Holly Riordan

“He would be barking at nothing in an empty hallway or he would get in the bathtub and refuse to leave. I think he saw ghosts.”

“Each victim had been shot in the head, thus leading police to determine that they had likely died before the fire was started.”

I’m tired of thinking about you every time a friend mentions her boyfriend, every time my mind drifts off during work, every time I see a kiss on a movie screen.

Cross off as many items as you can from the list. If you skip an item, you lose. If you tell anyone why you’re doing what you’re doing, you lose. If you’re unable to complete the entire list in under 24 hours, you lose.

When you don’t answer her texts, it shows her where your priorities lie. It tells her that you don’t care about her.

Someone who will pick you up from the floor every time you fail and remind you that you did your best, that you’re capable of anything you set your heart on, that you should never give up.

The more you explore your options, the more you miss what you used to have. You don’t want first dates and first kisses. You want boring nights on the couch in your pajamas, talking about what your wedding would be like.

Maybe I let you get away with so much, because I wanted to be with you that badly. I was willing to look past dozens of red flags, because I wanted you to stay in my life.

Date someone who doesn’t care if you double text. Triple text. Quadruple text. Someone who would love to hear from you fifty times per day, because you’re his favorite person in the world.

Aries: He’s going to start taking longer and longer to answer your texts — and then he is going to stop answering them completely.

She wants you to notice when she buys a new dress or does something different with her hair. She wants you to learn the best spots to kiss her and remember the names of her favorite songs. She wants you to be attentive.

You are strong enough to survive without him, even when you’re lonely, even when you’re drunk, even when you hear a joke that only he would understand and you’re dying to tell him all about it.

I feel like a shitty girlfriend every time I make an excuse about how I’m not really in the mood to go out tonight.

Pick something that makes you look forward to Mondays as much as the weekends.

He doesn’t care about who he hurts, as long as he ends up happy. As long as he gets his way. As long as he gets to have his fun with you.

I know the consequences. If I don’t go to class, I could fail the course. If I don’t brush my teeth, I could get a cavity. If I don’t text my friend back, I could lose them forever. But what does it matter? Right now, it doesn’t seem to matter at all.

She’s sick of always listening to her head over her heart. Of doing what will pay off in the long run instead of enjoying the moment. Of sticking to a predictable routine.

Your forever person will learn the brand of soap and shampoo you use, in case they ever have to pick it up from the store.