Then There Was You Quotes

“This was what people spent their lives searching for. This scary, upside down feeling that made them feel as if they were on the brink, between their first and last breath. I’d always held onto the notion that I’d rather be alone than sparkless, but since I’d tasted the sparks, I had been afraid they’d be strong enough to make me implode.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“She had the kind of magic that turned me inside out. The kind that would make me believe that maybe I did bleed.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“You’re afraid of leaving, afraid of staying behind, you’re always stuck in a state of guilt for every decision you make because you’re too fucking afraid to follow what your own heart wants.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“Love was an illusion. An idea that society tried to sell to you. I believed in respect and honesty, but love? Love had never been on my radar.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“He looked at me for a moment, seemingly stunned. “You love her.” I scoffed, but it sounded weak in my ears. “Please. I don’t even know what love is.” “I don’t either, but if I had to make a bet, I’d bet it was this—letting go of someone with the knowledge that you’d be miserable without them. You say you’re selfish, but you’re doing the selfless thing here.” “It doesn’t feel like I am.” It felt like I was breaking apart at the seams.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“I’m doing well. I’ll be better once I don’t have to see you running down my block every morning.”
A smile crept onto my lips. “I didn’t think you noticed. You never look.”
“You don’t need one more woman looking at you.”
“You’re right. I only need one woman looking at me.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“Yes, people were all the same, we were all born and we would all die. The only thing really setting us apart was the way we chose to spend the short time we were alive.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“You terrify me. Don’t you see that? You fucking terrify me.” It was the first time I realized that ending up with the person you were in love with was a gift. A gift we wouldn’t be given.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“It’s as if nothing matters, you know? Like we’re here one minute, and the next, we aren’t, and the world just goes on without us.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“Talent is probably the second most overlooked thing in this world.” “What’s the first?” “Love.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“I’m not ready to let go.”
“You have to.”
“I can’t.”
“Your wings aren’t clipped, and I won’t be the reason you start thinking you can’t fly,” he whispered, coming closer, his wine-infused breath mingling with mine. “You can fly, you know?”
“I know I can. I want to fly with you.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“Tessa,” he said over and over and over like a mantra. “My Tessa.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“Tessa.” His tone and the way he leaned in made me shut my mouth. “When it comes to you, there’s never any competition. You blow everyone else out of the water.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“He let out a breath, watched me closely, and finally, opened his arms and hugged me. I closed my eyes and hugged him back. Was losing a loved one what it took for two people who loved each other to find themselves back to each other? I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t remember the last time we’d hugged.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“Sensation seared through my veins as we found our pace. I felt like a furnace from the inside, hot with each lick of the wildfire that seemed to consume me. He whispered my name, a vow, a pledge. I moaned out his with pleasure as I went over the edge and looked into his eyes as he bit his lip and spiraled down with me.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“For a moment, I feared I’d pass out from it—the hand, the way he was fucking me as if he never wanted to come up for air, the way his eyes stayed steady on mine as if he didn’t care whether he did or not.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“So what, Sprite?” She laughed lightly. “Why do you insist on calling me that? My ears are not that pointy.” “Because you weave some serious magic.” I put my other arm around her, letting my beer hang a little as I walked her deeper into the trees, pushing her against a bark. “The kind that makes a guy forget his name.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“I’ll agree with you if you want me to, but you don’t do well with change, babe.” “Don’t call me ‘babe.’ I’m not a pig.” I crossed my arms, pursing my lips.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“I held her tighter. She brought her arms around me, and my heart rocked. If I died right there, in that moment, with her arms around me, I’d die happy. When was the last time I’d felt that sense of comfort? I thought about that for a moment, my mind flipping through memories and coming up short until I pulled up the last time we were together. That was the last time I felt this, and yet, I’d left. I’d broken it off and never looked back. Right then wasn’t the time for that either. It wasn’t the time to be selfish with her affection, but goddamn, I needed it like I needed my next breath.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“I realized someone was actually calling me. I glanced at the screen and saw a picture of Rowan that I’d taken six years ago. He looked so . . . different. I hesitated, my hand on the phone. “Answer his call, dear. Men like that don’t wait.” I hit the red button and sent the call to voice mail. I knew my worth. It wasn’t my fault that he hadn’t seen it.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“Besides, he’d have a new love in his life soon: Hawthorne Industries. Making money was his first love. Any woman he settled down with would always be his mistress. Women like Camryn were okay with that because it was what they saw growing up. She’d doll up and accompany him to galas and be perfectly content spending her day at the spa and the mall on his dime.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“This was what people spent their lives searching for. This scary, upside down feeling that made them feel as if they were on the brink, between their first and last breath. I’d always held on to the notion that I’d rather be alone than sparkless, but since I’d tasted the sparks, I had been afraid they’d be strong enough to make me implode.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“I want to change for you. Only for you. And I know it’s only a matter of time before I leave for college, but you’re going to graduate early. Maybe you can come to Columbia. Maybe we can take this change with us?”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“He waved the ripped-out page. “Sure you don’t want to keep this one?” “Positive.” Once I ripped something out, I never took it back. But I hadn’t ripped him out of my life, had I?”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“Why do you keep doing that to yourself? Why do you keep flapping those incredible wings of yours like they’ve been clipped? Why won’t you let yourself soar?”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“The word alone made him so, which set off a slow-building and unwanted mix of sadness and anger inside me. The way he was raised did that to him, I got that, but what made me angry was that he hadn’t snapped out of it. Sam was the same. They were both ridiculously good-looking men who had both money and power but didn’t have a fucking clue how to accept something so many were willing to give so freely.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“Talent like this doesn’t go unnoticed.” “Talent goes unnoticed all the time. People walk right by it at subway stations or hang it on their fridge and never give it a second glance.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“This is called a hongi,” I whispered. “It’s how they greet each other. You have to press your forehead against mine, your nose against mine, and breathe out.” “Why?” he whispered back. “To indicate that we’re all equal—one soul.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You

“His mouth crushed against mine so hard and fast that I was forced to bring my hands up to his biceps and hold on. I’d kissed Rowan thousands of times, but this kiss was unlike any other. This kiss made the air swoosh out of my lungs. His tongue swept into my mouth and demanded I bend to its will, stroking mine with a precision that made Leonardo da Vinci’s brush pale in comparison.”
― Claire Contreras, Then There Was You