103 Quotes & Sayings By Jenny Han

That's when I finally got it. I finally understood. It wasn't the thought that counted. It was the actual execution that mattered, the showing up for somebody. The intent behind it wasn't enough. Not for me. Not anymore. It wasn't enough to know that deep down, he loved me. You had to actually say it to somebody, show them you cared. And he just didn't. Not enough. Jenny Han

He came up and kissed me on my forehead, and before he stepped away, I closed my eyes and tried hard to memorize this moment. I wanted to remember him exactly as he was right then, how his arms looked brown against his white shirt, the way his hair was cut a little too short in the front. Even the bruise, there because of me. Then he was gone. Just for that moment, the thought that I might never see him again… it felt worse than death. I wanted torun after him. Tell him anything, everything. Just don’t go. Please just never go. Please just always be near me, so I can at least see you. Because it felt final. I always believed that we would find our way back to each other every time. That no matter what, we would be connected–by our history, by this house. But this time, this last time, it felt final. Like I would never see him again, or that when I did, it would be different, there would be a mountain between us. I knew it in my bones. That this time was it. I had finally made my choice, and so had he. He let me go. I was relieved, which I expected. What I didn’t expect was to feel so much grief. Jenny Han

We stood there, looking at each other, saying nothing. But it was the kind of nothing that meant everything. In his eyes, there was no trace of what had happened between us earlier and I could feel something inside me break. So that was that. We were finally, finally over. I looked at him, and I felt so sad, because this thought occurred to me: 'I will never look at you the same way again. I'll never be that girl again. The girl who comes running back every time you push her away, the girl who loves you anyway.' I couldn’t even be mad at him, because this was who he was. This was who he’dalways been. He’d never lied about that. He gave and then he took away. I felt it in the pit of my stomach, the familiar ache, that lost, regretful feeling only he could give me. I never wanted to feel it again. Never, ever. Maybe this was why I came, so I could really know. So I could say good-bye. I looked at him, and I thought, 'If I was very brave or very honest, I would tell him.' I would say it, so he would know it and I would know it, and I could never take it back. But I wasn’t that brave or honest, so all I did was look at him. And I think he knew anyway.' I release you. I evict you from my heart. Because if I don't do it now, I never will.' I was the one to look away first. Jenny Han

I say, “In the contract we said we wouldn’t break each other’s hearts. What if we do it again?” Fiercely he says, “What if we do? If we’re so guarded, it’s not going to be anything. Let’s do it fucking for real, Lara Jean. Let’s go all in. No more contract. No more safety net. You can break my heart. Do whatever you want with it. Jenny Han

Sometimes it’s like people are a million times more beautiful to you in your mind. It’s like you see them through a special lens – but maybe if it’s how you see them, that’s how they really are. It’s like the whole tree falling in the forest thing. Jenny Han

I delete the picture of him from my phone; I delete his number. I think that if I just delete him enough, it will be like none of it ever happened and my heart won't hurt so badly Jenny Han

Don’t marry him. Don’t be with him. Be with me. Jenny Han

I love Jere more than anybody. He’s my brother, my family. I hate myself for doing this. But when I see you two together, I hate him too.” His voice broke.“ Don’t marry him. Don’t be with him. Be with me. Jenny Han

There hadn’t been one specific moment. It was like gradualy waking up. You go from being asleep to the space between dreaming and awake and then into consciousness. It’s a slow process, but when you’re awake, there’s no mistaking it. There was no mistaking that it had been love. Jenny Han

It’s hard to throw away history. It was like you were throwing away a part of yourself. Jenny Han

When boy likes you, you say no thank you. You don't kick him on the ground. Jenny Han

It's a known fact, that in life, you can't have everyhing. In my heart, I knew that I loved them both as much as it is possible to love two people at the same time. Conrad and I were linked, we would always be linked. That wasn't something I could do away with. And I know that now--that love isn't something you can erase--no matter how hard you try. Jenny Han

He texts back: I love you. I'm starting to text back, I love you, too, when my phone rings. It's Peter's house number, and I answer it eagerly." I love you, too, " I say. There is surprised silence on the other end, then a little laugh to cover it up. "Hi, Lara Jean. This is Peter's mom. Jenny Han

People are gonna disappoint you sometimes. We’re flawed creatures. Not one of us is perfect, not even you, and you’ve gotta let people mess up and then you’ve gotta forgive them. That’s just life. Jenny Han

Music makes everything more romantic, doesn't it? One second you're walking your dog in the suburbs, and then you put on Adele, and it's like you're in a movie and you've just had your heart brutally broken. Jenny Han

My mother was good at that, making people feel normal. Safe. Like as long as she was there, nothing truly bad could happen. Jenny Han

I wonder, though... what would it be like? To be that close to a boy and have him see all of you, no holding back. Would it be scary only for a second or two, or would it be scary the whole time? What if I didn't like it at all? Or what if I liked it too much? It's a lot to think about. Jenny Han

Your body is yours to protect and to enjoy.” She raises both eyebrows at me meaningfully. “Whoever you should choose to partake in that enjoyment, that is your choice, and choose wisely. Every man that ever got to touch me was afforded an honor. A privilege.” Stormy waves her hand over me. “All this? It’s a privilege to worship at this temple, do you understand my meaning? Not just any young fool can approach the throne. Remember my words, Lara Jean. You decide who, how far, and how often, if ever.”“ I had no idea you were such a feminist, ” I say. “Feminist?” Stormy makes a disgusted sound in her throat. “I’m no feminist. Really, Lara Jean! ” “Stormy, don’t get worked up about it. All it means is that you believe men and women are equal, and should have equal rights.” “I don’t think any man is my equal. Women are far superior, and don’t you forget it. Don’t forget any of the things I just told you. . Jenny Han

I look at Kitty, who's braiding Chris's hair in microbraids. She's being extra quiet so we forget she's here and don't kick her out. 'I think that as long as you're ready and it's what you want to do and you're protecting yourself, then it's okay and you should do what you want to do.' Margot says, 'Society is far too caught up in shaming a woman for enjoying sex and applauding a man. I mean, all of the comments are about how Lara Jean is a slut, but nobody's saying anything about Peter, and he's right there with her. It's a ridiculous double standard. Jenny Han

If two people are meant to be, they'll find their way to each other. Jenny Han

You were gullible, " he said. And then, "When you were really little, you hated carrots. You wouldn't eat them. But then I told you that if you ate carrots, you'd get X-ray vision. And you believed me. You believed everything I said." I did. I really did. I believed him when he said that carrots could give me X-ray vision. I believed him when he told me that he'd never cared about me. And then, later that night, when he tried to take it back, I guess I believed him again. Now I didn't know what to believe. I just knew I didn't believe in him anymore. Jenny Han

I didn't have that kind of friendship, the forever kind of friendship that will last your whole life through, no matter what. Jenny Han

How do you regret one of the best nights of your entire life? You don’t. You remember every word, every look. Even when it hurts, you still remember. Jenny Han

I suppose I'll say it all started with a love letter Jenny Han

He came up and kissed me on my forehead, and before he stepped away, I closed my eyes and tried hard to memorize this moment. I wanted to remember him exactly as he was right then, how his arms looked brown against his white shirt, the way his hair was cut a little too short in the front. Even the bruise, there because of me. Then he was gone. Just for that moment, the thought that I might never see him again… it felt worse than death. I wanted torun after him. Tell him anything, everything. Just don’t go. Please just never go. Please just always be near me, so I can at least see you. Because it felt final. I always believed that we would find our way back to each other every time. That no matter what, we would be connected–by our history, by this house. But this time, this last time, it felt final. Like I would never see him again, or that when I did, it would be different, there would be a mountain between us. I knew it in my bones. That this time was it. I had finally made my choice, and so had he. He let me go. I was relieved, which I expected. What I didn’t expect was to feel so much . Jenny Han

When you lose someone and it hurts, that's when you know the love was real. Jenny Han

I could feel my insides sink. My knees too. So I sat on the ground, against the wall, letting it support me. I thought I knew what heartbreak felt like. I thought heartbreak was me, standing alone at the prom. That was nothing. This, this was heartbreak. The pain in your chest, the ache behind your eyes. The knowing that things will never be the same again. It’s all relative, I suppose. You think you know love, you think you know real pain, but you don’t. You don’t know anything. Jenny Han

It was over before I even had a chance. Jenny Han

But just because you bury something, that doesn’t mean it stops existing. Jenny Han

She'd known me my whole life. It's hard to throw away history. It was like you were throwing a part of yourself. Jenny Han

My best advice is to first write for yourself and stay in your story and just pour all of your good stuff and bad stuff into it. By 'stuff, ' I mean all the experiences and pleasures and little hurts that make up a life. Because even (and especially) the really hard experiences are worth having, if you can channel those emotions into something beautiful. Jenny Han

But you never said anything! Not one frigging word, Lara Jean! ”Automatically I say, “Don’t say ‘frig.’â€Å”“Not one frigging word, ” Kitty repeats with a shake of her head. Peter cracks up, and I give him a dirty look. “It all happened really fast, ” he offers. “There was barely time to tell anybody–”“ Was I talking to you?” Kitty snaps. “No, I don’t think so. I was talking to my sister.” Peter’s eyes widen, and I can see him trying to keep a straight face. Jenny Han

Actually, judging by Pinterest alone, I'm pretty sure a lot of people would look forward to hanging out in such a beautiful library. Just not people Peter knows. He thinks I'm so quirky. I'm not planning on being the one to break the news to him that I'm actually not that quirky, that in fact lots of people like to stay home and bake cookies and scrapbook and hang out in libraries. Most of them are probably in their fifties, but still. I like the way he looks at me, like I am a wood nymph that he happened upon one day and just had to take home to keep. Jenny Han

I don't think relationships are just physicality. There are ways to show you care about someone, not just using your lips... Or any other body part. Jenny Han

Lara Jean, why do you have to remember every little thing? It's not healthy. Jenny Han

Sometimes it hurts to look at you, ” I said. I loved that I could say that and he knew exactly what I meant. Jenny Han

The words come out of my mouth, but they don’t sound like me. I don’t sound like me. Probably because I know it’s all lies. But I can see that they’re lies that Reeve believes. He swallows them whole. His eyes go blank. Empty. He completely shuts down. Jenny Han

And for a second, just for a second I forget. I forget that this isn't real. Jenny Han

But what now? What am I supposed to do with all these feelings? Jenny Han

He took a step closer. "I don't know if I'll ever get you out of my system, not completely. I have this... feeling. That you'll always be there. Here." Conrad clawed at his heart and then dropped his hand. Jenny Han

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. a burn for a burn. a life for a life. that's how all this got started. and that's how it's going to end. Jenny Han

Aching familiar in a way that made me wish I was still eight. Eight was before death or divorce or heartbreak. Eight was just eight. Hot dogs and peanut butter, mosquito bites and splinters, bikes and boogie boards. Tangled hair, sunburned shoulders, Judy Blume, in bed by nine thirty. Jenny Han

My favourite food is cake. What kind of cake? It doesn't matter. All cake. Jenny Han

I’ve never gotten a love letter before. But reading these notes like this, one after the other, it feels like I have. It’s like . it’s like there’s only ever been Peter. Like everyone else that came before him, they were all to prepare me for this. I think I see the difference now, between loving someone from afar and loving someone up close. When you see them up close, you see the real them, but they also get to see the real you. And Peter does. He sees me, and I see him. . Jenny Han

You can't protect him from being hurt, babe, no mattter what you do. Being vulnerable, letting people in, getting hurt...it's all a part of being in love. Jenny Han

If people knew you, they would love you." He sounds matter-of-fact. Josh, you break my heart. And you're a liar. Because you know me, you know me better than almost anybody, and you don't love me. Jenny Han

Josh and I started out so easy, so fun, and now we're like strangers. I'll never have that person back, who I knew better than anyone and who knew me so well. Jenny Han

I’m clenching my fists so tight my fingernails leave red crescent moons on my skin. I feel a surge, a heat roar up inside me. As bad as I’m hurting now, he’ll hurt ten times worse. That’s the only thing that keeps me going. Jenny Han

I'm always wondering about the what-ifs, about the road not taken. Jenny Han

I'd never heard of them, but at that moment, it was the best song I'd ever heard. I went out and bought Ten and listened to it on repeat. When I listened to track five, "Black, " it was like I was there, in that moment all over again. After the summer was over, when I got back home, I went to the music store and bought the sheet music and learned to play it on the piano. I thought one day I could accompany Conrad and we could be, like, a band. Jenny Han

For a minute there it was really good. It was really, really good. Wasn't it good? Maybe really, really good things aren't meant to last for too long; maybe that's what makes them all the more sweet, the temporariness of them. Jenny Han

I say looking on the bright side of life never killed anybody. Jenny Han

I think that time might be different for young people. The minutes longer, stronger, more vibrant. Jenny Han

It could have happened lots of ways. But this is the way it happened. This is the path we took. This is our story. Jenny Han

I like you so much I don't know what to do with it. My heart beats so fast when I know I'm going to see you again. Jenny Han

Just when we thought everything was going to be okay, we all fell apart. Jenny Han

I stared at him. Did he really just say that? Did he remember? The way he looked back at me, one eyebrow raised, I knew he did. And this time, I was the one to look away. Because I remembered. I remembered everything. Jenny Han

Peter will love Lara Jean with all his heart, always. Jenny Han

He smiled at me, and that smile -- he just gets in. His smile did it every time. Jenny Han

So, how does he kiss?" I'm blushing. I tap my fingers on my lips before I say, "He kisses like ... like it could be his job. Jenny Han

His face darkens. He glares at me and I glare back. "Fine! " he yells. "I'm jealous! Are you happy now! " And then he jerks is head toward mine and he kisses me. On the lips. Jenny Han

I need you to know that no matter what happens, it was worth it to me. Being with you, loving you. It was all worth it. Jenny Han

Let's do it fucking for real, Lara Jean. Let's go all in. No more contract. No more safety net. You can break my heart. Do whatever you want with it. Jenny Han

This is Karma. I'm a bitch. Can you think of anyone who deserves a bitch slap?" My phone buzzes again." If so meet at Judy Blue Eyes, 2am. If not, sit back and enjoy the show. Jenny Han

I wonder, though…what would it be like? To be that close to a boy and have him see all of you, no holding back. Jenny Han

It still feels weird to spend money on Christmas trees. Back when Mom was alive, we’d go out “tree hunting.” That’s what she called it, anyway. I think other people might use the word “trespassing. Jenny Han

I’ve fallen for the one person I shouldn’t have. For the boy who broke Mary’s heart. For Rennie’s one true love. For Alex’s best friend. It has to end here. Now. Jenny Han

I suppose you can't hold on to old things just for the sake of holding on. Jenny Han

It’s scary when it’s real. When it’s not just thinking about a person, but, like, having a real live person in front of you, with, like, expectations. And wants. Jenny Han

When it's finals week and you've been studying for five hours straight, you need three things to get you through the nigh. The biggest Slurpee you can find, half cherry half Coke.Pajama pants, the kind that have been washed so many times they are tissue-paper thin. And finally, dace breaks. Lots of dance breaks. Jenny Han

When she leaned forward to mess with the AC vents, her hair brushed against my leg and it was really soft. It made remember all over again. It made it hard to stay pissed and keep her at arm's length the way I'd planned. It was pretty near damn impossible. When I was near her, I just wanted to grab her and hold her and kiss the shit out of her. Maybe then she'd forget about my asshole of a brother. Jenny Han

Reeve shakes his head and exhales loudly. “That’s not what I’m saying and you know it! ” He looks away. “Can you just .. . can you go get dressed and come with me and we’ll talk about it later? My mom’s expecting you. Jenny Han

You only know you can do something if you keep on doing it Jenny Han

It's crazy, how similar we are. Here's both of us, working through our stuff, trying to make something positive out of something really bad. Jenny Han

Life is sexist. If you were to get pregnant, you’re the one whose life changes. Nothing of significance changes for the boy. You’re the one people whisper about. I’ve seen that show, Teen Moms. All those boys are worthless. Garbage! Jenny Han

Is this how it goes? You fall in love, and nothing seems truly scary anymore, and life is one big possibility? Jenny Han

I wished I could stay forever, in this moment. Like in one of those plastic snowballs, one little moment frozen in time. Jenny Han

The look on his face made me want to die. It confirmed every mean and low thing I'd ever thought about myself, the stuff you hope and pray no one will ever know about you. Because if they knew, they would see the real you, and they would despise you. Jenny Han

I think I see the difference now, between loving someone from afar and loving someone up close. When you see them up close, you see the real them, but they also get to see the real you. Jenny Han

Underneath my lashes I watched him, and I thought, Come back. Be the you I love and remember Jenny Han

There have been other girls. But they weren't her. Jenny Han

Sometimes it’s like people are a million times more beautiful to you in your mind. It’s like you see them through a special lens – but maybe if it’s how you see them, that’s how they really are. Jenny Han

I could survive for months, years, on a crush. Jenny Han

Wait! " he yelled. I didn't turn around, I walked faster. Then I heard him slam his fist on the hood of his car. I almost stopped. Maybe I would have if he'd followed me. But he didn't. He got in his car and he left, just like he said he would. Jenny Han