“
Question everything. Your love, your religion, your passion. If you don't have questions, you'll never find answers.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
There are three questions every woman should be able to answer yes to before they commit to a man. If you answer no to any of the three questions, run like hell."
[...]
"Does he treat you with respect at all times? That's the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes to all three, then you've found a good man.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Does he treat you with respect at all times? That's the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes to all three, then you've found a good man.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
I've never regretted it. Questioned it? Sure. But never regretted."
"Is there a difference?" I ask.
"Absolutely. Regret is counterproductive. It's looking back on a past that you can't change. Questioning things as they occur can prevent regret in the future. I questioned a lot about my relationship with your father. People make spontaneous decisions based off of their hearts all the time. There's so much more to relationships than just love.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Regret is counterproductive. It's looking back on a past that you can't change. Questioning things as they occur can prevent regret in the future.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
To my babies,
Merry Christmas. I'm sorry if these letters have caught you both by surprise. There is just so much more I have to say. I know you thought I was done giving advice, but I couldn't leave without reiterating a few things in writing. You may not relate to these things now, but someday you will. I wasn't able to be around forever, but I hope that my words can be.
-Don't stop making basagna. Basagna is good. Wait until a day when there is no bad news, and bake a damn basagna.
-Find a balance between head and heart. Hopefully you've found that Lake, and you can help Kel sort it out when he gets to that point.
-Push your boundaries, that's what they're there for.
-I'm stealing this snippet from your favorite band, Lake. "Always remember there is nothing worth sharing, like the love that let us share our name."
-Don't take life too seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it.
-And Laugh a lot. Never go a day without laughing at least once.
-Never judge others. You both know good and well how unexpected events can change who a person is. Always keep that in mind. You never know what someone else is experiencing within their own life.
-Question everything. Your love, your religion, your passions. If you don't have questions, you'll never find answers.
-Be accepting. Of everything. People's differences, their similarities, their choices, their personalities. Sometimes it takes a variety to make a good collection. The same goes for people.
-Choose your battles, but don't choose very many.
-Keep an open mind; it's the only way new things can get in.
-And last but not least, not the tiniest bit least. Never regret.
Thank you both for giving me the best years of my life.
Especially the last one.
Love,
Mom
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Me: Why don't you ever practice on your balcony like you used to? This question gets me immediate eye contact from him, but it doesn't last. His eyes flicker across my face, down my body, and finally back to his phone.
Ridge: Why would I? You're not out there anymore.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Maybe Someday (Maybe, #1))
“
If you don't want a sarcastic answer, don't ask a stupid question
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Ugly Love)
“
There are three questions every woman should be able to answer yes to before they commit to a man:
1. Does he treat you with respect at all times?
2. If he is the exact same person twenty years from now that
he is today, would you still want to marry him?
3. Does he inspire you to want to be a better person?
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
There are three questions every woman should be able to answer yes to before they commit to a man. If you answer no to any of this question, run like hell.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Hi," he says simply.
I laugh. "Hi."
He looks around the room nervously before his eyes fall back to mine. "Is that good enough?" he asks.
I cock my head, because I don't really understand his question. "Is what good enough?"
He grins. "I was hoping that was enough talk for tonight."
Oh.
I get his question now.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Maybe Someday (Maybe, #1))
“
Thank you for giving me the courage to always ask the questions, even when I don't want the answers.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Hopeless (Hopeless, #1))
“
After our next date, we’ll be spending most of our time making out, so we need to get all the questions out of the way now.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Hopeless (Hopeless, #1))
“
No matter which way I look at it, it’s clear that Verity was a master at manipulating the truth. The only question that remains is: Which truth was she manipulating?
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Verity)
“
And it's not what you just said that i am thanking you for, Holder. I need to thank you for everything. Thank you for giving me the courage to always ask the questions, even when I didn't want the answers. Thank you for loving me like you love me. Thank you for showing me that we don't always have to be strong to be there for each other-- that it's okay to be weak, so long as we're there. And thank you for finally finding me after all these years.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Hopeless (Hopeless, #1))
“
I’m convinced that people come across others in life whose souls are completely compatible with their own. Some refer to them as soul mates. Some refer to it as true love. Some people believe their souls are compatible with more than one person, and I’m beginning to understand how true that might be. I’ve known since the moment I met Maggie years ago that our souls were compatible, and they are. That’s not even a question. However, I also know that my soul is compatible with Sydney’s, but it’s also so much more than that. Our souls aren’t just compatible—they’re perfectly attuned. I
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Maybe Someday (Maybe, #1))
“
I got schooled this year.
By everyone.
By my little brother...
by The Avett Brothers...
by my mother, my best friend, my teacher, my father,
and
by
a
boy.
a boy that I'm seriously, deeply, madly, incredibly, and undeniably in love with...
I got so schooled this year.
By a nine-year-old.
He taught me that it's okay to live life
a little backwards.
And how to laugh
At what you would think
is un-laughable.
I got schooled this year
By a Band!
They taught me how to find that feeling of feeling again.
They taught me how to decide what to be
And go be it.
I got schooled this year.
By a cancer patient.
She taught me so much. She's still teaching me so much.
She taught me to question.
To never regret.
She taught me to push my boundaries,
Because that's what they're there for.
She told me to find a balance between head and heart
And then
she taught me how...
I got schooled this year
By a Foster Kid
She taught me to respect the hand that I was dealt.
And to be grateful I was even dealt a hand.
She taught me that family
Doesn't have to be blood.
Sometimes your family
are your friends.
I got schooled this year
By my teacher
He taught me
That the points are not the point,
The point is poetry...
I got schooled this year
By my father.
He taught me that hero's aren't always invincible
And that the magic
is within me..
I got schooled this year
by
a
Boy.
a boy that I'm seriously, deeply, madly, incredibly, and undeniably in love with.
And he taught me the most important thing of all...
To put the emphasis
On life.
”
”
Colleen Hoover
“
I don’t know when Owen began moving his hand away from the back of my head, but it’s slowly moving down my back, making my arms and legs feel so weak, I question their existence.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Confess)
“
No, she says the only way to get the facts is to ask the questions
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Point of Retreat (Slammed, #2))
“
—Question everything. Your love, your religion, your passions. If you don’t have questions, you’ll never find answers.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Dead fathers and exasperating roommates and questionable eulogies don’t feel so awful when the night sky is clear enough to literally feel the grandeur of the universe. I love it when the night sky makes me feel insignificant.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1))
“
Someone asked them a question about their poetry, and whether it was hard having to relive their words each time they performed. Their reply was that although they had moved beyond that--from the person or event that inspired their words at that point in time--it doesn't mean someone listening to them wasn't in that. So? So what if heartache you wrote last year isn't what you're feeling today. It may be exactly what the person in the front row is feeling. What you're feeling now, and the person you may reach with your words five years from now--that's why you write poetry.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Sydney: Can I ask you a question? Me: As long as you promise never again to start a question off with whether or not you can propose a question. Sydney: Okay, asshole. I know I shouldn't be thinking about him at all, but I'm curious. What did he wrote on that paper when we went to get my purse? And what did you write back that made hit you? Me: I agree that you shouldn't be thinking about him at all, but I'm honestly shocked it's taken you this long to ask me about it. Sydney: Well? Ugh. I hate writing it verbatim, but she wants to know, so... Me: He wrote "Are you fucking her?" Sydney: OMG! What a prick! Me: Yep. Sydney: So what did you say back to him that made him punch you? Me: I write, "Why do you think I'm here for her purse? I gave her a hundred for tonight, and now she owes me change." I reread the text, and I'm not so sure it sounds as funny as I thought it did.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Maybe Someday (Maybe, #1))
“
When I say you just know, it’s because you will. You won’t question it. You don’t wonder if what you feel is actually love, because when it is, you’ll be absolutely terrified that you’re in it. And when that happens, your priorities will change. You won’t think about yourself and your own happiness. You’ll only think about that person, and how you would do anything to see them happy. Even if it meant walking away from them and sacrificing your own happiness for theirs.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (November 9)
“
The only question that remains is: Which truth was she manipulating?
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Verity)
“
Sometimes I wonder if I even want all the answers to my questions.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Heart Bones)
“
You got a tattoo?” It’s the third time I’ve asked Holder the same question, but I just don’t believe it. It’s out of character for him. Especially since I’m not the one who encouraged it. “Jesus, Daniel,” he groans on the other end of the line. “Stop. And stop asking me why.” “It’s just a weird thing to tattoo on yourself. Hopeless. It’s a very depressing term. But still, I’m impressed.” “I gotta go. I’ll call you later this week.” I sigh into the phone. “God, this sucks, man. The only good thing about this entire school since you moved is fifth period.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Finding Cinderella (Hopeless, #2.5))
“
But then I met you, Lily. And even though I was nothing, when you looked at me, you somehow saw something. Something I couldn't see. You were the first person in my life to show an interest in who I was as a human. No one had ever asked me questions about myself the way you did. After those few months I spent getting to know you, I stopped feeling like I was nothing. You made me feel interesting and unique. Your friendship gave me worth.
Thank you for that. Even if this date leads nowhere and we never speak again, I will always be grateful to you for somehow seeing something in me that my own mother was blind to.
You're my favorite person, Lily. And now you know why.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us, #2))
“
Mom?” I say as I slip on my boots. “I know you were only eighteen when you met Dad. I mean, that’s really young to meet the person you spend the rest of your life with. Do you ever regret it?”
She doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, she lies back on my bed and clasps her hands behind her head, pondering my question.
“I’ve never regretted it. Questioned it? Sure. But never regretted."
"Is there a difference?” I ask.
“Absolutely. Regret is counterproductive. It’s looking back on a past that you can’t change. Questioning things as they occur can prevent regret in the future. I questioned a lot about my relationship with your father. People make spontaneous decisions based on of their hearts all the time. There’s so much more to relationships than just love.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Mommy said I shouldn’t talk to you if you ask me questions about her.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Verity)
“
I’m running with you,” he says, without question.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Hopeless (Hopeless, #1))
“
Did you go to college, Beyah?' He yells it across the parking lot, like it's the most important question in the world. More important than any other thought that might be going through his head.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Heart Bones)
“
This won’t go anywhere,” I tell her. “This thing with us. It won’t end well.”
“I know,” she whispers.
“How do we stop it?” I ask her.
She looks at me, hoping I’ll answer my own question. I can’t.
Silence.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Ugly Love)
“
Several things happened over the course of the next couple of days that left me questioning whether or not I was going crazy.” “What kind of things?” “Things that would have sent anyone else out the front door without a second thought.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Layla)
“
The moments that follow my shrug are probably why it’s taken him so long to ask the question in the first place. It’s the moment I feel his heart come to a halt, the moment he presses his lips into my hair and sighs a breath he’ll never get back, the moment he realizes he has both arms wrapped around me but he still isn’t holding me. He hasn’t been able to hold me for a while now. It’s hard to hold on to someone who has long since slipped away.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
If this is what our marriage is… if this is all it will ever be… just me and you… will that be enough? Am I enough for you, Quinn?” I’m confounded. Speechless. I stare at him in utter disbelief, unable to answer him. Not because I can’t. I know the answer to his question. I’ve always known the answer. But I stay silent because I’m not sure I should answer him. The silence that lingers between his question and my answer creates the biggest misunderstanding our marriage has ever seen. Graham’s jaw hardens. His eyes harden. Everything-even his heart-hardens. He looks away from me because my silence means something different to him than what it means to me.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
... at such a young age you believe that adults are all so honest and truthful, you never even think to question them.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Hopeless (Hopeless, #1))
“
Sometimes the most simplistic questions are the hardest to ask.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Hopeless (Hopeless, #1))
“
His anger is making me question my intentions. This all feels so grossly familiar.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us #2))
“
No matter which way I look at it, it's clear that Verity was a master at manipulating the truth. The only question that remains is: Which truth was she manipulating? (314)
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Verity)
“
Regret is counterproductive. It’s looking back on a past that you can’t change. Questioning things as they occur can prevent regret in the future.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
The way he’s reacting right now fills me with so many questions. Questions I know he won’t likely answer. He’s a vault and I really wish I had a key. Or some explosives.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Heart Bones)
“
You got a tattoo?” It’s the third time I’ve asked Holder the same question, but I just don’t believe it. It’s out of character
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Finding Cinderella (Hopeless, #2.5))
“
He's looking at me like I'm a beautiful mess, and I'm not going to allow myself to question that. Because I am. I'm a beautiful fucking mess and he's lucky to be on top of me right now.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (November 9)
“
When I say you just know, it’s because you will. You won’t question it. You don’t wonder if what you feel is actually love, because when it is, you’ll be absolutely terrified that you’re in it. And when that happens, your priorities will change. You won’t think about yourself and your own happiness. You’ll only think about that person, and how you would do anything to see them happy. Even if it meant walking away from them and sacrificing your own happiness for theirs.”
She gave me a sidelong glance. “That’s what love is, Ben. Love is sacrifice.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (November 9)
“
Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes about to all three, then you’ve found a good man.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
There are three questions every woman should be able to answer yes to before she commits to a man. If you answer no to any of the three questions, run like hell.”
“It’s just a date,” I laugh. “I doubt we’ll be doing any committing.”
“I know you’re not, Lake. I’m serious. If you can’t answer yes to these three questions, don’t even waste your time on a relationship.”
When I open my mouth, I feel like I’m just reinforcing the fact that I’m her child. I don’t interrupt her again.
“Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes about to all three, then you’ve found a good man.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
He’s wondering if I saw him wipe the remnants of her off his mouth. Off his neck. He’s wondering if I saw him adjust his tie. He’s wondering if I saw him press his head to the steering wheel in dread. Or regret. He doesn’t bring his eyes back to mine. Instead, he looks down. “What’s her name?” I somehow ask the question without it sounding spiteful. I ask it with the same tone I often use to ask him about his day. How was your day, dear? What’s your mistress’s name, dear? Despite my pleasant tone, Graham doesn’t answer me. He lifts his eyes until they meet mine, but he’s quiet in his denial. I feel my stomach turn like I might physically be sick. I’m shocked at how much his silence angers me. I’m shocked at how much more this hurts in reality than in my nightmares. I didn’t think it could get worse than the nightmares. I somehow stand up, still clenching my glass. I want to throw it. Not at him. I just need to throw it at something. I hate him with every part of my soul right now, but I don’t blame him enough to throw the glass at him. If I could throw it at myself, I would. But I can’t, so I throw it toward our wedding photo that hangs on the wall across the room. In repeat the words as my wineglass hits the picture, shattering, bleeding down the wall and all over the floor. “What’s her fucking name, Graham?!” My voice is no longer pleasant. Graham doesn’t even flinch. He doesn’t look at the wedding photo, he doesn’t look at the bleeding floor beneath it, he doesn’t look at the front door, he doesn’t look at his feet. He looks me right in the eye and he says, “Andrea.” As soon as her name has fallen from his lips completely, he looks away. He doesn’t want to witness what his brutal honesty does to me.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
Mom?" I say as I slip on my boots. "I know you were only eighteen when you met Dad. I mean, that's really young to meet the person you spend the rest of your life with. Do you ever regret it?"
She doesn't answer immediately. Instead, she lies back on my bed and clasps her hands behind her head, pondering my question.
"I've never regretted it. Questioned it? Sure. But never regretted."
"Is there a difference?" I ask.
"Absolutely. Regret is counterproductive. It's looking back on a past that you can't change. Questioning things as they occur can prevent regret in the future. I questioned a lot about my relationship with your father. People make spontaneous decisions based on their hearts all the time. There's so much more to relationships than just love.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Question everything. Your love, your religion, your passions. If you don’t have questions, you’ll never find answers.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Question everthing,
Your love,
your religion,
your passion,
If you don't have questions,
you'll never find answers.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Are you?” he asks skeptically. “Are you really fine?” I glance up at him. He can’t just leave things alone, can he? I drop my pencil on the table and turn to face him. He’s always pushing for more truth. Always wanting to know what the hell I’m thinking. If this is what he wants, we might as well get it over with. I take a deep breath and prepare to answer all the questions he’s ever asked, and even ones he hasn’t gotten around to asking yet. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m not great. I’m not terrible. I’m just fine. I’m fine because I have a roof over my head and a boyfriend who loves me, despite the fact that he makes bad choices. Do I wish he were a better person? Yes. If I had the means, would I leave him? Yes. Absolutely. Do I wish there wasn’t so much constantly going on at my house that I could actually find a quiet place to do homework, or heaven forbid, get some sleep? Hell yes. Do I wish I could graduate sooner and get out of this mess? Yes. Am I embarrassed by the way Asa treats me? Yes. Do I wish you weren’t a part of this? Yes. Do I wish you could be the guy I thought you were the first time I met you in class? Yes. Do I wish you could save me?” I let out a short, defeated sigh and look down at my hands. “So much, Carter,” I whisper. “I wish you could save me from all this shit so, so much. But you can’t. I’m not in this life for myself. If I were, I would have left a long time ago.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Too Late)
“
I’m massaging conditioner into her hair, asking her questions I normally wouldn’t ask a girl after a one-night stand. There’s just so much about her I want to know.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Layla)
“
I chew on my lip. It seems like a lot of questions are off-limits with him. I hate it because it makes me more curious. I don't come across people who hoard secrets like I do. Most people want a listener. Someone they can spill everything to. Samson doesn't want a listener. Neither do I. Which probably explains why conversations between us feel different than conversations I have with other people.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Heart Bones)
“
When he opens the front door, the sun is so bright, I start to question my own mortality and entertain the thought that maybe I became a vampire overnight.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Confess)
“
I was overwhelmed with questions, but Ledger kissed me and it ripped me in half, because I wanted to kiss him back, but even more than that I wanted to ask him questions about you.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Reminders of Him)
“
Oh, God, Ryle. What if she asks me questions about Jesus? I don’t go to church. I mean, I read the Bible when I was younger, but I don’t know answers to any Bible trivia questions.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1))
“
Based on all the scientific evidence that proves how insignificant we are, it was always hard for me to believe in God. The more appropriate question would have been, 'Could a God believe in me?'.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
I still have a million questions left when I start yawning. I fight it because talking to him is somehow more relaxing than sleep and I want to ask him questions all night.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
I like the sincerity in his question.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
I laugh. I laugh a lot while we talk. I don't know how long we lay in the same position talking, but I still have a million questions left when I start yawning. I fight it because talking to him is somehow even more relaxing than sleep and I want to ask him questions all night.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
I've never seen Graham more at peace than when he's out here, listening to the sounds of the ocean. I love how he looks out over the water as if it holds all the answers to every question in the world. He looks at the ocean with the respect it deserves.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
People don't think about the questions they ask others and they don't realize how many times someone has already been forced to answer their question.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
I have so many questions but I don't think I want to know the answers.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes about to all three, then you’ve found a good man.” I
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Graham never asks questions he doesn't need answers to. I've always liked that about him. He doesn't fill voids with unnecessary talk. He either has something to say or he doesn't. He either wants to know the answer to something or he doesn't.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
And even though I was nothing, when you looked at me, you somehow saw something. Something I couldn’t see. You were the first person in my life to show an interest in who I was as a human. No one had ever asked me questions about myself the way you did.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us #2))
“
Are you gonna live in your sadness or are you gonna die in it?” That question punched me in my stomach—the stomach that no longer contained my daughter. Ivy wasn’t giving me a pep-talk. In a lot of ways, it was the opposite. She wasn’t saying I would move past what I was feeling, or that things would get easier. She was telling me this was it—the misery I felt was my new normal. I could either learn to live with it or I could let it consume me. I swallowed and said, “I’m gonna live in it.” Ivy smiled and squeezed my arm. “There you go, Momma.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Reminders of Him)
“
Ask me some questions,” he says. “I probably won’t answer most of them, but I want to know what you want to know about me.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Heart Bones)
“
us. He made his choice that night in the laundry room when he let me go. He has his priorities, and right now I’m not one of them. She takes the box I was wrapping and returns it in front of her and starts wrapping it again. “That night I told you I had cancer, and you ran to Will’s house?” Her voice softens. She clears her throat, still avoiding my eyes. “I need to tell you what he said to me… at the door.” I remember the conversation she’s referring to, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. “When he answered the door I told him you needed to come home. That we needed to talk about it. He looked at me with heartache in his eyes. He said, ‘Let her stay, Julia. She needs me right now.’ “Lake, you broke my heart. It broke my heart that you needed him more than you needed me. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, I realized that you were grown up… that I wasn’t your whole life anymore. Will could see that. He saw how bad his words hurt me. When I turned away to walk back to the house, he followed me into the yard and hugged me. He told me he would never take you from me. He said he was going to let you go… let you focus on me and on the time I had left.” She places the wrapped gift on the bed. She scoots toward me and takes my hands in hers again. “Lake, he didn’t move on. He didn’t choose this new job over you… he chose us over you. He wanted you to have more time with me.” I take a deep breath as I absorb everything my mother just revealed. Is she right? Does he love me enough that he would be willing to let me go? “Mom?” My voice is weak. “What if you’re wrong?” “What if I’m not wrong, Lake? Question everything. What if he wants to choose you? You’ll never know if you don’t tell him how you feel. You’ve completely shut him out. You haven’t given him the chance to pick you.” She’s right, I haven’t. I’ve been completely closed off since that night in the laundry room. “It’s seven thirty, Lake. You know where he is. Go tell him how you feel.” I don’t move. My legs feel like Jell-O. “Go!” she laughs. I jump off the bed and run to my room. My hands are shaking and my thoughts are all jumbled together while I change my pants. I put on the purple shirt that I wore on our first and only date. I go to the bathroom and inspect my reflection. There’s something missing. I run to my room and reach under my pillow and pull out
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
It’s been almost four weeks now. He never showed up to run with me again and he never apologized. He doesn’t sit by me in class or in the cafeteria. He doesn’t send me insulting texts and he doesn’t show up on weekends as a different person. The only thing he does, at least I think he’s the one that does it, is remove the sticky notes from my locker. They’re always crumpled in a wad on the hallway floor at my feet. I continue to exist, and he continues to exist, but we don’t exist together. Days continue to pass no matter who I exist with, though. And each additional day that plants itself between the present and that weekend with him just leaves me with more and more questions that I’m too stubborn to ask. I want to know what set him off that day. I want to know why he didn’t just let it go instead of storming off like he did. I want to know why he never apologized, because I’m almost positive I would have given him at least one more chance. What he did was crazy and strange and a little possessive, but if I weighed it on a scale against all the wonderful things about him, I know it wouldn’t have weighed nearly as much. Breckin doesn’t even try to analyze it anymore so I pretend not to, either. But I do, and the thing that eats at me the most is the fact that everything that happened between us is starting to seem surreal, like it was all just a dream. I catch myself questioning whether that weekend even happened at all, or if it was just another invalidated memory of mine that may not even be real.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Hopeless)
“
There are three questions every woman should be able to answer yes to before she commits to a man. If you answer no to any of the three questions, run like hell.” “It’s just a date,” I laugh. “I doubt we’ll be doing any committing.” “I know you’re not, Lake. I’m serious. If you can’t answer yes to these three questions, don’t even waste your time on a relationship.” When I open my mouth, I feel like I’m just reinforcing the fact that I’m her child. I don’t interrupt her again. “Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes about to all three, then you’ve found a good man.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
There are three questions every woman should be able to answer yes to before she commits to a man. If you answer no to any of the three questions, run like hell.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Who is Hope? she says, barely above a whisper.
How do I say it? How do I tell her the answer to that question, because as soon as I do, I know I'll have to watch as her entire world collapses around her. - Dean Holder
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Losing Hope (Hopeless, #2))
“
There's a difference between regret and questioning your decision. Regret is counterproductive. It's looking back on a past that you can't change. Questioning things as they occur can prevent regret in the future.
”
”
Colleen Hoover
“
She’s in an unusually agreeable mood right now, which leads me to believe that maybe . . . just maybe . . .
“I have one more question, Bridgette.”
She cocks an eyebrow and slowly shakes her head. “I’m not telling you the name of that porn.”
I drop her hand and roll onto my back. “Fuck.”
Maybe not.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Maybe Not (Maybe, #1.5))
“
Thank you for giving me the courage to always ask the questions, even when I didn’t want the answers. Thank you for loving me like you love me. Thank you for showing me that we don’t always have to be strong to be there for each other—that it’s okay to be weak, so long as we’re there. And thank you for finally finding me after all these years.” I trail my fingers across his chest until they reach his arm. I run them across each letter of his tattoo, then lean forward and press my lips to it and kiss it. “But mostly, thank you for losing me all those years ago… because my life wouldn’t be the same if you had never walked away.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Hopeless)
“
Everything that happens next isn’t questioned by either of us. There’s no second-guessing as he kicks my door shut. No worrying if this is too fast when we tear away each other’s clothes. Neither of us hesitates on the way to my bedroom.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
You know how people say there is no such thing as a stupid question? They’re wrong. That was a stupid question.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1))
“
When I say you just know, it’s because you will. You won’t question it. You don’t wonder if what you feel is actually love, because when it is, you’ll be absolutely terrified that you’re in it. And when that happens, your priorities will change. You won’t think about yourself and your own happiness. You’ll only think about that person, and how you would do anything to see them happy. Even if it meant walking away from them and sacrificing your own happiness for theirs.”
“ When you’re willing to give up the things that mean the most to you just to see someone else happy, that’s real love.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (November 9)
“
Poetic.
When I say you just know, it's because you will. You won't question it. You don't wonder if what you feel is actually love, because when it is, you'll be absolutely terrified that you're in it. And when that happens, your priorities will change. You won't think about yourself and your own happiness. You'll only think about that person, and how you would do anything to see them happy. Even if it meant walking away from them and sacrificing your own happiness for theirs.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (November 9)
“
If God doesn’t give babies to people who aren’t ready for them, He’s got a lot of explaining to do. Because some of the mothers He chose to be fertile are very questionable. My own mother being one of them.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)
“
Why don’t you believe in God?” He glances over at Jesus and contemplates my question for a moment. And then he says, “I’m just a pragmatic person.” He smiles down at me and tugs at my hair as he releases me. “That doesn’t mean you can’t believe in Him, though. We aren’t put on this earth to be carbon copies of our parents. Peace doesn’t come to everyone in the same form.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Without Merit)
“
Is there a difference? I ask
Absolutely. Regret is counterproductive. It's looking back on a past that you can't change. Questioning things as they occur can prevent regrets in the future. People make spontaneous decisions all the time based on their hearts. There is so much more to relationships than just love.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
What do you think would make a man never want to experience love again? Cap doesn't answer my question for at least five floors..."I suppose if a man lived through the ugliest side of love, he might never want to experience it again.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Ugly Love, Episode 1)
“
Are you gonna live in your sadness or are you gonna die in it?” That question punched me in my stomach—the stomach that no longer contained my daughter. Ivy wasn’t giving me a pep-talk. In a lot of ways, it was the opposite. She wasn’t saying I would move past what I was feeling, or that things would get easier. She was telling me this was it—the misery I felt was my new normal. I could either learn to live with it or I could let it consume me.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Reminders of Him)
“
Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire you to want to be a better person?
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
I reflect on her question for a moment and realize there’s no one I’d take a bullet for other than my mom.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Layla)
“
The only question that remains is: which truth she was manipulating?
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Verity)
“
The only question, that remains is: Which truth was she manipulating?
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Verity)
“
I drop my arm. “Am I going crazy?” I whisper to myself. I don’t know. “That question wasn’t for you.” I sit on the couch and rub my hands down my face. “Are you alone?” Yes.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Layla)
“
He faces me again, this time with a very touching expression. “Did you go to college, Beyah?” He yells it across the parking lot, like it’s the most important question in the world.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Heart Bones)
“
Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes about to all three, then you’ve found a good man.” I take
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes about to all three, then
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Slammed (Slammed, #1))
“
I can't figure you out," I say.
His expression doesn't change at all, but his voice has a tinge of amusement to it when he says, "I didn't think you wanted to."
"That's because I thought I had you figured out. But I already told you I was wrong. You're layered"
"Layered?" he repeats. "Like an onion or a cake?"
Definitely an onion. Your layers are the kind a person has to peel back."
Is that what you're trying to do?"
I shrug. "I have nothing else to do. Maybe I'll spend the summer peeling back all your layers until you finally answer a question.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Heart Bones)
“
There are three questions every woman should be able to answer yes to before they commit to a man. If you answer no to any of the three questions, run like hell."
[...]
"Does he treat you with respect at all times? That's the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes to all three, then you've found a good man.
”
”
― Colleen Hoover, Slammed
“
She displays every characteristic. The only thing about her that makes me question if she was a psychopath is her obsession with Jeremy. Psychopaths find it more difficult to fall in love, and if they do, it’s difficult for them to retain that love.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Verity)
“
Sometimes I think I could treat you better than I do.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “Then why don’t you?” His eyes narrow with a slight tilt of his head, like he’s actually contemplating my question. “I don’t know how.” He closes the shower curtain. The bathroom door slams shut.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Too Late)
“
I wish I could find this entertaining, but everything I just read makes me question Verity. Her condition.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (Verity)
“
I've never seen Graham more at peace than when he's out there, listening to the sound of the ocean. I love how he looks out over the water as if it holds all the answers to every question in the world. He looks at the ocean with the respect it deserves.
”
”
Colleen Hoover (All Your Perfects)