“I can’t let you break my heart. I don’t have much of it left.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“I roll my eyes. 'Are you trying to find some sort of reason that I've become such an asshole? The reason is... I'm an asshole. There are some things in life that can't be explained. Period. Assholes are assholes. Rainbows are pretty. Kittens are cute. Chic flicks are sad. It's the way of things, no explanations.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“She’s like a breath of fresh air.
I may be the Big Bad Wolf, but even wolves need to breathe.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Love never fails, Mila. That's what your parents believed. And because of you, it's what I believe now, too. You stuck by me and loved me when I didn't deserve it. All I want is a chance to prove that I can be worthy of it. Your parents were sort of fucked up in their own way, like me, and they never got the help that they needed. But I will. I promise. I will put the work in. I will learn how to cope with painful things and I will never leave you again. Just tell me that you'll stay with me.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“She walked in beauty, She sleeps in peace.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Sometimes, at the least opportune times, the past is an insomniac, alive and well.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“You’ve seen me at my worst. Maybe you should see me at my best.”
My words hang between us, heavy and charged, and I don’t know what the fuck I am doing.
“When are you at your best?” she asks hesitantly. And I can see from the determined look on her face that she is trying hard not to feel intimidated. I’m impressed. She’s like a kitten standing up to a lion.
“In bed.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“I'll give you a reason," I tell her, my voice raw. "I promise. If you give me the chance, I will give you a reason to be with me.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Love never fails.
But then again, sometimes love has to put boxing gloves on and be tough in order to survive. Sometimes, you have to do the harder thing—the thing where you let someone grow on their own.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“I love you. I love how you are so sweet and innocent and kind to people, but you are such a vixen in the sack. I love how you look at me. I love your smile. I love everything about you.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Things are the way they are, but everything has a reason. Kittens are cute because they're tiny fur-balls with smushed faces. Rainbows are pretty because they have every color in the world in them and they're made from refracted light. Chick flicks are sad because chicks sometimes just need a good cry. And assholes are always assholes for a reason.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“It was never an option. Love never fails, Mila. And I'll never fail you again. That's a promise.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Life is just a mixture of good and bad, of varying shades of grays and whites and blacks.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Mila, I've said this before, but you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You are beautiful inside and out. I don't deserve to have met you. I don't deserve you in any way. But there's nothing I want more than to be with you. to wake up beside you for the rest of my life. I am so grateful that you stuck by me for as long as you did. And all I want to know now is what I can do to make you stick with me again? You name it and i'll do it. Anything.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Please," I tell her. "Please forgive me. I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I'm so sorry that I've been an asshole and that I shut you out. I didn't know how to handle things without being self-destructive. Self-destruction is all I've ever known. Deep down, it's what I felt like I deserved.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“I don't want to start over again," she says slowly. "I like what we had. I don't want to re-do it. I love you, Pax. But I don't know if I can handle it if you leave me like that again. You shut me out and i couldn't help you. That's not what people do when they love someone. You ripped my heart out and stomped on it.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“I don't think I'm ever going to let you off my lap," I tell her. "So I hope you're comfortable.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. And I love you.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Mila, that day, in your shop almost crushed me. When you said no to me, I didn't know if I would survive it, but I knew I had to. I knew that i had to change, for me and for you. And I think I have. I'm still working on it.... it's going to be a process. But I'm willing to put in the work. Forever, if that's what it takes. So... I'm going to ask you again, babe. Stay with me. Stay with me here in my house. It's only a five minute drive to your shop when it's open. And you can use the studio for your art. I promise to try not to snore. And to put the toilet seat sown. Most of the time, anyway. Just stay with me. Please. I never want to be away from you again.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Oh, Red. If you want to turn up the heat, you’ve got to be careful not to get burned by the fire.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Son, you were your mother's peace. You brought her so much peace and joy from the very first time she held you, that she knew she had to name you Pax. Your mother loved you more than anything in the world. She would have gladly given her life a hundred times over to keep you safe. Whatever you do, just live a good life for her. She had so many hopes for you. But when it boils down to it, all she would want is for you to be happy.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“She's the reason I came to your house, remember? She called me or I wouldn't have known that things were so bad. She loves you, Pax. And if there's anything that you should take away from this is that you need to live for today. Tomorrow is not promised to you.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Give me another chance," I ask urgently. "I will do anything that you want me to do if you just tell me that we can start again. I know I don't deserve it, but I'm asking anyway. I honestly don't know if I can breathe without you. Please. I love you, Mila. Please tell me we can work it out.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“It was nice to meet you, Mila. Thank you for saving my life.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“I love you," I tell him again. "I see that," he laughs, kissing me. "Simple words would have sufficed. You didn't need to knock me down with it." I giggle. "Shut up and kiss me.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“You're too good to me," she announces. "Not possible," I answer.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Sometimes we hurt those that we love the most”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“Of course. I don't want you to go through that alone. If something hurt you enough to make you want to forget it, I want to help you get through it. let's chase these dreams away, Pax.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
“A simple thank you for saving my life would suffice. I don't need for you to carry me off to your bed to show your gratitude.”
― Courtney Cole, quote from If You Stay
Courtney Cole
Born place: in The United States
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“And I felt closer to you. Because you knew me so much better than I'd realized - and still loved me.”
― Rosamund Lupton, quote from Sister
“Behind me, Ingrid made a sort of muffled snorting sound. I can only assume she was choking on a breath mint. I shot her a look, hoping she hadn't heard anything, and saw she was wearing a poker face, which could only mean she'd heard everything.”
― Daniel O'Malley, quote from The Rook
“Any explanation of war neurosis must account for the fact that this apparently intensely masculine life of war and danger and hardship produced in men the same disorders that women suffered from in peace. So”
― Pat Barker, quote from Regeneration
“The only way to end grief was to go through it.”
― Holly Black, quote from The Darkest Part of the Forest
“It's nonsense to believe people go on loving each other regardless of what happens.”
― Kazuo Ishiguro, quote from The Unconsoled
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