欧宝娱乐

“In this trunk," she says with a serious face, "is God's gift to women."
"Chocolate?"
"No."
"Midol?"
"What? No."
"Tampons?"
"Stop guessing," she says.”
― Victoria Scott, The Collector

“Annabelle鈥檚 eyes stung as she stared at him, while need and inexhaustible tenderness gathered like an ache in her body. 鈥淚 realized something,鈥� she said huskily, 鈥渨hen I was standing outside the foundry, watching it burn and knowing you were inside.鈥� She swallowed hard against the thickness in her throat. 鈥淚 would rather have died in your arms, Simon, than face a lifetime without you. All those endless years鈥� all those winters, summers鈥� a hundred seasons of wanting you and never having you. Growing old, while you stayed eternally young in my memories.鈥� She bit her lip and shook her head, while her eyes flooded. 鈥淚 was wrong when I told you that I didn鈥檛 know where I belonged. I do. With you, Simon. Nothing matters except being with you. You鈥檙e stuck with me forever, and I鈥檒l never listen when you tell me to go.鈥� She managed a tremulous smile. 鈥淪o you may as well stop complaining and resign yourself to it.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Secrets of a Summer Night

“You're beautiful, every part of you. I love your hair, the way it looks, the way it feels. I love touching it, smelling it. I love the way you wrinkle your nose when you laugh. It makes me laugh, too, every time. And I love watching you eat. Sometimes you can't shovel it in fast enough, but when you get interested in a conversation, you forget there's anything in front of you. God knows, I love making love with you. I can't even talk about that without wanting you. I love your pathetic attachment to those seniors. I love how hard you work.”
― Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Match Me If You Can

“Annabelle laughs. "Oh, so you think you're hot, do you?"
"Girl, I got swag for days.”
― Victoria Scott, The Collector

“The fact is, the man who鈥檇 begotten me didn鈥檛 want me. In his eyes I should never have been born. And perhaps that would鈥檝e been best. As it was, my existence had proven to be nothing more than a nuisance for everyone. I angered my father, brought strife upon my mother, irritated my teachers, and annoyed the other children who were forced to interact with me in school. All by simply being.

When you aren鈥檛 loved, you aren鈥檛 real. Life is cold, like the stone against my palm.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

“I want you back, Annabelle.鈥� This time my laughter is full of nothing but genuine humor. It鈥檚 that 鈥榦h my god, I can鈥檛 believe that鈥� kind of humor. I lean forward and put my face in my palms, still laughing. 鈥淗oly crap,鈥� I say in-between laughs, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 hilarious.鈥� I peek up at him to see his disgruntled expression and then bust up laughing again.聽 鈥淚鈥檓 serious,鈥� he grunts out, looking cute in his exasperation, damn him. Not done, I hold up a hand. 鈥淥h, oh, wait. Just let me go get my gun so you can shoot me again. Of course I want to get back together with you, Gabriel.鈥� Putting on a serious face, I say earnestly, 鈥淗e shoots me because he loves me.”
― April Brookshire, Young Love Murder

“Dare to imagine. Dare to be.
Books are the seeds. Dreams are the soil.
The fruit of the harvest, a world reborn.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

“It shall be my pleasure to remedy it. First, it is not your strength or your speed that draws me. It's your...everything. Your laugh, your wit, your emotions and the way they change. Your courage, your sweetness, your near obsessive delight in cookies. Second, you are indeed a prize. You've made me want what no one else ever had. A communion of bodies."

-Zacharel to Annabelle”
― Gena Showalter, Wicked Nights

“Have you ever felt as if your dreams were more memorable, more alive, than what you knew to be reality? Have your dreams ever seemed so tangible as to make you question upon waking if you鈥檇 truly only dreamt them? Have they at times been addictive enough to consume your waking hours; blurring actuality and pretend together until your wishes and passions stare back at you with open eyes?

If only dreams could be reality, that beautiful garden of sweet-smelling roses we all long for. But reality for me is no such bed of roses. It is nothing but a field of unwanted dandelions."

- From the thoughts of Annabelle Fancher”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

“Though it pained me, I gave in. Why was it that I repeatedly succumbed to the first whisper of a promised maybe? How did the enticer, hope, always find my heart unguarded? There was no such thing as hope. Not for me. Why was it so hard to accept that?”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

“That dress you're wearing..." Kraven says to Annabelle. Her eyes rise, meeting his stare. "It's quite expensive."

Annabelle makes a face. "Don't worry, I'll give it back. You're the one who wanted to have this ridiculous dinner.”
― Victoria Scott, The Liberator

“You don鈥檛 know who you鈥檙e fucking with, princess. Ain鈥檛 no one do bad like I do.”
― Victoria Scott

“Annabelle smiles with one side of her mouth. "I don't look like a tomato?"

"You look like a beauty." I take her arm and guide her toward the lounge area. "Now rock that shit.”
― Victoria Scott, The Liberator

“She glanced at Evie, who flashed her a smile, and Annabelle, whose face was reassuringly calm. They would help each other through all the challenges and joys and fears of their lives, Daisy thought, and she was suddenly overwhelmed with love for all of them.
鈥淚 will never live away from you,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want the four of us to be together always. I could never bear to lose any of you.鈥�
She felt Annabelle鈥檚 slippered toe nudge her leg affectionately. 鈥淒aisy鈥ou can never lose a true friend.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Scandal in Spring

“My fingers combed through my dark hair, short and straight, landing in choppy, uneven ends nearly level with my chin. The color reminded me of every evil character in any fairy tale. It seemed all were characteristically black; black hair, black eyes, black clothing, black demeanor, and black intent. I never thought I was truly a villainous character, not like I knew my father to be, but I was his offspring and devoid of any princess-like characteristics, so that left only the wicked side of the story to play.

In my dreams, though, I imagined myself more like Snow White鈥晈avy, raven hair, a perfectly fair complexion, bathed in rose scents, and exhibiting a natural feminine grace that would dance musical circles around both Ginger and Elizabeth. No, I never hoped for such a thing to be real, but I dared to pretend it with perfect clarity in my dreams.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

“Gregory?鈥� I called. I couldn鈥檛 help myself. It was irrational, but I was scared to see him run from me. He turned my direction, his feet pivoting in the dirt. Warily, I crossed into the light for a moment.

鈥淒o you, um鈥︹€� I inhaled deeply. 鈥淒o you think you鈥檒l still want to be my friend tomorrow?鈥� I held my breath and waited for his answer.

Although I could feel the sunshine perceptibly tingle every inch of exposed skin, the way Gregory smiled at me produced a swell of warmth unmatchable even for the sun.

鈥淚鈥檒l always want to be your friend, Annabelle. Do you want to be mine?鈥�

My head nodded like mad, ecstatic, all on its own. I disappeared among the shadows again and watched my new friend until he stepped around the Hopkins鈥� house. Then I waited until his car drove off -- Gregory and his mother headed for home.

I was on a high like no other, but I鈥檇 not lost my grasp on reality entirely. I knew that the real test would come Monday. It was one thing to befriend an outcast in the privacy of the woods, but quite another to risk ridicule and reputation when surrounded by peers. This was true even for those with the biggest of hearts, which I now believed Gregory Hill to have.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

“Real? Real depends upon your perspective, Annabelle. People never see life exactly the same way. The world is what you think it is.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

“He panted over me, winded by his own absurd lecture. The stench of his alcoholic breath stung my nose. Again I didn鈥檛 answer. I hoped he鈥檇 tire out and end his speech and hobble back to the living room without touching me. Such hopes were unlikely, as was the case this time.

鈥淎nswer me, you good-for-nuthin鈥� wench!鈥�

The pain bit instantly as his hand connected with my cheek. I shook my head in answer to his crazy questions, feeling a rise of warm tears.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

“The dagger pin is all I have left. It is comfort and pain, both, because it reminds me of all I鈥檝e had, held, and had taken from me.
It is my pen, too. With it, I write my story, again and again, in the walls. So I don鈥檛 forget. So it becomes real.
I think of: Conrad鈥檚 hands, Rachel鈥檚 dark hair, Lena鈥檚 rosebud mouth, how when she was an infant, I used to sneak into her bedroom and hold her while she slept. Rachel never let me鈥攆rom birth, she screamed, kicked, would have woken the household and the street.
But Lena lay still and warm in my arms, submerged in some secret dreamland.
And she was my secret: those nighttime hours, that twin heartbeat space, the darkness, the joy.”
― Lauren Oliver, Annabel

“The interruption did nothing but earn her a similar slap, as I鈥檓 sure she knew it would. Sometimes I wondered if my mother spoke up at the wrong time on purpose. As often as we endured my father鈥檚 abuse, she had to be aware that it wouldn鈥檛 save me from a beating but simply earn her one as well. Or was it that sharing my fate made her feel less guilt-ridden about those things that happened to me?”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

“Fuck That! Annabelle Marie Schults belongs to me. So I will make sure whatever it is the Lords want her to do, she passes. Because once the birth control shot I had Gavin give her wears off, she won鈥檛 be getting another one. The only babies she鈥檒l be having are mine.”
― Shantel Tessier, Madness

“Gavin stood within the trees, observing her from the shadows. He watched the basket rise to her nose as she closed her eyes to sniff at its contents. A smile told him it smelled delicious, but she didn鈥檛 open the container to pinch off a sample. Instead, the basket lowered to swing at her side as it had previously done.

All at once the air was filled with soft singing--a sweet, merry tune comprised of ludicrous lyrics. It was impossible not to grin at the words.

鈥淩ainbows paint the sky 鈥榯il the sun melts their colors.
Swinging in the wind, whiskered cattails purr.
The pigs gallop by and snort at the moon,
While frogs kiss the lizards and princesses too.鈥�”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Secrets of a Noble Keykeeper

“When the girl didn鈥檛 move, Gavin summoned her near with his fingers. His heart thrummed as she obeyed, stepping up close to him. Her young stature was much shorter than his tall, wiry form. Gavin regarded her prettiness - pale cheeks, pink lips, inquisitive eyes. Fascinated by her, he longed to know her name.

鈥淲ho are you?鈥� he asked. He heard the girl utter the same question at the same time.

Cocking his head, he claimed, 鈥淚 asked you first.鈥�

鈥淣o you didn鈥檛,鈥� she protested, shaking her red-hooded head, 鈥淚 asked you at the same time you asked me.鈥�

Gavin grinned at her insistence. It was hard for him not to chuckle. 鈥淲ell, then, I suppose we鈥檒l have to go with 鈥榞irls first鈥�.鈥� His grin widened into a white smile.

The girl gestured to herself. 鈥淚鈥檓 Little Red Riding Hood.鈥�

He recognized the name of a fairy tale character, and groaned under his breath at not having discovered this dreamer鈥檚 real name.

鈥淎ctually,鈥� she confessed almost immediately, 鈥淚鈥檓 not really Red Riding Hood. My name is Annabelle, but I鈥檓 pretending to be her because鈥︹€ell鈥︹€ecause this is my dream and that鈥檚 what I wish to dream about.鈥�

Oh glorious day! He鈥檇 learned her name! Annabelle! Annabelle! What a perfectly sweet sound was this utterance of鈥�..Annabelle.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Secrets of a Noble Keykeeper

“You鈥檙e angry at me,鈥� she says.
I stop crying at once. My whole body goes cold and still. She squats down beside me, and even though I鈥檓 careful not to look up, not to look at her at all, I can feel her, can smell the sweat from her skin and hear the ragged pattern of her breathing.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e angry at me,鈥� she repeats, and her voice hitches a little. 鈥淵ou think I don鈥檛 care.鈥�
Her voice is the same. For years I used to imagine that voice lilting over those forbidden words: I love you. Remember. They cannot take it. Her last words to me before she went away.
She shuffles forward and squats next to me. She hesitates, then reaches out and places her palm against my cheek, and turns my head toward hers so I鈥檓 forced to look at her. I can feel the calluses on her fingers.
In her eyes, I see myself reflected in miniature, and I tunnel back to a time before she left, before I believed she was gone forever, when her eyes welcomed me into every day and shepherded me, every night, into sleep.
鈥淵ou turned out even more beautiful than I鈥檇 imagined,鈥� she whispers. She, too, is crying.
The hard casement inside me breaks.
鈥淲hy?鈥� is the only word that comes. Without intending to or even thinking about it, I allow her to draw me against her chest, let her wrap her arms around me. I cry into the space between her collarbones, inhaling the still-familiar smell of her skin.
There are so many things I need to ask her: What happened to you in the Crypts? How could you let them take you away? Where did you go? But all I can say is: 鈥淲hy didn鈥檛 you come for me? After all those years鈥攁ll that time鈥攚hy didn鈥檛 you come?鈥� Then I can鈥檛 speak at all; my sobs become shudders.
鈥淪hhh.鈥� She presses her lips to my forehead, strokes my hair, just like she used to when I was a child. I am a baby once again in her arms鈥攈elpless and needy. 鈥淚鈥檓 here now.鈥�
She rubs my back while I cry. Slowly, I feel the darkness drain out of me, as though pulled away by the motion of her hand. Finally I can breathe again. My eyes are burning, and my throat feels raw and sore. I draw away from her, wiping my eyes with the heel of my hand, not even caring that my nose is running. I鈥檓 suddenly exhausted鈥攖oo tired to be hurt, too tired to be angry. I want to sleep, and sleep.
鈥淚 never stopped thinking about you,鈥� my mother says. 鈥淚 thought of you every day鈥攜ou and Rachel.”
― Lauren Oliver, Requiem

“I was through arguing. My real concern was with Gavin. Lifting my eyes I considered his face鈥攑erfectly rounded cheeks, a confident chin, big brown eyes balanced evenly over a gently sloped nose, all framed by a mess of dark curls. My heart sank at his beauty. A boy like him would never really have anything to do with a girl like me.

'Why are you here?' I asked. I knew my tone sounded dismal. It was impossible to disguise how I felt.

'Because I want to be,' he answered.

'You want to be here? Really?'

'Well, yes,' he said. His face screwed up, confused. His next words came across as defensive. 'I鈥檓 the key keeper. I can go anywhere I wish to. You can鈥檛 stop me, Annabelle.'

'Stop you? I don鈥檛 want to stop you,' I said. 'I just thought that... I mean, I didn鈥檛 think that鈥�' It was hard to voice my fear aloud.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

“What could have possessed her to sleep with Matthew Swift?鈥�
鈥淚 doubt there was much sleeping involved,鈥� Annabelle replied, her eyes twinkling.
Lillian gave her a slitted glare. 鈥淚f you have the bad taste to be amused by this, Annabelle鈥斺€�
鈥淒aisy was never interested in Lord Llandrindon,鈥� Evie volunteered hastily, trying to prevent a quarrel. 鈥淪he was only using him to provoke Mr. Swift.鈥�
鈥淗ow do you know?鈥� the other two asked at the same time.
鈥淲ell, I-I鈥︹€� Evie made a helpless gesture with her hands. 鈥淟ast week I m-more or less inadvertently suggested that she try to make him jealous. And it worked.鈥�
Lillian鈥檚 throat worked violently before she could manage to speak. 鈥淥f all the asinine, sheep-headed, moronic鈥斺€�
鈥淲hy, Evie?鈥� Annabelle asked in a considerably kinder tone.
鈥淒aisy and I overheard Mr. Swift t-talking to Lord Llandrindon. He was trying to convince Llandrindon to court her, and it became obvious that Mr. Swift wanted her for himself.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檒l bet he planned it,鈥� Lillian snapped. 鈥淗e must have known somehow that you would overhear. It was a devious and sinister plot, and you fell for it!鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think so,鈥� Evie replied. Staring at Lillian鈥檚 crimson face, she asked apprehensively, 鈥淎re you going to shout at me?鈥�
Lillian shook her head and dropped her face in her hands. 鈥淚鈥檇 shriek like a banshee,鈥� she said through the screen of her fingers, 鈥渋f I thought it would do any good. But since I鈥檓 fairly certain Daisy has been intimate with that reptile, there is probably nothing anyone can do to save her now.鈥�
鈥淪he may not want to be saved,鈥� Evie pointed out.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 because she鈥檚 gone stark raving mad,鈥� came Lillian鈥檚 muffled growl.
Annabelle nodded. 鈥淥bviously. Daisy has slept with a handsome, young, wealthy, intelligent man who is apparently in love with her. What in God鈥檚 name can she be thinking?鈥� She smiled compassionately as she heard Lillian鈥檚 profane reply, and settled a gentle hand between her friend鈥檚 shoulders. 鈥淒earest,鈥� she murmured, 鈥渁s you know, there was a time when it didn鈥檛 matter to me whether I married a man I loved or not鈥t seemed enough just to get my family out of the desperate situation we were in. But when I thought about what it would be like to share a bed with my husband鈥o spend the rest of my life with him鈥 knew Simon was the only choice.鈥� She paused, and sudden tears glittered her eyes. Beautiful, self-possessed Annabelle, who hardly ever cried. 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 ill,鈥� she continued in a husky voice, 鈥渨hen I鈥檓 afraid, when I need something, I know he will move heaven and earth to make everything all right. I trust him with every fiber of my being. And when I see the child we created, the two of us mingled forever in her鈥y God, how grateful I am that I married Simon. We鈥檝e all been able to choose our own husbands, Lillian. You have to allow Daisy the same freedom.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Scandal in Spring

“What aren鈥檛 coming regularly?鈥� Daisy asked with forced cheer, coming into the room. 鈥淎nd why are you watching the鈥斺€� She blanched as she suddenly understood. 鈥淢y God. Are you having birthing pains, Lillian?鈥�
Her sister shook her head, looking perplexed. 鈥淣ot full-on pains. Just a sort of tightening of my stomach. It started after lunchtime, and then I had one an hour later, and then a half-hour later, and this one came after twenty minutes.鈥�
鈥淒oes Westcliff know?鈥� Daisy asked breathlessly. 鈥淪hould I go tell him?鈥�
鈥淣o,鈥� all three of the other women said at once.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no need to worry him yet,鈥� Lillian added in a sheepish tone. 鈥淟et Westcliff enjoy the afternoon with his friends. As soon as he finds out, he鈥檒l be up here pacing and giving commands, and no one will have any peace. Especially me.鈥�
鈥淲hat about Mother? Shall I fetch her?鈥� Daisy had to ask, even though she was certain of the answer.
Mercedes was not a comforting sort of person, and despite the fact that she had given birth to five children, she was squeamish at the mention of any kind of bodily function.
鈥淚鈥檓 in enough pain already,鈥� Lillian said dryly.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Scandal in Spring

“May God have mercy on your soul! from Annabelle, as far as now the film reminds for Chucky.”
― Deyth Banger

“I have to remind myself daily that I can only control myself. If I had a grudge Everytime a person made a decision that affected me, my entire life would be consumed with grudges. Life doesnt care if we are too busy to deal with challenges; it will throw them at us anyway.”
― Annette K. Larsen, The Hidden Gift

“I had always been a hard worker. I'd always been a good person. Yet, life had seen fit to throw me out into the world and demand that I try even harder. When would my efforts be enough?”
― Annette K. Larsen, The Hidden Gift