My Phony Valentine Quotes

“Some things are true, regardless of who you are. Saying something kind and from the heart is never a bad idea, and it’s never the wrong thing to do.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“People don’t always let us become who we are. They try to keep us in the box of who we were.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“Adulting is hard. Even at twenty-eight, I haven’t mastered it. There are moments when I don't want to be strong, or independent, or responsible. There are moments I want someone else to take the risk, or make the decision, or tell me what to do.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“Just one thing. . .” Dallas starts. I can tell by the tone that he thinks he’s going to be funny.

I turn and look at him, waiting. He’s scrunching up his face.

“Him? You picked him?”

“Shut up right now if you know what’s good for you.”

“I mean, maybe with the lights off, or from far away, maybe, but up close?” he shudders.

“That’s it. You’re on lockdown.”

He gets on his knees. “Wait! No! I was kidding! I. . .”

I hold up a hand. “Nope.” I take my pointer finger and circle my face and torso. “This? All of this? Now off limits.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“Then, to his grandma, “Are you comfortable? I think you should sit in the living room.” He reaches out to help her and she smacks his hand away. “I think you should go sit in traffic.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“I’m only thinking about what I’ll gain.”
“Which is what?”
“You,” he says simply. “You are all I want.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“I want to tell him all the small things.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“Small towns have long memories, don’t they?” He says this with a kind of authority I’m not sure he has.
Instinctively, though, I know what he means. People don’t always let us become who we are. They try to keep us in the box of who we were.
We’re all on our way to becoming someone new, aren’t we? I wonder who Dallas Burke is becoming.
I wonder who I am becoming.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“It’s not the kind of smile that would alert the paparazzi, but it’s the kind of smile that a person could hold onto. The kind that could make, say, a man in a tough spot hope that things could turn around again. Like an anchor.
A safe space to land.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“I know I should stay away from him.
There’s just one problem. I don’t want to.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“This feels. . .oddly familiar. Yes, he’s built like a statue, and yes, he’s insanely attractive, and yes, I should be a blubbering puddle of nonsensical words—but I’m not.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“He smells like a forest and I want to get lost in the woods.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“I glance at the line. It’s moving as fast as a sloth on Benadryl.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“After a few slow dances, Dallas and I take a break. He stops by the punch table, as Raya walks over. Dallas hands me a glass, and then, without thinking, gives Raya the one he got for himself.

“Thanks.” She takes it, and stares him down as he gets another for himself. “I was there for the first rendition of ‘Kiss You.’”

“Oh?” He glances at me, then back at Raya.

“Yours was much, much better than Poppy’s.” Raya’s expression remains the same.
Dallas’s smile is tentative.

“That was cool what you did.” Then, with a smile that would chill a corpse, she says, “But if you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

And with that, she walks away.

“She secretly likes you,” I tell him.

“If that’s her version of liking someone, I’d hate to be on her bad side.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“After ten minutes, he returns, claiming he needs a drink.
A part of me thinks he wants to make sure I’m not snooping around in here.
In other news, I was totally snooping around in here.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“Poppy, all the blood has drained from your cheeks. You’re like ten shades paler than usual. And that’s saying something because you’re already very pale.” He reaches over and pokes my cheek. “Just checking to make sure you’re not secretly the walking dead.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“With food, cultures are transcended, walls are broken down, heartfelt stories are seasoned and salted. There’s a reason that the kitchen is called “the heart of the home.” It’s where love is blended.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“People don’t really speak like this in real life, do they? As if their rear ends were planted squarely at the top of their neck and talking out of the hole that’s there?”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine

“There was just one problem. I had no idea how to do that. Okay, two problems. I’m also not sure I want to.”
― Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine