quote · Legacy record
And then I turn another corner, and my chest constricts so tightly, so painfully, that I can no longer breathe.Because there he is.He's engrossed in an oversize book, hunched over and completely absorbed. A breeze ruffles his dark hair, and he bites his nails. . . . Several other people are soaking up the rare sunshine, but as soon as they're registered, they're forgotten. Because of him.I grip the edge of a sidewalk café table to keep from falling. The diners stare in alarm, but I don't care. I'm reeling, and I gasp for air.How can I have been so stupid?How could I have ever for a moment believed I wasn't in love with him?
And then I turn another corner, and my chest constricts so tightly, so painfully, that I can no longer breathe.Because there he is.He's engrossed in an oversize book, hunched over and completely absorbed. A breeze ruffles his dark hair, and he bites his nails. . . . Several other people are soaking up the rare sunshine, but as soon as they're registered, they're forgotten. Because of him.I grip the edge of a sidewalk café table to keep from falling. The diners stare in alarm, but I don't care. I'm reeling, and I gasp for air.How can I have been so stupid?How could I have ever for a moment believed I wasn't in love with him?
Approximate author period: c. 1981 AD · modern
Meaning not yet available
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Begin with source-checked readings and explanations ↗Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Stephanie Perkins
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Approximate author period: c. 1981 AD · modern
Approximate author-period anchor from documented birth year 1981; activity date not established; Wikidata Q16734402, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16734402 (accessed 2026-10-08). Not a quotation composition date.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided quotation collection
Supplied reference C; CSV row 374036; supplied attribution, independently unverified
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.