Gus (Bright Side, #2)

by Kim Holden

I only get one shot at this. I know that. I want it to be perfect for her.

Eye contact at close range is uncomfortable with most people. And I don't know how to explain it, but I don't want to look in eyes and see scrutiny.

I've just been bitch slapped by poor choices and I don't like it.

When someone initiates kindness anonymously, you know it comes from the most pure, kindhearted part of them because they'll probably never be singled out and thanked. It speaks to his character.

"How'd you know?" "You're smiling. He's the only person who can get you to smile like that."

I have a feeling your heart is heavy, and when your heart is heavy, everything's harder. Dealing with life is harder. Believe me, I know. The negative is amplified, and sometimes that extinguishes the peace."

Sometimes you meet people and you know the meeting wasn't chance. That they need you or you need them, sometimes both.

Getting lost in calm and beauty is a gift.

Leave it to Bright Side to haunt me from the grave—and instead of it being creepy, it's sunshine and rainbows and fucking unicorns.

That's one of my favorite things about Franco, his sense of humor. He always knows when to use it. And it's always spot on. It's always just what I need.

"Heaven, I suppose. Gracie went first and I sure as hell know Bright Side would've beat down the goddamn door to get in if she knew her sister was inside. They're together, I have no doubt."

Some people wear their scars on the outside. Others wear them on the inside. Same difference. Your character, your heart, your essence, that's what's important, because that's the real you. All the rest, our looks, the material stuff? It's just meaningless bullshit.

There's something epic that happens every day if you look hard enough for it. And every day is a chance to go out there and do epic. The key is putting forth the effort.

Maybe it's about my heart. Maybe it's about me feeling fulfilled and accepting that love is never perfect, and that, if it allows you to feel at peace, it's okay if it is a little one-sided. Maybe it's about opening up your definition of family to include friends, too. Because friends are the family you choose.

I can't believe I've been living across the hall from that ass for months now and I've never noticed how spectacular it is.

I think finding the perfect partner is as much about timing, as it is about the person himself." "What do you mean?" "I mean, I think people find each other when they're ready for them. When they need each other the most. And it's in that time of need that the strongest relationships are formed."

He has no idea how special he is. His humility is every bit as beautiful as he is.

Living life…really living it…is work. It's exhausting if you're doing it right. If you're out there making the most of every day. Every minute. Every second. Because out there in the middle of the chaos, that's where you find the beauty.

I've come to the full realization that my happiness, my life, falls squarely on my shoulders. No one's gonna do it for it me. I'm the one who makes it or breaks it. It's a choice. A choice that demands action in exchange for reward. Idleness and complacency lead to mediocrity. Sometimes action is really fucking hard-fought, but that's when the payoff's the highest.