Hidden Bodies: A Novel

he looks at me. “All I know is how to love,” she says. “So I can deal with you.”
“Ouch.”
She takes my hand. “That’s a compliment,” she assures me. “This is why I hate it when people keep getting married like it’s so simple. It’s not. Finding someone who gets you is special.”

I gave her as much as I had, but it’s like the difference between a movie and a book: A book lets you choose how much of the blood you want to see. A book gives you the permission to see the story as you want, as your mind directs. You interpret. Your Alexander Portnoy doesn’t look like mine because we all have our own unique view. When you finish a movie you leave the theater with your friend and talk about the movie right away. When you finish a book you think. Love grew up on movies and I have just read her a book. I give her the time to digest.

And really, it’s like love itself, like drinking. We all get our hearts broken. We get fucked up and throw up and we cry and listen to sad songs and say we’re never doing that again. But to be alive is to do it again. To love is to risk everything

This is why people like writing. You visit old friends without having to go on Facebook and see what they’re up to and deal with what idiots called FOMO. You make them into what you want them to be, the people they could be if only they were braver, smarter.

“Cool,” I say, and I wonder if schoolteachers in LA ever try to instill modesty in their kids.

“My mom says hi by the way,” she sniffs.
I push the spinner. “Tell her hi back,” I say and I wonder if Love is awake, if Amy is alive.

Everyone will remember him for his stupid fucking talk show but I will remember him as the man who made me realize that I need to take better care of my skin

The girl at the register winked and said she’s also a big fan of Fifty Shades and this is what has become of our society. Fucking and killing are the same damn thing.

The pet food aisle is jamming and that’s called UNCONDITIONAL LOVE and the baby food aisle is called SEMI-UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

tells me that Delilah is just sweet and friendly and I know this means desperate and slutty