How could I let a love go — one I’d been holding onto for so long — one that felt like home? It’s not easy to let go of the pieces, even though they’re the reason for my pain. I gripped them so hard that my blood fell like rain. But nothing, nothing could have prepared me for a new life with you — one I didn’t deserve, one I want to pursue.

— Rachel Van Dyken

How often do you think we write our own ending before the story is even finished? How often do we give up on ourselves when our lives are just starting? Things get hard and we immediately back away and assume that means we're going in the wrong direction, doing the wrong thing. If anything, when the waters get thick, that's our sign to keep going

— Rachel Van Dyken

I am not your sexless friend. I’m not your damn brother. Furthermore, I’m not your gay friend. And I sure as hell not am not thinking about anything right now except that your hands feel perfect against my skin. So I’m going to kiss you, and you’re going to respond like the idea of my mouth on yours doesn’t make you want to cry – and you’ll like it

— Rachel Van Dyken

I could never hate you as much as I love you.

— Rachel Van Dyken

If beauty is pain — let me get lost in it. If you’re my salvation — I want to earn it. If love is all I have to give — then let me give it. You. It’s all for you.” Gabe’s eyes opened and locked in on mine. “How can I prove that what I feel is real? You ask for truth I give you lies. You ask for joy I make you cry. But I don’t want to lose you. Not like this. Not when I’ve left your heart in such a mess. Give me one chance — I’m letting go of the past — but I need you here to know.” “If beauty is pain — let me get lost in it. If you’re my salvation — I want to earn it. If love is all I have to give — then let me give it. You, it’s all for you.” He paused, hitting the last few notes, and the song ended. Gabe’s smile lit up the room. But I was frozen in place. Me. He’d sung that to me.

— Rachel Van Dyken

If God meant to us to carry baggage around, he would have made our skin have little pouches like kangaroos. Or maybe he would have just made it so that each one of us were born with huge-ass shoulders to carry the load. Clearly, we weren’t made to carry the weight of the world, kinda makes you wonder why we do it anyway, huh?

— Rachel Van Dyken

If I could take away his pain… If there was a way to transfer it from his soul onto mine. I would take it. Without hesitation, I would take it all. Maybe that’s how you know you love someone. When you actually feel each tear they cry as if they were your own. When you feel each cut, each bruise, each hit as if you’re the one suffering. I bled for him.& in turn, he bled for her. Funny, how life comes full circle

— Rachel Van Dyken

If life was perfect, how in the hell would v ever learn to depend on someone other DN ourselves? If anything, dt’s was life’s taught me. D need to b perfect is stemmed in d very belief DT it’s actually something v CN achieve. Self-actualization —doesn’t exist.”“Does DT mean v don’t try then?” “No.” “It just means we u reach end of your rope, u shin’t regret a damn thing, bt applaud ourself for trying impossible

— Rachel Van Dyken

I hurt all the damn time because my stupid heart has decided for one reason or another that it can't survive without being next to yours. -Chase

— Rachel Van Dyken

I love you. If you remember nothing else for the rest of your life, if you fall and hit your head and can’t remember my name, if you get so sick you’re unrecognizable, if you hate me, if you’re on your deathbed and can’t manage to even lift a finger — remember this. I. Love. You. Always. Forever. Eternally. Is that kind of love something you can handle, Taylor?

— Rachel Van Dyken