heart when the surroundings got to be too much. She was my center. My home.

“You’re a thief in the night, robbing my gaze, swiping my hand, stripping my breath, cheating the odds, stealing my heart, and I don’t mind.” —Oliver Masters

Even when the demons take me, my soul always remembers.”

“Fall apart so we can fall in place, together,”

Ollie fell apart. I fell apart. But we fell together.

“Consuming, timeless, unselfish, love. I’d loved you in my darkest hour when I wasn’t myself, and I’ll love you in every lifetime after this.”

“There’s a thin line between a win and loss, the line being how you respond to it.” —Oliver Masters

“There are no laws in love.

They must first know pain and heartache, learn to overcome trials and tribulations. Grow strong apart so they can be even stronger together once reunited.”

“You’re missing the point, love. It’s not about seeking perfection. There is no way one soul will ever reach perfection without the other. It’s about finding the best version of yourself, and perhaps we met sooner to push each other in the right direction because, as I said, love also has no laws. It’s not a coincidence we’re here.”

“Moral of the story, not all books will have a happily ever after.”

“The story is about doing what’s best for the one you love. Harry had a purpose in this lifetime. Despite what Harry wanted, Nora would have only held him back from accomplishing it. She knew this and understood the only way to love him, was to love him unselfishly.”

“When the sun dies and darkness bleeds, she’s the black sheep I’m counting; A loose cannon; another’s regret. A what-if, and repeated mistake. She dances for no one and howls with the wolves. A moon child with the spirit of a mood ring. She’s my all-time love.” —Oliver Masters

Slow. Dramatic. Torturous. The three heart-hammering ingredients that made up Oliver Masters and the way he moved.

“Perhaps the most dangerous man, is a man in love.” —Oliver Masters

“because I’d tear off my own flesh before someone hurts you … and if I’d do that to myself, imagine what I’d do to someone else.”

“Sometimes all we need is someone who will sit in the dark with us.” —Oliver Masters

I’d learned you didn’t have to be feared to be respected. No one feared Ollie, yet most people respected him.

“If people fear you, you will be ten feet tall amongst enemies. If people love you, you will be a hundred feet tall among loyal defenders

“The only thing that bothers me is the way people talk about suicide and how it affected them. Are we so self-centered, that even in death, we selfishly cry for our losses, not once taking a second to think how much torture and pain the soul went through before deciding to end their life?

the silent cry for help no one responds to when the person needed it most. There’s never an action, only a reaction on this bloody earth. The moment someone speaks up about their internal pain, they’re shoved onto meds, counseling, and hospitals,”

Ollie prayed for Zeke. He prayed for souls, for the lost and confused, and the selfish. Ollie prayed for love to prevail, hindsight to come forth, and the close-minded to blur their lines. He prayed for Ethan, for me, for himself. Everyone Ollie’s eyes came across, and each person who hadn’t had the opportunity to meet him has been prayed for.

“If you believe in nothing, then that is what you live for. And living for nothing is a waste, wouldn’t you say?”

“Perhaps you were here to remind everyone that angels are real, in the shape of humanity and the color of grace. And for a brief moment in time, we all sang the same song.” —Oliver Masters

“The only way to cheat death is by creating a love that will live forever.” —Oliver Masters

no matter how often you’re tested or what obstacles are thrown, love is always worth fighting for,” Ollie sucked in a breath and ran a palm down his face, “and dying for.”

“That’s the thing, Mia. He gave me the fucking world, and I’m looking right at her. I couldn’t react quick enough. It could’ve so easily been you,” Ollie’s breathing shook, and he grabbed the side of my head and looked me in the eyes. “He did this for us. He did this so I wouldn’t spend my days drowning in tears and heartache. So, I refuse to cry. He deserves more than fucking tears. He deserves every smile I put on your face for the rest of my life. He deserves all the laughter, the stolen kisses, the lifetime of feels, the sleepless nights of conversations … He deserves for us to live.”

“The only way to cheat death is by creating a love that will last forever,”

“In the wake of death, a monster was born. His name was Karma, and he craved revenge.” —Oliver Masters