The Best Thing I Never Had Quotes

“It was a common complaint amongst the Arts students that their library was in dire need of refurbishment. To call the old building shabby chic was being kind. It didn’t have automated stacks or self-service machines like the Management and Sciences library the other side of campus and the carpets and bookcases looked like they were probably the Victorian originals.

But on days like this one, where the springtime sunshine streamed in through the high windows and set the dust motes dancing, Harriet sincerely felt that those BSc lot could stuff their vending machines and state of the art study pods. The Old Library was clearly suited for those who had poetry in their souls, rather than numbers in their heads.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“Please, decide that I'm worth it”
― Erin Lawless, The Best Thing I Never Had

“It's finding a best friend who you sleep with, right?”
― Erin Lawless, The Best Thing I Never Had

“You guys used to walk through graveyards?” Iona asked, horrified.

“It cut at least ten minutes off the walk to Tesco,” Harriet tried to reason.

“I am so glad I go to Uni in the city,” Iona said, shaking her head. “A Tesco Metro on every second corner.”

“And a Sainsbury’s Local on all the others,” Adam joked.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“He was getting addicted to kissing her. He was going to slip up sooner rather than later. Secret-laden smiles as they greeted one another when in company could never be enough; he wanted to fling his arms around her and kiss her whenever she walked into a room. Resting their hands on one another’s knees under the lecture theatre desk was one thing, but he wanted to stroll around campus with his arm thrown across her shoulders, make his lap a pillow for her as she lay and studied in the grassy quad, introduce her to everyone he came across as his girlfriend.

Finding that chain of thought too tender to pursue, Adam kissed her again, found himself wishing into her as if she were a candle he was blowing out. Please, decide that I’m worth it.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“It was the second week of February, a rainy Wednesday, a generous few degrees above zero, and some absolute twat on the Entertainment committee had decided that what the student body really needed was a Beach Party theme night.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“Harriet groaned as Adam turned around and revealed what he had just bought at the bar. “I said one more drink, not one more pitcher,” she called across to him. “We’re expected home already!”

“Listen to yourself, woman!” Adam said incredulously, reaching the table and putting the jug of Snakebite down. “They’re not our parents!”

“Yeah, but – its board game night, ‘The Game of Life’…” Harriet said, stupid with her share of the two jugs of Snakebite they’d imbibed already.

“Fuck ‘The Game of Life’,” Adam replied, with great delight, refilling their pint glasses with a clumsy slosh from the pitcher. “I always get the shit jobs anyway.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“Demetrious was studying Law on the Open University and was, in all ways, a ray of sunshine into her life: warm and glorious, achingly temporary. He lived just off the high street with his boyfriend Rob, who worked in the City, doing something neither Demi nor Sukie pretended to understand.

“All the cute guys are gay,” Sukie had laughed, that first day, holding her coffee mug high to her face to hide her genuine disappointment. Demi had just tilted his head and looked at her playfully, an expression she would get to know well.

“I’m not gay,” he had clarified, matter-of-factly.

“Living with a boyfriend called Rob doesn’t sound very straight!” Sukie had pointed out.

“Labels!” Demi had scorned, with one of his characteristic and very Greek hand gestures. “I fall in love with the person, not the gender.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“He hope she'd find somebody who would text her love poetry in the middle of the night”
― Erin Lawless, The Best Thing I Never Had

“you're not a fucking elf”
― Erin Lawless, The Best Thing I Never Had

“quick to anger, quicker to calm”
― Erin Lawless, The Best Thing I Never Had

“She imagined how dancing with Seth would feel. All those years ago, when he’d first put his arms around her - breathing hot and beery over her face, into her mouth - and still she’d melted, wanted them to press closer together than physics allowed, wanted them to occupy the same time and space, for always.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“She’d pulled back her hair to air her neck, just for one second, fanning her flushed cheeks by flapping her other hand. She’d smiled at him and pulled a face at how hot and stuffy the bar was. Miles had thought she was beautiful, the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen, and if you’d told him, in that minute, that he’d be in this beautiful creature’s bed tonight, or that in seven years’ time he’d be waiting for her at the top of the aisle, he could never have believed you.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“She’d so wanted this – him, here, and no more secrets.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“You’ve got the what?” Adam asked, voice rising in alarm.

“We’ve got the mumps,” Harriet croaked down the phone.

“Shit! Thought I felt rough.”

“Exactly. So, fluids, fluids, fluids. And stay in bed,” Harriet advised.

“Hmmm, sounds like what caused the problem in the first place,” Adam laughed quietly, voice low and suggestive. Harriet groaned fondly. “So, how are we playing this then?” Adam continued. “We were both opposite sides of the country, at home with our folks, and independently return for term with the mumps?”

“There’s probably a national epidemic or something,” Harriet said, straight-faced.

“No doubt,” Adam agreed, sarcastically.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“Dressed as he was in a practically fluorescent pink tee-shirt and denim shorts cut at the knee, Adam drew his fair share of odd looks as he and Harriet hurried through the sleet from the lecture theatre to the campus refectory. He made a solemn vow to never again take the piss out of guys unseasonably dressed – they too might just be poor sods doing the walk of shame after a theme night.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“Johnny appeared out of nowhere to save the day, reaching clumsily over Harriet’s head to punch the correct answer on the touch screen with just milliseconds to spare. Sukie exhaled in relief; she took her quiz machine investments very seriously; after all, £2 could be a small fortune to a student the wrong side of Reading Week.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“Johnny liked being with Iona; it made him feel like a man. She was petite - a good five inches shorter than him - but it was more than that. She let him pay for her, patronise her, made no demands on his time other than what he was already willing to offer. She made him feel nineteen as well, in her bed with sheets that smelt like cheap laundrette detergent, in bars drinking Snakebite from pint glasses still warm from the dishwasher.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies

“Let’s leave the rest of the bottle - he wanted to say to her – let’s go for a walk along the river. Let me tell you a story, from when I was young and stupid.”
― Erin Lawless, Little White Lies