The Defender Quotes

“Brooklyn.” I lowered my voice, my throat strained. “I’d lose every single fucking bet in the world if it meant I could be with you.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“She was here, she was safe, and she was mine. For the first time in my life, love didn't feel like a risk. It felt like the safest bet I'd ever made.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Fine. You want to know the reason?” He walked toward me, his movements precise and controlled, like a predator prowling toward its prey. “The reason is because I couldn’t stop thinking about you while I was gone. Then I come home to see you sitting there, doing nothing except existing, and I can’t fucking breathe.” His voice was low and taut. “Maybe you were right. I am pissed at you because you can float through the kitchen, making pancakes and cracking jokes, while I’m using every goddamn ounce of willpower not to touch you. That’s why I don’t want to be around you. You’re killing me, and you don’t even know it.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“It wasn’t even about the lack of romance in my life; it was about being someone’s priority. Having an anchor. Knowing there was a person out there”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“People liked the shiny, bubbly version of me, but if they saw what a mess I was on the inside, they’d leave.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“No matter where we were or how many people were around, Brooklyn could make the rest of the world fall away with one glance. I couldn’t explain how or why. She just…did.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Je serais toujours là pour toi, mon coeur. Quoiqu’il arrive.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Was he human or simply a Coach-shaped monster fueled by spite?”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Who’s the one who can’t control themself now?” “I never said I could control myself around you.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“It was a lot of potential danger for one girl. The problem was, I’d never liked playing safe.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“It was like God had sent her specifically to test me—I mean, us. The team in general.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“That’s not why I don’t want to be around you.”
“Then what’s the reason? Either tell me, or leave.”
“Fine. You want to know the reason? The reason is because I couldn’t stop thinking about you while I was gone. Then I come home to see you sitting there, doing nothing except existing, and I can’t fucking breathe. Maybe you were right. I am pissed at you because you can float through the kitchen, making pancakes and cracking jokes, while I’m using every goddamn ounce of willpower not to touch you. That’s why I don’t want to be around you. You’re killing me, and you don’t even know it.”
“Then why’d you stay?”
“Because I can’t fucking say no to you if I tried.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Tell me," he said roughly, "does that taste like the kiss of someone who's lying?”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“For the first time in my life, love didn’t feel like a risk. It felt like the safest bet I’d ever made.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“I realized that the most dangerous person in my world wasn’t the intruder or my birth mom or any rival footballer. It was Brooklyn, because she was the only person alive with the power to unravel me.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Running away from overzealous fans together is a relationship milestone,” I said when we recovered our composure. I wiped a tear from my eye, my cheeks aching from how hard I’d laughed. “New couple goals unlocked.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“You can yell at me. You can make me run drills until I vomit. You can make me wear the fucking mascot costume and dance the ‘Macarena’ during halftime. It doesn’t matter. I’ll take it all because Brooklyn’s worth it. There’s nothing you can do or say that would change that.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“In case you had any doubt, you’re mine, and I’m yours. I don’t care who knows. In fact, I want the whole fucking world to know because I’m done hiding.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Maybe you were right. I am pissed at you because you can float through the kitchen, making pancakes and cracking jokes, while I’m using every goddamn ounce of willpower not to touch you. That’s why I don’t want to be around you. You’re killing me, and you don’t even know it.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Ninety-nine percent of our conversations revolved around playful jabs and insults. That was the dynamic we were most comfortable with. But every now and then, we’d drop our guards, and those moments would feel deeper than they did with anyone else because they were so rare.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Vincent may have manipulated me into letting him move in, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun at his expense.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“He was like the moon to my tide; his mere presence altered my gravitational field.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“On the other hand, Brooklyn’s setup was pretty perfect per Scarlett’s specifications. She lived alone in a big flat that was close to our training grounds, she wasn’t a serial killer, and she smelled nicer than anyone else I knew. That last point was weirdly prominent in my mind.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“It wasn’t even about the lack of romance in my life; it was about being someone’s priority. Having an anchor. Knowing there was a person out there who would be my first call if shit went down and vice versa.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“I’d been around athletes my whole life. I’d even dated a few of them. Unless you liked commitment issues, cheating, and gaslighting, it was best to steer clear.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Two, fuck Henry.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“In that world, I would’ve pulled the car off to the side of the road the other night and shown her exactly who she belonged to. Not fucking Mason, who had the balls to ask her out like he deserved her.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Henry couldn’t say the same. Plus, he had the work ethic of a stoned frat boy,”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“Bullshit. The only other intern is Henry, and he’s mediocre, at best.” In fact, fuck Henry.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender

“I’m not a saint. If you walk around looking like that, I’ll notice.” His jaw flexed again. “So I’m merely suggesting you find a way to remedy the problem, or I’ll think you’re purposely trying to tempt me.”
― Ana Huang, The Defender