The Problem with Forever Quotes

“Hey, ≤i≥ mami,” ≤/i≥ Hector called out, his grin spreading as he bit down on his lower lip. ≤i≥ “Que cuerpo tan brutal.”≤/i≥
I had no idea what he’d just said, but it seemed to be directed at me.
“Shut up,” Rider replied, planting his large hand in Hector’s face and shoving him back into the driver’s side of the car. ≤i≥ “No la mires.” ≤/i≥

***

“Wait,” I said, surprising the crap out of myself as she faced me, eyes wide. My cheeks heated. “What...does no la mires mean?” I’d totally butchered the words like a typical white girl who couldn’t speak any form of Spanish would.
Her brows shot up again. “Why are you asking that?”
I raised my shoulders.
“Did someone say that to you?” When I didn’t answer, because I was no longer sure I wanted to know what it meant, she sighed. “It basically translates to don’t look at her.” ”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“I’m supposed to meet Ainsley for lunch and then...we’re hanging out.”
He was silent for a moment and then shoved his hands into his pockets. “Cool.” His gaze flipped up and over me. I turned slightly, spying Hector’s car coming down the center aisle. “I’d like to meet her.”
Wait.
What?
He wanted to meet Ainsley?
Rider bit down on his lower lip. “So, you know, I’m sort of inviting myself along.”
He really wanted to meet my best friend?
His head tilted to the side. “And if you think that’s not cool, this is about to get real awkward.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Shit,” he said. “That was awkward as hell to witness.”
“True dat,” Keira murmured.
“Try being in my shoes,” Rider said, sighing. He pulled me into his side. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I blinked. “Why...wouldn’t I be?”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“You're stuck,' I whispered.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“But we knew better. Forever was something we all took for granted, but the problem with forever was that it really didn’t exist.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“I might’ve saved you all those years ago, but now you’ve saved me.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“In their minds, they still had forever. But we knew better. Forever was something we all took for granted, but the problem with forever was that it really didn’t exist”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Non si va in giro con un cric in mano se si pensa "non sarà nulla".”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Rider’s gaze held mine again. “She understands that if I have to pick between you two, it’s not going to be her.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Goodness, I was already a dork most of the times. I didn’t need to be a drunk or high dork.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“I’m pretty sure most of them sincerely believe that the First Amendment actually means they can say anything they want without consequences. Like no, that does not protect your butt when you say something ignorant on Facebook and end up getting kicked off the football team or whatever!”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“The immediate instinct was to assuage her concerns, to tell her yes, because I knew that was what she wanted to hear,”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Hell...” His voice was thick, rough. “Mallory, you’re...”
“What?” I whispered, feeling my body burn for two very different reasons.
“You’re beautiful.” His gaze dipped, tracking the lacy edges of the bra. “Never thought I’d see you like this. So freaking glad I have. You’re so beautiful, Mallory.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Rider made this sound in the back of his throat. It was deep and masculine, part groan and growl, and it made me shiver. He folded one hand along my cheek and lowered his head to mine, but he didn’t kiss me.
No.
His warm breath glided over my forehead as his hand slid across my cheek, his fingers spreading into my hair at the base. His other hand landed low on my back, and the weight did insane things to my insides. He drew it up my back, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. My eyes fluttered shut as his lips brushed over the curve of my cheek. It was the craziest torture. My entire body tensed, prepared for the moment when his lips met mine.
And it was the sweetest pressure, a feather-light brush of his lips over mine. Once. Then twice. I felt the touch everywhere, a jolt to the system that zipped through my veins, and then the pressure increased.
Rider kissed me then.
It was a real one, soft and beautiful, and when the kiss deepened, it wasn’t a shy one. He knew what he was doing, and even though I didn’t, an innate knowledge told me it didn’t matter. His lips mapped out mine, and my insides were in tight coils.
Kissing was awesome. Amazing. Astonishing. I could probably think of a couple of more words to describe it. Kissing blew me away, and when he lifted his mouth, both of us were breathing hard. He rested his forehead against mine. Neither of us spoke for several moments.
I still wasn’t thinking. I had no idea how my hands had gotten to Rider’s chest, but his heart pounded under my palm as fast as mine did. My mind was blissfully blank as I breathed in his scent, a mix of his citrusy cologne and the faint trace of paint.
“Did you like that?” he asked, dragging his fingers out of my hair and over the line of my jaw.
Screaming yes, oh, God, yes, would’ve probably been a little too excessive, so I managed a somewhat subdued, “Yes.”
As Rider grinned, his lips brushed mine. “Good. Because I really liked it.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“He placed our stuff on the table and then sat, straddling the bench. Patting the spot next to him, he grinned.
I dropped my bag on the tan pavers and as I swung a leg over the bench, I stopped to look at him. He was watching me through thick lashes, head still tilted, grinning so that lone dimple was begging to be touched. I realized that this was the first moment Rider and I had been alone. No prying eyes. No adults watching over us. No one walking past us as there had been in the parking lot yesterday. We were alone, just him and me, like it had been so many times in the past.
I don’t know why I did what I did next, but a decade of emotion swirled up inside me. Maybe it had to do with everything he’d done for me in the past. Maybe it was just because he was sitting right there and we were in the present.
And I never felt more present than I did in that moment.
Bending over, I wrapped my arms around his wide shoulders and I squeezed him. Probably the lamest hug in history, but it felt good. It felt magnificent when he rose up a little and circled his arms around my waist. His hug was better.
When I pulled back, his hands slid off my waist, to my hips, and lingered for a moment. A strange sensation curled low in my stomach. He let go, but the heated awareness remained. “What was that for?”
Shrugging, I sat, tucking both legs under the table. My face was hot. “I...I just wanted to.”
“Well, you can do that whenever you want to. I don’t mind.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“So how long do I have before—what were their names? Carl and Rosa? Yeah, that’s them. How long do I have before they come back?”
“I don’t know. Maybe...maybe an hour or so?” My hands felt incredibly small in his.
That lopsided grin was back. “I doubt they’d be happy to find me here.”
“Why?”
His brows rose. “Maybe I’m wrong. They used to coming home to find some strange guy sitting on their couch?”
I rolled my eyes.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” Rider tugged on my hands, and I rose, letting him pull me down to the couch beside him. He leaned back, sliding one arm around my shoulders and tucking me against his side. “Just par for the course with you, huh?”
I didn’t know what to do with my hands since he’d let go of them, so I folded them in my lap. “I’ve never had a...guy here.”
Rider stiffened and then he twisted his neck so he was looking at me.
Did I seriously admit that out loud? Squeezing my eyes shut, I sighed. “I’m just...going to shut up now.”
He chuckled. “Don’t do that. I like listening to you talk.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“This reminds me of old times,” he said, and his lashes lifted. As his gaze drifted over me, it was focused but all too brief, because he looked away, a muscle working along his jaw. “Kind of.”
A flush raced across my cheeks as I switched out the ball for a new one. He was right—this was like all the other times I’d cleaned him up. Well, when I was younger, I tried to clean him up, but had no idea what I was doing, but as we grew older, and he got into fights defending me or for some other reason, this was our routine.
Except I was pretty sure that when his gaze roamed over me just now, he’d checked out my breasts, and that was definitely something that hadn’t happened before.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Embarrassment flooded me, but Rider was grinning as he scooted closer and tugged me over. Before I knew what he was doing, he’d tucked my hips between his thighs and circled his arms around me, holding me tight to his chest.
His really hard chest.
The contact jolted me, like touching a live wire. It took a couple of seconds for me to relax.
He was silent as he rested his chin on the top of my head, and I didn’t say anything as I squeezed my eyes shut against the rising tide of emotion. Being this close to him again was something so powerful the connection was tangible, a third entity.
One hand drifted up my back, a slow slide under the weight of my hair. He curled his fingers around the nape of my neck. His chin moved, grazing my forehead, and the intimacy of the act was so different than any of the other times he’d been this close. An odd warmth settled in my muscles. Like stepping out into the sun for the first time after a long winter. There was a moment when I wasn’t sure if he breathed, because I didn’t feel his chest move under my hands.
In the back of my head, I wondered how...how okay this was. I didn’t want to pull away and break the connection, but I thought that maybe I should. This was innocent. It had to be, but it was also different.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Standing, Rider lifted his arms and stretched. His shirt rode up, baring a sliver of his stomach. My gaze dropped and focused in. His lower stomach was unbelievably taut. Defined.
Nice.
Very nice.
Cheeks flushing, I looked away and caught Hector’s knowing gaze. Crap. I needed to be better about checking out guys. Like incognito style.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“The past never went away and it was not designed to do so.

It would always be there, and it should be acknowledged…

My past was a part of me and it molded who I was today, but it was not the sum of who I was to become. It did not control me…

I still had a lot of work to do and that was *my* work to complete and it was my voice that needed to be heard when I needed to speak. No one else. It was me who had to carry myself over the finish line, and all I needed to remember when I felt like not trying was that that feeling wouldn't last forever.

Forever.

I used to believe it didn't exist. One word has terrified me as a child and it haunted me. But now I knew, in many small ways, that it was real, but it didn't scare me anymore. Forever wasn't a little girl cowering in the closet. Forever wasn't the shadows sitting in the back of the class. Forever wasn't doing what I thought Carl and Rosa wanted instead of what I needed to do with my life. Forever wasn't believing I was some kind of replacement daughter and that I was letting them down. Forever wasn't being the one who needed protection.

Forever wasn't pain and grief.

Forever wasn't a problem.

Forever was my heartbeat and it was the hope tomorrow held. Forever was the glistening silver lining of every dark cloud, no matter how heavy and thick it was. Forever was knowing moments of weakness didn't equate to an eternity of them. Forever was knowing that I was strong. Forever was Carl and Rosa, Ainsley and Keira, Hector and Rider. Jaden would always be a part of my forever. Forever was the fire-breathing dragon inside me that had shed the fear like a snake shedding skin. Forever was simply a promise of more.

Forever was a work in progress.

And I couldn't wait for forever.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Forever was the glistening silver lining of every dark cloud, no matter how heavy and thick it was. Forever was knowing moments of weakness didn’t equate to an eternity of them.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“It’s just that I think sometimes you miss what’s going on around you, because you’re so worried about what others are thinking about you and your choices.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“We can always do whatever you want, go as far as you want, and we will always stop when you want, no matter what. You feel me? There's nothing to apologize for and that's the way it should always be.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“La gente puede decir lo que quiera. Puede pensar lo que quiera, pero tú controlas lo que sientes al respecto.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Life was like doing this speech. It wasn't necessarily about the end result but more about trying.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“The past never went away, and it was not designed to do so.

It would always be there, and it should be acknowledged.

-

My past was a part of me and it molded who I was today, but it was not the sum of who I was to become. It did not control me.

-

I wasn't a hundred percent, and that was okay, because I was a work in progress. There were moments when things felt too much, like the other day when I had to stand up and deliver another speech. There were other situations, especially when I thought about the fact that I'd be in college in less than a year. Or when I found my mind wandering to Jayden. Death was frightening and overwhelming. Sometimes, when I thought about what Ainsley was facing in the future, I stressed out for her.

I still had a lot of work to do and that was my work to complete and it was my voice that needed to be heard when I needed to speak. No one else. It was me who had to carry myself over the finish line, and all I needed to remember when I felt like not trying was that that feeling wouldn't last forever.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“Lowering the book to my lap, I smoothed my palm over the hard, glossy surface as I thought about the Skin Horse's words. They could be interpreted in so many ways. To me, they were all about letting go of the fear of being imperfect. Accepting that it was okay to be wanted and needed and loved, to be heard and seen.

Rider and I were a lot like the little boy and the rabbit who wanted to be real. Both of us spent so long relying on only each other. We'd been tossed aside, unwanted. And we wanted nothing more than to be cherished, treasured and loved. We wanted to feel real. Both of us were afraid of the opposite. To some the opposite was death but to me–to us–it was being stuck forever. Never changing. Never seeing ourselves or others around us differently.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“It would be painful and probably embarrassing–no, not embarrassing, because only I controlled whether or not I was embarrassed. And I could do this. And I wouldn't be embarrassed. Even if I was, just a little, it didn't matter in the big scheme of things. This speech wasn't forever. Being embarrassed was not forever. None of this was forever.

But trying was.

Living was.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“And it was knowing that I could still be...still be afraid of everything, but not letting that fear stop me from living.

The realization wasn't due to some kind of earth-stopping epiphany. It was subtle and slow, a combination of a thousand moments rolled into one, but as I sat at the kitchen table with Rosa, I knew it was true.

I'd changed.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever

“I thought about all the people who would never have the privilege of a second chance at anything.

I was lucky.

My life had been hard, but the past... It was a part of me, but it wasn't me. I had a future, possibly a beautiful one where I wouldn't be a...a victim, and yet, when I got lost in my head or let what Mr. Henry did shape my decisions, I wasn't embracing that future.

I wasn't acknowledging everything I had.

That...that had to change.

And I thought, by realizing just that, becoming aware, I was changing.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Problem with Forever