“
Shane dragged Eve's suitcase into the room and dumped it on the floor beside her bed. “Hey, Dark Princess? Here’s your crap. Also, bite me.
”
”
Rachel Caine (Kiss of Death (The Morganville Vampires, #8))
“
We are sometimes dragged into a pit of unhappiness by someone else’s opinion that we do not look happy.
”
”
Mokokoma Mokhonoana
“
You don’t have any friends, your sister dumped you, you’re a freak eater..and you’ve got some weird thing about Simon Snow."
"I object to every single thing you just said."
Reagan chewed. And frowned. She was wearing dark red lipstick.
"I have lots of friends," Cath said.
"I never see them."
"I just got here. Most of my friends went to other schools. Or they’re online."
"Internet friends don’t count."
"Why not?"
Reagan shrugged disdainfully.
"And I don’t have a weird thing with Simon Snow," Cath said. "I’m just really active in the fandom."
"What the fuck is ‘the fandom’?
”
”
Rainbow Rowell (Fangirl)
“
she'd figured out how to steer Silveny by teaching her simple commands like left and right and if you dump me into another pile of sparkly manure, I will clobber you.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #2))
“
Whoa. Not too stiff," Cody said. "Secure, strong, but calm. Like you're caressing a beautiful woman, remember?"
That made me think of Megan.
I lost control, and a green wave of smoky energy burst from my hand and flew out in front of me. It missed the pipe completely, but vaporized the metal leg of the chair it sat on. Dust showered down and the chair went lopsided, dumping the pipe to the floor with a clang.
"Sparks," Cody said. "Remind me to never let you caress me, lad.
”
”
Brandon Sanderson (Steelheart (The Reckoners, #1))
“
Colin : “Perhaps now is the time to tell you that I have a weakness for agreeable women.”
Sugar Beth : “Well, that sure does leave me out.”
Colin : “Exactly. With agreeable women, I’m unendingly considerate. Gallant even.”
Sugar Beth : “But with tarts like me, the gloves are off, is that it?”
Colin : “I wouldn’t exactly call you a tart. But then, I tend to be broad-minded.”
She suppressed the urge to dump her porridge in his lap.
”
”
Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Ain't She Sweet?)
“
We're very dismissive, as a culture, about heartbreak. We talk about it like it's funny, or silly, or cute. As if it can be cured by a pint of Haagen-Dazs and a set of flannel pajamas.
But of course, a breakup is a type of grief, it's the death of not just any relationship - but the most important one in your life,
There's nothing cute about it.
"Dumped" is also a word that falls short of its true meaning. It sounds so quick - like a moment in time. But getting dumped lasts forever. Because a person who loved you decided not to love you anymore.
Does that ever really go away?
”
”
Katherine Center (The Bodyguard)
“
Each one you take is a commitment. If you break that commitment, the gods of alcohol will punish you with a hangover so bad you'll think Satan himself took a dump on you. -Milo
”
”
Cora Carmack (Faking It (Losing It, #2))
“
I’ve been thinking about that proof I spoke of last time – that you’re where you’re supposed to be. And it occurred to me, can you prove you’d be better off somewhere else? If you’d have left the state, your relationship would have ended still. Maybe you’d have even blamed yourself, not knowing that it was doomed because of him, either way. Instead, you’re here. You got dumped, skipped class, and met the best econ tutor at the university! Who knows, maybe I’ll make you fall in love with economics.
”
”
Tammara Webber (Easy (Contours of the Heart, #1))
“
Halfway home, the sky goes from dark gray to almost black and a loud thunder snap accompanies the first few raindrops that fall. Heavy, warm, big drops, they drench me in seconds, like an overturned bucket from the sky dumping just on my head. I reach my hands up and out, as if that can stop my getting wetter, and open my mouth, trying to swallow the downpour, till it finally hits me how funny it is, my trying to stop the rain.
This is so funny to me, I laugh and laugh, as loud and free as I want. Instead of hurrying to higher ground, I jump lower, down off the curb, splashing through the puddles, playing and laughing all the way home. In all my life till now, rain has meant staying inside and not being able to go out to play. But now for the first time I realize that rain doesn't have to be bad. And what's more, I understand, sadness doesn't have to be bad, either. Come to think of it, I figure you need sadness, just as you need the rain.
Thoughts and ideas pour through my awareness. It feels to me that happiness is almost scary, like how I imagine being drunk might feel - real silly and not caring what anybody else says. Plus, that happy feeling always leaves so fast, and you know it's going to go before it even does. Sadness lasts longer, making it more familiar, and more comfortable. But maybe, I wonder, there's a way to find some happiness in the sadness. After all, it's like the rain, something you can't avoid. And so, it seems to me, if you're caught in it, you might as well try to make the best of it.
Getting caught in the warm, wet deluge that particular day in that terrible summer full of wars and fires that made no sense was a wonderful thing to have happen. It taught me to understand rain, not to dread it. There were going to be days, I knew, when it would pour without warning, days when I'd find myself without an umbrella. But my understanding would act as my all-purpose slicker and rubber boots. It was preparing me for stormy weather, arming me with the knowledge that no matter how hard it seemed, it couldn't rain forever. At some point, I knew, it would come to an end.
”
”
Antwone Quenton Fisher (Finding Fish)
“
What would Golan Do? That way I can ask myself before I do anything. Before I take a dump. How would Dr. Golan want me to take this dump? Should I bank it off the side or go straight down the middle? What would be the most psychologically beneficial dump I could take?
”
”
Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #1))
“
You should really, like, dump her and date me instead,' May heard herself saying, all confidence. 'I'm not as irritating. I mean, I'm irritating, but I'm not as bad as she is. And you know me better. Wouldn't that be funny? I mean, we've already hooked up, so we're good.'
We broke up,' Pete said quickly. His voice was so bright that May could hear the smile coming through. For a moment she was confused.
Who, you and me?'
No. Nell and i.'
Oh . . .'
The meter in her brain clicked once or twice, signaling May that she'd probably said enough.
I have to go,' she said suddenly. 'Okay? I think that's great. Cool. Okay. Gotta go now. Hey, Pete, I love you!
”
”
Maureen Johnson (The Key to the Golden Firebird)
“
Move along,” Hines said. “Last room down.”
I spotted a fish tank halfway down the aisle. Dug into my pocket.
“Hi,” I whispered. “Distraction in five. Four. Three...”
I broke off as we neared the tank.
Hi spun. “Yo, warden. When do we eat around here? I'm hypoglycemic, plus I've got a hernia. And rabies simplex D. Basically, I need a ton of pills or my arms will fall off.”
“Boy, you're on my last nerve.”
As Hines glared at Hiram, I palmed the flash drive and dumped it into the fish tank. The yellow-and-black rectangle tumbled to the bottom.
So long, friend. Let's hope Shelton's email went through.
“It's a cultural thing,” Hi was saying. “I think you're being very insensitive.”
Hines snorted. “Do you want me to cuff you?”
“Kinda.”
“Hi.” I nodded.
”
”
Kathy Reichs (Exposure (Virals, #4))
“
This is about Ku’Sox, isn’t it,” I said, more of a statement than a question.
He made a sighing groan, and I knew it was. “Then you’ve met,” he said, his thoughts clearly on the day-walking demon. “Funny, you don’t look dead.” His hand touched my chin, shifting it so he could see where I’d been pixed, the blisters itchy and red. “I’m surprised you survived the little designer dump. I nearly didn’t.
”
”
Kim Harrison (Pale Demon (The Hollows, #9))
“
If I could do all of that on February 14th, it would be a personal best for me. Something to share with my crew for the glory and the laughs, or to cheer up the next buddy of mine to get dumped or cheated on.
From "My Worst Valentine's Day.Ever: A Short Story
”
”
Zack Love (Stories and Scripts: an Anthology)
“
yes, i have dated Salvador Dali guy when i was a high school girl. he was a great lover. but i had to dump him because he stole my inspiration of bent clock*~* .... who cares...
”
”
Hiroko Sakai
“
Werewolves protect their own. Vampires protect their own. Mages protect their own. Faeries are just bat-shit crazy and dump their kids on people’s doorsteps. It’s a funny old world.
”
”
Alexis Hall (Iron & Velvet (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator, #1))
“
It seems like I've only shut my eyes for a few minutes, but when I open them, I flinch at the sight of Haymitch sitting a couple of feet from my bed. Waiting. Possibly for several hours if the clck is right. I think about hollering for a witness, but I'm going to have to face him sooner or later.
Haymitch leans forward and dangles something on a thin white wire in front of my nose. It's hard to focus on, but I'm pretty sur what it is. He drops it in to the sheets. "That is your earpiece. I will give you exactly one more chance to wear it. If you remove it from your ear again, I'll have you fitted with this." He holds up some sort of metal headgear that I instantly name the head shackle. "It's alternative audio unit that locks around your skull and under your chin until it's opened with a key. And I'll have the only key. If for some reason you're clever enough to disable it" ---- Haymitch dumps the head shackle on the bed and whips out a tiny silver chip--- "I'll authorize them to surgically implant this transmitter into your ear so that I may speak to you twenty-four hours a day."
Haymitch in my head full-time. Horrifying. "I'll keep the earpiece in," I mutter
"Excuse me?" He says
"I'll keep the earpiece in!" I say loud enough to wake half the hospital.
"You sure? Because I'm equally happy with any of the three options," he tells me
"I'm sure," I say. I scrunch up the earpiece protectivley in my fist and fling the head shakle back in his face with my free hand, but he catches it easily. Probably was expecting me to throw it. "Anything else?"
Haymitch rises to go. "While I was waiting. . . I ate your lunch."
My eyes take in the empty stew bowl and tray on my bed table. "I'm going to report you," I mumble into my pillow.
"You do that sweetheart." He goes out, safe in the knowledge that I'm not the reporting kind.
”
”
Suzanne Collins (Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3))
“
The late nights binge-watching The X-Files on the couch they picked out together, the early mornings making toast while they’re still too tired to speak, the kids who will earn their first scars in the backyard and badly practice instruments at inconvenient times, and the way their favorite candle’s scent will gradually infuse the walls so that every time they come back from a trip, exhausted, and dump their bags inside the door, they’ll smell that they’re where they belong. All those moments throughout the days, weeks, months that don’t get marked on calendars with hand-drawn stars or little stickers. Those are the moments that make a life.
”
”
Emily Henry (Funny Story)
“
Yesterday is a pile of rubble. Today is a pile of opportunity. Life takes a new dump each morning
”
”
Ryan Lilly
“
The toll of the last three weeks has given him a slightly feral edge—a Labrador bitten by a werewolf and dumped back at the pound. Relatable, honestly.
”
”
Emily Henry (Funny Story)
“
Avery: "Yeah right, very funny, when are you going to shoot me and dump my body at captree? This is Getting old.
”
”
H.M. Ward (The Arrangement 14: The Ferro Family (The Arrangement, #14))
“
I think it should be done over, Buddy. …Please make peace with your wit. It's not going to go away, Buddy. To dump it on your own advice would be as bad and unnatural as dumping your adjectives and your adverbs because Prof. B. wants you to. What does he know about it? What do you really know about your own wit?
I've been sitting here tearing up notes to you. I keep starting to say things like 'This one is wonderfully constructed,' and 'The conversation between the two cops is terrific.' So I'm hedging. I'm not sure why. I started to get a little nervous right after you began to read. It sounded like the beginning of something your arch-enemy Bob B. calls a rattling good story. Don't you think he would call this a step in the right direction? Doesn't that worry you? Even what is funny about the woman on the back of the truck doesn't sound like something you think is funny. It sounds much more like something that you think is universally considered funny. I feel gypped. Does that make you mad? You can say our relatedness spoils my judgement. It worries me enough. But I'm also just a reader. Are you a writer or just a writer of rattling good stories. I mind getting a rattling good story from you.
”
”
J.D. Salinger (Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction)
“
I'm sorry I dumped my baggage in your lap.'
A corner of his mouth turned up. 'You can dump your baggage in my lap anytime, Quinlan.'
She snorted, shaking her head. 'You made it sound gross.'
'You said it first.
”
”
Sarah J. Maas (House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1))
“
I don't want to dump this on you."
"You're not dumping it on me," I promise.
"I'm used to keeping all of this separate. And nothing is, with you. You're my roommate and my best friend and the woman I just slept with.
”
”
Emily Henry (Funny Story)
“
One quick glance around the room and I realise that I have somehow stumbled into a wannabe serial killer convention. Every single person in the room looks as if they are concealing a weapon of some sort. My heart thuds rapidly in my chest as I sneak past an elderly man who grins lecherously at me, flashing his gold tooth.
Oh dear God, I’m going to die!
First, I get dumped – on my birthday no less – and now I’m going to get knifed in some seedy bar!
”
”
Joanne McClean (Blue Eyes and Sweet Peach Pie)
“
Caddy came home on Friday evening. Perfectly Harmless Patrick brought her in his battered old car...
"Crikey, Caddy!" said Indigo, and he disappeared upstairs to tell Rose.
Eve murmured, "Sweet," rather doubtfully.
Sarah said, not doubtfully at all, "Horrendous! The worst yet. Rock bottom."
"He had a very difficult childhood," said Caddy....
"Who didn't?" asked Saffron unsympathetically. "Gosh, he's ancient, Caddy! Look, he's going bald! All that long trailing stuff is just a disguise!"
"If I was going bald," said Sarah, "I would face the fact and have it all shaved off."
"Well, I thought Mummy would like him," said Caddy defensively. "...Anyway, I can always take him back."
"I think you're going to have to, Caddy darling," said Eve... "Hello, Rose darling! Come in and see what Caddy has brought home to show us!"
She escaped, and Rose, who had already heard the news from Indigo, glanced at Patrick and began laughing.
"See?" said Sarah. "Rose knows! Absolutely rock bottom! You cannot be serious, Caddy!"
"Oh, stop looking at him!" said Caddy, uncomfortably. "I'll find something to cover him up with in a minute!"
"How long are you leaving him there for?" asked Rose.
"Just until Sunday," said Caddy, trying to sound casual.
"Till Sunday!" repeated Saffron. "So is Micheal dumped?"
"Of course he isn't!" said Caddy indignantly. "I've never dumped anyone!"
"Start!" said Saffron. "Otherwise they just pile up, taking up the sofas...
”
”
Hilary McKay (Indigo's Star (Casson Family, #2))
“
See that stream over there?" I stretch an arm to point out the small branch coming off the lake. "It's fed off the mountain thaw. So is this lake. There's kind of a funny story to it. the stream runs all the way down into our neighbors property. Our neighbor, Mr Fitzgerald-he's gone now- didn't like it so close to their barn. For years, he'd try to stop it. My granddad would hep him. they'd dump gravel and dirt. One year, they built a dam. But every single spring, the water would find it's way onto the Fitzgerald property." I chuckle, remembering the two old men standing over the stream, scratching their beards in wonder. "finally they just gave up and let it be. Realized there was no stopping it. The water was going to go where it was meant to go." I feel a smile touch my lips. "My granddad used to tell us that story every spring, when we came out here after the thaw. Of course, it wasn't just a story to him. He turned it into a life lesson about telling the truth. I had a problem with lying when I was little," I admit, sheepishly. "He said the truth is like water: it doesn't matter how hard you try to bury it; it'll always find someway back to the surface. It's resilient.
”
”
K.A. Tucker (Burying Water (Burying Water, #1))
“
My mother was (still is) a timeless beauty—she’s also smart and funny—but when she was dating someone, I’d watch her turn werewolf-style from a competent, determined authority figure into this entirely not-her version of herself: a desperate, overly flirtatious, subservient ding-dong for shitty men who’d inevitably dump her and leave her in tears. And yes, this is harsh, but this type of personality-corrupting toxic masculinity bullshit didn’t spring up from within her out of nowhere. She was taught to do this, taught that acting sweet, deferential, and noncombative was her best chance at securing a man, aka happiness.
”
”
Karen Kilgariff (Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide)
“
I probably should say that this is what makes you a good traveler in my opinion, but deep down I really think this is just universal, incontrovertible truth. There is the right way to travel, and the wrong way. And if there is one philanthropic deed that can come from this book, maybe it will be that I teach a few more people how to do it right. So, in short, my list of what makes a good traveler, which I recommend you use when interviewing your next potential trip partner: 1. You are open. You say yes to whatever comes your way, whether it’s shots of a putrid-smelling yak-butter tea or an offer for an Albanian toe-licking. (How else are you going to get the volcano dust off?) You say yes because it is the only way to really experience another place, and let it change you. Which, in my opinion, is the mark of a great trip. 2. You venture to the places where the tourists aren’t, in addition to hitting the “must-sees.” If you are exclusively visiting places where busloads of Chinese are following a woman with a flag and a bullhorn, you’re not doing it. 3. You are easygoing about sleeping/eating/comfort issues. You don’t change rooms three times, you’ll take an overnight bus if you must, you can go without meat in India and without vegan soy gluten-free tempeh butter in Bolivia, and you can shut the hell up about it. 4. You are aware of your travel companions, and of not being contrary to their desires/needs/schedules more often than necessary. If you find that you want to do things differently than your companions, you happily tell them to go on without you in a way that does not sound like you’re saying, “This is a test.” 5. You can figure it out. How to read a map, how to order when you can’t read the menu, how to find a bathroom, or a train, or a castle. 6. You know what the trip is going to cost, and can afford it. If you can’t afford the trip, you don’t go. Conversely, if your travel companions can’t afford what you can afford, you are willing to slum it in the name of camaraderie. P.S.: Attractive single people almost exclusively stay at dumps. If you’re looking for them, don’t go posh. 7. You are aware of cultural differences, and go out of your way to blend. You don’t wear booty shorts to the Western Wall on Shabbat. You do hike your bathing suit up your booty on the beach in Brazil. Basically, just be aware to show the culturally correct amount of booty. 8. You behave yourself when dealing with local hotel clerks/train operators/tour guides etc. Whether it’s for selfish gain, helping the reputation of Americans traveling abroad, or simply the spreading of good vibes, you will make nice even when faced with cultural frustrations and repeated smug “not possible”s. This was an especially important trait for an American traveling during the George W. years, when the world collectively thought we were all either mentally disabled or bent on world destruction. (One anecdote from that dark time: in Greece, I came back to my table at a café to find that Emma had let a nearby [handsome] Greek stranger pick my camera up off our table. He had then stuck it down the front of his pants for a photo. After he snapped it, he handed the camera back to me and said, “Show that to George Bush.” Which was obviously extra funny because of the word bush.) 9. This last rule is the most important to me: you are able to go with the flow in a spontaneous, non-uptight way if you stumble into something amazing that will bump some plan off the day’s schedule. So you missed the freakin’ waterfall—you got invited to a Bahamian family’s post-Christening barbecue where you danced with three generations of locals in a backyard under flower-strewn balconies. You won. Shut the hell up about the waterfall. Sally
”
”
Kristin Newman (What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding)
“
Arnie pulls at my T-shirt. I shove his hand away. He pushes down the toilet handle and the bathroom fills with that flush sound. Tucker says, "You taking a dump?"
"No."
"Liar. I heard the flush. You were taking a dump."
"But I..."
"I just wish you'd admit it. We got to be honest with each other."
"But..."
"I heard the flush, Gilbert. You can't fool Tucker Van Dyke.
”
”
Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape)
“
It wasn’t only the warning that kept us safe but our ability to keep that warning quiet. Like secret agents operating behind enemy lines, we couldn’t afford to get caught. And yet we risked it anyway. With voices hushed, we reached out to each other to offer our knowledge. We tried. Because we’d always wanted the best for each of our friends. We wanted her to dump that loser. We wanted her to stop worrying about losing five pounds. We wanted to tell her she looked great in that dress and that she should definitely buy it. We wanted her to crush the interview. We wanted her to text us when she got home. We wanted her to see what we saw: someone smart and brave and funny and worthy of love and success and peace. We wanted to kill whoever got in her way.
”
”
Chandler Baker (Whisper Network)
“
From then on, write up to this day, I fear that I walk funny, in other words, that I walk like a woman. When I find myself walking at my on pace, I almost immediately slow down. And I learnt what men do not do. They not wet their dry lips by running their tongues over them. They don't trot after their mothers into the kitchen. They don't use face powder. They don't sit on a motorbike behind a woman. They don't need mirrors in the rooms where they might change their clothes. On trips, they can go behind the tree. They don't even need an enclosed space to take a dump; they can do it in the open. They shouldn't be afraid of other people seeing their bodies. If there is only one bathroom they can bathe in the open. When caned in class, I do not cry. They do not buy tamarind rom the lady who sells it on the road and they certainly do not sit by her side and eat it.
”
”
Sachin Kundalkar (Cobalt Blue)
“
Caffeine. Lots of it. And still I looked as if I'd been dragged across most of Texas and then dumped (unhappily) in a pile of prickly pear. It's funny how Texas comes out in you when you're in Texas. Poor Opal was curious but determined not to ask what had happened after I'd gone to my room the night before.
"What are we looking for?" I asked. I'd probably asked that already, but forgot that I'd asked. That's what kind of day it was.
”
”
Connie Suttle (Blood Trouble (God Wars, #2))
“
From then on, right up to this day, I fear that I walk funny, in other words, that I walk like a woman. When I find myself walking at my own pace, I almost immediately slow down. And I learned what men do not do. They do not wet their dry lips by running their tongues over them. They don’t trot after their mothers into the kitchen. They don’t use face powder. They don’t sit on a motorbike behind a woman. They don’t need mirrors in the rooms where they might change their clothes. On trips, they can go behind a tree. They don’t even need an enclosed space to take a dump; they can do it in the open. They shouldn’t be afraid of other people seeing their bodies. If there’s only one bathroom, they can bathe in the open. When caned in class, they do not cry. They do not buy tamarind from the lady who sells it on the road and they certainly do not sit by her side and eat it.
”
”
Sachin Kundalkar (Cobalt Blue)
“
Again, this week as I walked on Broadway, in front of giant photographs of voluptuous supermodels at a Victoria Secret mega-store, who was rebuilding the sidewalks? With sweaty headbands, ripped-up jeans, and dust on their brown faces? Their muscled hands quivered as they worked the jack-hammers and lugged the concrete chunks into dump trucks. Two men from Guanajuato. Undocumented workers. They both shook my hand vigorously, as if they were relieved I wasn’t an INS officer.
I imagined how much money Victoria Secret was making off these poor bastards. I wondered why passersby didn’t see what was in front of their faces. We use these workers. We profit from them. In the shadows, they work to the bone, for pennies. And it’s so easy to blame them for everything and nothing simply because they are powerless, and dark-skinned,and speak with funny accents. Illegal is illegal. It is a phrase, shallow and cruel, that should prompt any decent American to burn with anger.
”
”
Sergio Troncoso (Crossing Borders: Personal Essays)
“
I thumped her on the back, picked her up and dropped her on top of her dungarees. “Put them pants on,” I said, “and be a man.” She did, but she cried quietly until I shook her and said gently, “Stop it now. I didn’t carry on like that when I was a little girl.” I got into my clothes and dumped her into the bow of the canoe and shoved off.
All the way back to the cabin I forced her to play one of our pet games. I would say something—anything—and she would try to say something that rhymed with it. Then it would be her turn. She had an extraordinary rhythmic sense, and an excellent ear.
I started off with “We’ll go home and eat our dinners.”
“An’ Lord have mercy on us sinners,” she cried. Then, “Let’s see you find a rhyme for ‘month’!”
“I bet I’ll do it … jutht thith onthe,” I replied. “I guess I did it then, by cracky.”
“Course you did, but then you’re wacky. Top that, mister funny-lookin’!”
I pretended I couldn’t, mainly because I couldn’t, and she soundly kicked my shin as a penance. By the time we reached the cabin she was her usual self, and I found myself envying the resilience of youth. And she earned my undying respect by saying nothing to Anjy about the afternoon’s events, even when Anjy looked us over and said, “Just look at you two filthy kids! What have you been doing—swimming in the bayou?”
“Daddy splashed me,” said Patty promptly.
“And you had to splash him back. Why did he splash you?”
“ ’Cause I spit mud through my teeth at him to make him mad,” said my outrageous child.
“Patty!”
“Mea culpa,” I said, hanging my head. “ ’Twas I who spit the mud.”
Anjy threw up her hands. “Heaven knows what sort of a woman Patty’s going to grow up to be,” she said, half angrily.
“A broad-minded and forgiving one like her lovely mother,” I said quickly.
“Nice work, bud,” said Patty.
Anjy laughed. “Outnumbered again. Come in and feed the face.
”
”
Theodore Sturgeon (The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon, Volume III: Killdozer!)
“
The late nights binge-watching The X-Files on the couch they picked out together, the early mornings making toast while they're still too tired to speak, the kids who will earn their first scars in the backyard and badly practice instruments at inconvenient times, and the way their favorite candle's scent will gradually infuse the walls so that every time they come back from a trip, exhausted, and dump their bags inside the door, they'll smell that they're where they belong.
All those moments throughout the days, weeks, months that don't get marked on calendars with hand-drawn stars or little stickers.
Those are the moments that make a life.
Not grand gestures, but mundane details that, over time, accumulate until you have a home, instead of a house.
The things that matter.
The things I can't stop longing for.
There's only one place that feeling exists for me, only one person with whom I belong.
”
”
Emily Henry (Funny Story)
“
What the hell is that?'
Cassian was grinning that next evening as he waved a hand toward the pile of pine boughs dumped on the ornate red rug in the centre of the foyer. 'Solstice decorations. Straight from the market.'
Snow clung to his broad shoulders and dark hair, and his tan cheeks were flushed with cold. 'You call that a decoration?
He smirked. 'A heap of pine in the middle of the floor is Night Court tradition.'
I crossed my arms. 'Funny.'
'I'm serious.' I glared, and he laughed. 'It's for the mantels, the banister, and whatever else, smartass. Want to help?' He shrugged off his heavy coat, revealing a black jacket and shirt beneath, and hung it in the hall closet. I remained where I was and tapped my foot.
'What?' he said, brows rising. It was rare to see Cassian in anything but his Illyrian leathers, but the clothes, while not as fine as anything Rhys or Mor usually favoured, suited him.
'Dumping a bunch of trees at my feet is really how you say hello these days? A little time in that Illyrian camp and you forget all your manners.'
Cassian was on me in a second, hoisting me off the ground to twirl me until I was going to be sick. I beat at his chest, cursing at him.
Cassian set me down at last. 'What did you get me for Solstice?'
I smacked his arm. 'A heaping pile of shut the hell up.' He laughed again, and I winked at him. 'Hot cocoa or wine?'
Cassian curved a wing around me, turning us toward the cellar door. 'How many good bottles does little Rhysie have left?
”
”
Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3))
“
It occurred to her that she had never thanked Arin for bringing her piano here. She found him in the library and meant to say what she had come to say, yet when she saw him studying a map near the fire, lit by an upward shower of sparks as one log fell on another, she remembered her promise precisely because of how she longed to forget it.
She blurted something that had nothing to do with anything. “Do you know how to make honeyed half-moons?”
“Do I…?” He lowered the map. “Kestrel, I hate to disappoint you, but I was never a cook.”
“You know how to make tea.”
He laughed. “You do realize that boiling water is within the capabilities of anybody?”
“Oh.” Kestrel moved to leave, feeling foolish. What had possessed her to ask such a ridiculous question anyway?
“I mean, yes,” Arin said. “Yes, I know how to make half-moons.”
“Really?”
“Ah…no. But we can try.”
They went into the kitchens. A glance from Arin cleared the room, and then it was only the two of them, dumping flour onto the wooden worktable, Arin palming a jar of honey out of a cabinet.
Kestrel cracked an egg into a bowl and knew why she had asked for this.
So that she could pretend that there had been no war, there were no sides, and that this was her life.
The half-moons came out as hard as rocks.
“Hmm.” Arin inspected one. “I could use these as weapons.”
She laughed before she could tell herself it wasn’t funny.
“Actually, they’re about the size of your weapon of choice,” he said. “Which reminds me that you’ve never said how you dueled at Needles against the city’s finest fighter and won.”
It would be a mistake to tell him. It would defy the simplest rule of warfare: to hide one’s strengths and weaknesses for as long as possible. Yet Kestrel told Arin the story of how she had beaten Irex.
Arin covered his face with one floured hand and peeked at her between his fingers. “You are terrifying. Gods help me if I cross you, Kestrel.”
“You already have,” she pointed out.
“But am I your enemy?” Arin crossed the space between them. Softly, he repeated, “Am I?
”
”
Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1))
“
Julian smiled back, his full lips pulled back over white teeth as he rolled the blanket back a little bit. “Is he really a heart breaker?”
“I’m the breakiest of heart breakers,” Leo interjected, his tone deadpan as he dumped a handful of greens into the pot on the stove.
Julian wrinkled his nose. “That’s not even a word,” He complained and fell into a sulky silence from his place on the bed.
”
”
Hazel Blackthorn (His Brother's Keeper (The Melody of the Gears 1))
“
I have to take a big Frosty dump.” “I love it when you talk sexy.
”
”
Sheba Karim (Mariam Sharma Hits the Road)
“
As far as you know, and that is not near enough, this is the only life given to you. So, do not screw it up. Do your bit, without harming others. That's godly enough. Just do not dump your shit, especially the religious kind, on others. Thank you.
”
”
Fakeer Ishavardas
“
Within minutes, they pulled up to the address on record for Henry Anderson. It would be generous to call the domicile a house—it was little more than a shack, the roof sagging, the windows boarded with cardboard. They could see muffled bits of the Cumberland River beyond the property. The likes of Anderson wouldn’t be accepted in a neighborhood that had expectation. Anderson wasn’t living large. The money he was pulling in from the pornography obviously went toward something else, Taylor speculated. Drugs, perhaps. The house looked like it could double as a meth lab. Baldwin had gotten quiet as they pulled up. She put the car into park and raised an eyebrow at him. “This place is a dump,” he said. “Surely a criminal mastermind isn’t living in this hell. What’s he doing with his money?” “Funny, you read my thoughts. Let’s go see.
”
”
J.T. Ellison (Judas Kiss (Taylor Jackson #3))
“
all the coffee beans are cage-free and organically raised according to an individualized Montessori education plan before getting dumped into the roaster.
”
”
J.L. Bryan (Lullaby (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #7))
“
be funny nor attempt to deal analytically with social ills.4 Even the original title (Gangway!) and the original setting (warring Catholics and Jews in a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story) held little promise for commercial or artistic success. In addition, the show would feature no stars, and the cast—consisting primarily of dancers—might be inexperienced kids pulled from the streets of New York (if the New York press was to be believed), not from dance rehearsal halls. The score, written by a classical music conductor, would be dissonant and fiendishly difficult to play and sing and would include—of all things—a fugue. The teenagers, whose dialogue was written by a middle-aged Jewish playwright, would speak in an invented street slang, uttering lines like “womb to tomb” and “cracko Jacko.” The backers’ meetings continually and repeatedly failed to attract investors for producer Cheryl Crawford, who finally dumped the project shortly before rehearsals were to begin. It is no surprise that no one thought this show would succeed.
”
”
Elizabeth A. Wells (West Side Story: Cultural Perspectives on an American Musical)
“
I acted like an asshole. Let me cook something for you to make up for it.'
Based on how much chilli powder you just dumped into that pan, I'm not sure I want to accept this particular apology.
”
”
Sarah J. Maas (House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1))
“
We’re very dismissive, as a culture, about heartbreak. We talk about it like it’s funny, or silly, or cute. As if it can be cured by a pint of Häagen-Dazs and a set of flannel pajamas. But of course, a breakup is a type of grief. It’s the death of not just any relationship—but the most important one in your life. There’s nothing cute about it. “Dumped” is also a word that falls short of its true meaning. It sounds so quick—like a moment in time. But getting dumped lasts forever. Because a person who loved you decided not to love you anymore. Does
”
”
Katherine Center (The Bodyguard)
“
I walked to the drawing room door and opened it, expecting to find Alan listening in. Instead I found Alan face down on the floor with Diana standing above him, her foot on the small of his back. “Trouble?” Diana shook her head. “He was unflattering. I corrected him.” “I only grabbed her behind. It was very friendly,” Alan pleaded. “Did I ask you to grab my bottom?” Diana asked. “A gentleman knows when a woman wants her bottom grabbed,” Alan said. Diana looked down at Alan with disgust. “Can I tear his arms off ?” “Later,” I said. “Alan, at what point in your life were you led to believe that grabbing the behind of any woman who has stated her desire to tear you apart was a good idea?” “I thought it would break the ice a little,” Alan explained. “You know, I grab her, she laughs, and I make a funny joke.” “And that works?” Diana asked. Alan remained quiet for a second. “There’s always a first time.” “You’re an idiot,” I told him and motioned for Diana to let him up. She did as I asked and then punched him in the jaw the second he was upright. The blow lifted him off his feet and dumped him some distance back, where he tried to get back to his feet and thought better of it. “Now I’m good,” Diana said with a smirk.
”
”
Steve McHugh (Lies Ripped Open (Hellequin Chronicles #5))
“
Morning, Vex. Forget something?”
She almost asked him what until she saw the way his gaze smoldered and caressed her almost naked body.
Oops. Had she jumped out of bed in only her panties?
Nudity wasn’t something that Meena usually noted or cared about.
Mother, on the other hand, was always yelling at her to put clothes on.
She and Leo had a lot in common.
“You should get dressed.”
“Why? I’m perfectly comfortable.” So comfortable she brought her shoulders back and made sure to give her boobs a little jiggle.
He noticed. He stared. Oh my.
Was it getting hot in here?
Funny how the heat in her body, though, didn’t stop her nipples from hardening as if struck by a cold breeze. Except, in this case, it was more of an ardent perusal.
Did Leo imagine his mouth latched onto a sensitive peak just like she was?
“While I am sure you are comfortable, if we’re to go out, then in order to avoid a possible arrest for indecent exposure, you might want to cover your assets.”
“We’re going out? Together?”
He nodded. “Where?”
“It’s a surprise.”
She clapped her hands and squealed, “Yay,” only to frown a second later.
Leo was acting awfully strange.
“Wait a second, this isn’t one of those things where you blindfold me and tell me you’ve got a great surprise, only to dump me on a twelve-hour train to Kansas, is it? Or a plane to Newfoundland, Canada?”
His lips twitched. “No. I promise we have a destination, and I am going with you.”
“And will I be back here tonight?”
“Perhaps. Unless you choose to sleep elsewhere.” Those enigmatic words weren’t his last. “Be downstairs and ready in twenty minutes, Vex. I really want you to come.”
Did he purr that last word? Was that even possible?
Could he tease her any harder? Please.
“How should I dress? Fancy, casual, slutty, or prim and proper?”
She eyed him in his khaki shorts and collared short-sleeved shirt. Casual with a hint of elegance. He looked ready for a day at a gentleman’s golf club. And she wanted to be his corrupting caddy, who ruined his shot and dragged him in the woods to show him her version of a tee off.
“Your clothes won’t matter. You won’t wear them for long.”
Good thing she was close to a wall. Her knees weakened to the point that she almost buckled to the floor.
Leaning against it, she wondered if he purposely teased her.
Did her serious Pookie even realize how his words could be taken?
He approached her until he stood right in front of her. Close enough she could have reached out and hugged him. She didn’t, but only because he drew her close.
His essence surrounded her. His hands splayed over the flesh of her lower back, branding her. She leaned into him, totally relying on him to hold her up on wobbly legs.
“What about breakfast?” she asked.
“I’ve got pastries and coffee in my truck. Lots of yummy treats with lickable icing.”
Staring at his mouth, she knew of only one treat she wanted to lick.
Alas, she didn’t get a chance.
With a slap on her ass, he walked off toward the condo door.
Leo. Slapped. My. Ass.
She gaped at his retreating broad back.
“Don’t make me wait. I’d hate to start without you.”
With a wink— yes, a real freaking wink— Leo shut the door behind him.
He was waiting for her.
Why the hell was she standing there?
She sprinted for the shower.
”
”
Eve Langlais (When an Omega Snaps (A Lion's Pride, #3))
“
If you don’t mind me saying so, you look kind of fragile for that kind of work.” She laughed and her whole face brightened. “Is that so? Well, this fragile girl has cleaned up a lot of dumps and lifted more than her share of heavy stuff, Your Reverence.” He cleared his throat. “It’s Noah. Please. I’m not the pope.” “I know that,” she scoffed. “I was being funny.” “Ah. And so you were,” he admitted.
”
”
Robyn Carr (Forbidden Falls)
“
Here.” He spread his legs wider and patted the floor between them. “You’ll be warmer, and I promise I won’t grope you or anything.”
Yes, because getting groped by a handsome, charming man hours after getting dumped by a workaholic iceberg was such a repulsive notion.
”
”
Meg Maguire (Thank You for Riding)
“
Graham went to the gym to work out, as he does almost every day. There's a pile of unfolded clothes on the couch beside me and a bag of cheese puffs in my lap. I love it when he goes to the gym, if only because I can be the massive sloth I naturally am in peace. If he were here, he'd be eyeing up my laundry and staring at the edible garbage in my lap and on my fingers, internally freaking out over the possibility of powdery cheese getting on the furniture.
One hand in the bag, one hand wrapped around the stem of my wine glass—this is my idea of perfection. 'Girls Chase Boys' by Ingrid Michaelson is presently keeping me company from the stereo system. When my phone rings from where it resides on the back of the couch, I jump and send the bag flying. Orange confetti falls to the floor and I swallow, knowing I am so dead if Graham walks in the door right now.
“What?” is my less than friendly greeting.
“What'd you do?”
How does he know me so well? I guess because he made me. “I just let off a bomb of cheese puffs. Although, technically, I'm blaming it on you since it was your phone call that scared me into dumping the bag over.”
“Your mother is knitting again.”
Eyes glued to the orange blobs on the pale carpet, I reply, “Oh? I'm sure it's marvelous, whatever it is.” Are they seeping into the carpet as I watch, even now becoming an irremovable part of it? Graham is going to majorly freak out over this.
“Looks like a yellow condom.”
I choke on nothing. “I have to go, Dad.”
He grunts a goodbye. I fling the phone away and dive to my knees, hurriedly scooping up the abused deliciousness into my hands. Of course this is when Graham decides to come home—when my ass is in the air facing the door and I look like I'm eating processed food off the floor. I groan and let my head fall forward, smashing a cheese puff with my forehead. He doesn't say anything for a really, really long time, and I refuse to move or look at him, so it gets sort of awkward.
“Never thought I'd come home to this scene. Ever.”
Just to rile him up, I shove a cheese puff in my mouth and chomp away.
“I can't believe you just ate that!”
I get to my feet as I pop another into my mouth. “Mmm.”
Graham's face is twisted with horror, his backpack dropping to the floor. Sweat clings to him in a delicious way, his hair damp with it. “Do you know how dirty the carpet is?”
“You clean it almost every day. It can't be that dirty.”
“I don't get everything out of it!” he exclaims, slapping the remaining puffs from my hands. “Go brush your teeth. No. Wait. Induce vomiting. Immediately.”
I look at him and laugh. “You're crazy.”
“Just...go drink water or something. I'll clean this up.”
“I am perfectly capable of cleaning up my own messes.”
He just looks at me.
“Okay, so not as well as you, but still.”
He remains mute.
“Fine.” I toss my hands in the air and carefully walk over the splotches of orange beneath me. As I leave the living room, I pause by a framed photograph of a lemon tree, sliding it off-center on the wall.
“I saw that,” he calls after me.
“Just giving you something to do!” I smirk as I saunter into the bathroom.
“I'll give you something to do.”
I cock my head at that, wondering if that was meant to be sexual or not. I'm thinking not. I flip the light switch up in the bathroom and scream. Even with the distance between us, I can hear him laughing. The mirror is covered in what looks like blood, spelling out R – E – D. I put my face close to it and sniff. Ketchup. What a waste of a good condiment.
“Not funny!”
“So funny!
”
”
Lindy Zart (Roomies)
“
Nahum bobbed again. 'My crest is cropped by croaking cranes. I go to drown in doleful dumps, dead-drunk with drearihead.
”
”
John Bellairs (The Face In The Frost)
“
She once dumped a guy because he thought Mamma Mia 2 was better than the original,” he tells me.
”
”
Emily Henry (Funny Story)
“
Oh?” I look over at him. “You share them? That’s nice.” “She once dumped a guy because he thought Mamma Mia 2 was better than the original,” he tells me. “Wow, a die-hard fan,” I say.
”
”
Emily Henry (Funny Story)
“
That’s just our attachment issues,” he tells me. “Oh?” I look over at him. “You share them? That’s nice.” “She once dumped a guy because he thought Mamma Mia 2 was better than the original,” he tells me. “Wow, a die-hard fan,” I say. “She hasn’t seen either movie,” he says. “She just thought having such a staunch opinion about it was a red flag.
”
”
Emily Henry (Funny Story)
“
but only after our own respective prides slowly melted away, like a lion family ice sculpture being left near those restaurant heaters that a maître d’ was going to have to blame a waiter for so she could keep her job and he could lose his as payback for him dumping her for the ice sculptor.
”
”
J.S. Mason (The Satyrist...And Other Scintillating Treats)
“
“Do you think I should go for a drive with her?” she asks, looking at the door. “Like, is she crazy?”
“I don’t know.” I run my hands through my hair. “I didn’t even know she felt this way...”
She walks over to the car and buckles her in with ease, then she climbs in the truck and lowers the window. “Will you text me a code?” I look at her, confused. “To tell me you’re still alive and she didn’t kill a rabbit or something.”
Fuck, she’s stunning and funny, and all I want to do is sit with her and talk. I want to know what she’s done for the past ten days. Did she go out on a date? I mean, not that I have a say in it, but did she? “I’ll call you the minute she leaves.”
“We should have a code word,” she says, and I think she’s joking, but from her face, I know she isn’t. “What color is the brown bear?” She looks at me. “The answer is.”
“Brown,” I answer her.
“No!” she shrieks out. “The color is purple. That will be a trick.”
“Good God,” I mumble.
“I saw it on a Dateline episode.” I have so many questions now. “So when you call, if you don’t say purple, I’m calling in the SWAT team.”
“We are going to have so much to talk about when you come back,” I say, shaking my head. “So much.”
“Whatever.” She rolls her eyes. “You’ll thank me if you are being held against your will.” She closes the window, and I watch her drive away and then brace myself for what I’m walking into...
I dump the pan in the sink and then go to my phone and dial Candace, who answers right away.
“Hey.” I sit on the couch.
“I just paid for the food, and I’m walking out. What color is the brown bear?” she asks, and I can tell that she is rushing to the car.
I want to laugh, but I know that if it were me, I’d be worried, too. “Purple.”
“I’m not going to lie,” she says, now quietly. “I almost called 911 anyway.
”
”
Natasha Madison (Only One Kiss (Only One, #1))
“
We’re very dismissive, as a culture, about heartbreak. We talk about it like it’s funny, or silly, or cute. As if it can be cured by a pint of Häagen-Dazs and a set of flannel pajamas. But of course, a breakup is a type of grief. It’s the death of not just any relationship—but the most important one in your life. There’s nothing cute about it. “Dumped” is also a word that falls short of its true meaning. It sounds so quick—like a moment in time. But getting dumped lasts forever. Because a person who loved you decided not to love you anymore.
”
”
Katherine Center (The Bodyguard)
“
Our commander is just through this door.” The leader said.
I shuddered, and braced myself for who might come through that door. My mind was filled of images of General Lovok. Even though he was long dead, maybe one of his descendants had taken control. No doubt any leader or high ranking official of the Court would be just as battle-hardened and cruel. Chills ran up and down my arms. The Faerie opened the door, and inside was a shocked looking Faerie who was minding his own business, his butt plopped onto the toilet as he was taking a dump.
I shrieked and covered my eyes as fast as I could. The lead Faerie slammed the door right away.
“Sorry. Wrong room.” The Faerie muttered.
”
”
Tiana Richter (The Hidden Protector)
“
A plate of food appeared, dumped unceremoniously onto the place mat. Even the House hated her.
Nesta scowled at the red-stoned room. 'Wine.'
None appeared. She lifted the glass before her. 'Wine.'
Nothing. She tapped her nails on the table's smooth surface. 'Were you told to not give me wine?'
Talking to a house: a new low.
But as if in answer, the glass filled with water.
Nesta snarled toward the open archway at her back. 'Funny.'
...
Nesta stood and aimed for the doorway. 'Keep your wine. I'll get my own.
”
”
Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4))
“
I scratched my head at the heavy, wicked-looking mace that Rhys had somehow dumped beside the desk without me noticing.
I didn't even want to know. Though I had no doubt Cassian was somehow behind it.
”
”
Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5))
“
Fine, Raven, sell yourself to the highest bidder like some whore. Try to find yourself a rich husband. He’ll use you and dump you, that’s what men like Dubrinsky do! The two of you deserve one another. And don’t come crying to me when he leaves you pregnant and alone.” Jacob shouted. He spat out a few additional ugly words and stomped away.
Raven let out her breath slowly, thankfully. See--she forced laughter into her thoughts--I took care of the problem all by my little feminine self. Amazing, isn’t it?”
From the other side of a grove of trees, out of her sight, Jacob suddenly screamed in terror, the sound fading to a thin wail. The roar of an enraged bear mingled with Jacob’s second scream. Something heavy crashed through the underbrush in the opposite direction of Raven.
She felt Mikhail’s laughter, low, amused, very male. Very funny, Mikhail. Jacob was broadcasting fear, but not pain. You have a questionable sense of humor.
”
”
Christine Feehan (Dark Prince (Dark, #1))
“
• He stopped, blocked by the difficulty of holding himself to honesty and finding the way language fails, sometimes, to get honesty right.”
“His mouth was tight, eyes wide: flooded with something hot and rich and hurt.”
“He’d felt this new thing, giddy and bright. It spun inside him, soft and warm and summery.”
“That door was locked.” “I gave her the keys.” Roshar exploded.
“Fear,” he said, “of what it would mean for me not to trust you. I saddled a horse. I was ready to ride… but I thought that if I did, I’d be nothing more than a different kind of prison to you.”
“Never say so. I am the soul of thoughtfulness.”
“I’ve been thinking.” “Dear gods.”
“He wondered if some part of him was drawn to lies. What was it that made him so easy to deceive?”
“Spears of sun pierced through the trees. Her damp braid bounced between her shoulder blades.”
“Dear ghost, he will tie you and me up and dump us both into a very deep hole before he allows you to do what you plan to do.”
“She paused—had she heard the sore thump of his heart?”
“Yet he understood that there are some things you feel and others that you choose to feel, and that the choice doesn’t make the feeling less valid.
”
”
Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy, #3))
“
I know something’s not right with you. You work for me, so you belong to me. I protect those who are mine.” His face was only inches from hers and her heart did a funny jerk.
“I don’t even know where to start with that.”
“Talk to me.” His voice was low and smooth, like melted chocolate.
“I’m not dumping my personal problems on you.” “Others do.” Yes, she noticed way too many popped by to share their problems, which he could solve with a check. “Well, I’m not others, and you need to learn you can’t control everything.
”
”
Anna Hackett (The Specialist (Norcross Security, #3))