Quotes from Reason to Breathe

“I love that picture, he admitted softly. I think it's because I love the girl in that picture.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“Love helped me live life instead of just survive it.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“In the balance of love and loss, it was love that made me struggle to… Breathe.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“We were engaged in a very intricate dance of touching without touching, knowing without saying, and feeling without expressing. We were friends walking along a ledge, a very thin ledge - and I was too caught up in my heightened awareness of his existence to realize how close the ledge was to crumbling beneath my feet.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“Well let’s get you back to hell before the devil realizes you’re not home.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“My world was delicately balanced, but the scales never hung even. When something improved, something else had to crumble.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“And just because you didn’t admit it, you were stupid for each other from almost day one. So even though you’ve been dating for a couple of weeks, you’ve been each other’s person for a lot longer. - Sara”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“I knew there was going to be pain whether I did anything wrong or not – so maybe I should do something to actually deserve it.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“Now I was left holding the pieces of my heart, crushed by my own hands.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“I knew in that moment, I would never love anyone in my life the way I loved Evan Mathews.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“I survived by keeping my emotions in check – by maintaining my composure and tucking it all away. I managed to stay under the radar, skating through school without anyone truly remembering I was here. My teachers acknowledged my academic successes and my coaches depended upon my athletic abilities, but I wasn’t important enough to make a recognizable social contribution. I was easily forgettable. That’s what I counted on.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“I guess you just don't pay attention. I think you're too busy attempting to fade.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“I trusted you," Evan bellowed, as the distance grew between us. I stopped and turned back around. He walked towards me until we were only a foot apart. "I trusted you, and you couldn't trust me."
I stared back, watching the hurt reveal itself in his eyes. My heart ached in return.
"I unpacked for the first time ever - for you. I was honest with you about everything-even with the truth about how I felt about you. I've never been that honest before. I trusted you." His voice drifted into a whisper as he leaned closer to me. "Why couldn't you trust me?”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“It was more important for me to try, than to not have the chance at all.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“He leaned toward me and delicately grazed my lips with his. The tease left me breathless, burning for more.
“I keep having to remind myself that I can do that,” he smirked.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“These past two days, I’ve seen a fire in your eyes that I never have before. Granted, it’s mostly anger and frustration, but it’s still emotion.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“It's beautiful," I breathed, admiring the powerful emotion and truth frozen in the single shot.
"I love that picture," he admitted softly. "I think it's because I love the girl in that picture.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“What was that about? His mother is practically gushing over you. Not to mention that he’s holding your hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Forget about dating - are you having a wedding you forgot to invite me to?”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“In the balance of love and loss, it was love that made me struggle to… Breathe.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“Not being liked was so much worse than being invisible.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“What if I don't want to be friends with you?" he challenged, grinning again, staring directly into my eyes. Obviously taking me seriously was an impossibility for Evan.
Despite not being able to breathe, I connected with his taunting gaze and refused to look away. "Then we won't be friends," I said flatly.
"What if I want to be more than friends?”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“There are so many other people in this school-you don't have to know me."
"But I want to," he replied with a grin.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“I don't know how to fit you in my world without hurting you too." The truth in my words revealed more than he'd ever know.
"Don't worry about hurting me," he replied calmly. "I like being a part of your world, and I understand that it's more complicated than you're willing to share with me. But I'll respect that, for now."
He pulled into the parking lot of a drugstore and put the car in park. Evan seemed nervous as he turned to speak to ne. He released a quick breath before he spoke. My chest tightened, afraid to hear what he had to say."
"I don't do this." His hands gestured between us. My eyes narrowed, trying to inerpret his meaning. He exhaled and looked out the windshield. "I don't stay, and I'm used to that. And I'm always prepared to leave-because I have to eventually.
He stopped again, frustrated with himself. I sat motionless, absolutely convinced I didn't want him to continue - but I couldn't bring myself to ask him to stop.
"I want to stay here," he finally decalred. "It would bother me if I left. I mean, I've already unpacked.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“I pushed him away. So he left.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“Was it better to get as much out of the moment as possible, knowing it could slip out from under you in a second? Was the actual experience better than the inevitable conclusion?”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“He was a breath of fresh air after the heart wrenching storm that had engulfed me.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“Are you worried you'd miss me if I left?”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“He didn’t need to touch me. His attention alone, recognizing my existence, send a flurry of sparks through my body.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“I couldn't believe I let him see me like this, unable to fend for myself. I fumed in disgust at my vulnerability. I didn't want Evan to think I needed protecting. I pulled back my torment and let the numb blanket envelop me, pushing away the stirred memories, the noise of the crowd, and the trembling that still lay beneath the surface. I stared at the flames licking at the darkness and everything was lost as I sank deeper into nothingness.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

“Knowing you were right down the hall was way too hard. I couldn’t do it,” Evan declared, sliding under the covers next to me.”
― Rebecca Donovan, quote from Reason to Breathe

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“When my nephew passed beyond, Wilhelm comforted himself that a child in his innocence would be delivered speedily to heaven, and there be given an honored place. “In this small, simple throne,” Wilhelm said, and I said, “With secret compartments for his bird’s nests and smooth stones.” Wilhelm believed this. He had to believe this. I, too, repeated this conception to myself again and again, trying harder to harder to believe it. But a Creator who takes a child so small, so kind, so tender? What can be made of that? The tales we collected are not merciful. Villains are boiled in snake-filled oil, wicked Steifmutter-stepmothers-are made to dance into death in molten-hot shoes, and on and on. The tales are full of terrible punishments, yes, but they follow just cause. Goodness is rewarded; evil is not. The generous simpleton finds more happiness and coin than the greedy king. So why not mercy and justice to sweet youth from an omnipotent and benevolent Creator? There are only three answers. He is not omnipotent, or he is not benevolent, or-the dreariest possibility of all-he is inattentive. What if that was what happened to my nephew? That God’s gaze had merely strayed elsewhere?”
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