The One Kiera Quotes & Sayings

I had been so mad at him when I left, I'd given them back. All except for the one that stuck to the bottom of the jar.
He smiled. "They're at home, waiting."
"For what?"
His eyes glittered. "That, I cannot say. — Kiera Cass

Maxon wrapped his arms around me, and I laughed as he covered me with kisses.
We were so distracted, we didn't even hear the butler open the door. "Your Majesty, there's a call from - "
Before he could finish, Maxon chucked a pillow at him, and the butler retreated into the hall, pulling the door shut behind him. There was a pause before a muffled voice filtered in. "Sorry, sir. — Kiera Cass

DBT's catchphrase of developing a life worth living means you're not just surviving; rather, you have good reasons for living. I'm also getting better at keeping another dialectic in mind: On the one hand, the disorder decimates all relationships and social functions, so you're basically wandering in the wasteland of your own failure, and yet you have to keep walking through it, gathering the small bits of life that can eventually go into creating a life worth living. To be in the desolate badlands while envisioning the lush tropics without being totally triggered again isn't easy, especially when life seems so effortless for everyone else. — Kiera Van Gelder

When we met, you couldn't stop staring at my breasts."
His face went pale, as if he seriously thought he was so subtle no one would notice. "Make sure you get an equally satisfactory look a my backside as you leave. — Kiera Cass

Was I the only one who saw how flawed I was? — Kiera Cass

Having a boy see you, acknowledge you in such a way that you felt sure no one had ever experienced that feeling before, all the while knowing you'd joined a long line of people who did the same dance to find the person they spend their lives with. — Kiera Cass

I always wondered if they'd change you. — Kiera Cass

I didn't have to worry about her, which was why she couldn't leave the palace one day. What about me? — Kiera Cass

I was overwhelmed. He understood me so well, how nervous I was about making this commitment, how frightening it was for me to become a princess. He was going to give me every last second he could and, in the meantime, lavish me with everything possible. I had another one of those moments when I couldn't believe this was all happening.
"That's not fair, Maxon," I mumbled. "What in the world am I supposed to be able to give you?"
He smiled. "All I want is your promise to stay with me, to be mine. Sometimes it feels like you can't possibly be real. Promise me you'll stay."
"Of course, I promise. — Kiera Cass

I cannot explain how two souls join. No man or element or god ever could. But you are tied to each other. Because of that - because of your true, consuming, pure love - you will thrive together . . . or you will perish together.
"I don't understand." I swallowed, trying to make sense of it all.
If he hadn't heard your voice, he'd be fine. But once he aged, however many years from now that might come, you would have found yourself deteriorating then. Or if you had disobeyed Me so fully that I had to kill you, he'd have died in the same breath. You are tied through your souls. Now, what happens to one body happens to the other. And since your voice has taken hold of him, killing him slowly, you fall down with him. Slower, of course, as you are still Mine. But it will consume you eventually, all the same. — Kiera Cass

I smiled to myself, thinking of America, measuring her against the other girls. She was pretty, if a bit rough on the edges. It was an uncommon type of beauty, and I could tell she wasn't aware of it. — Kiera Cass

Ivan held both hands in front of him as if this was very serious. My current approach is using one fork for each bite and then making a pile of them in the middle of the table. — Kiera Cass

I love you beyond paint, beyond melodies, beyond words. And I hope you will always feel that, even when I'm not around to tell you so. — Kiera Cass

December 26, 7:40 p.m.
Dear America,
I've been thinking of our first kiss. I suppose I should say first kisses, but what I mean is the second, the one I was actually invited to give you. Did I ever tell you how I felt that night? It wasn't just getting my first kiss ever; it was getting to have that first kiss with you. I've seen so much, America, had access to the corners of our planet. But never have I come across anything so painfully beautiful as that kiss. I wish it was something I could catch with a net or place in a book. I wish it was something I could save and share with the world so I could tell the universe: this is what it's like; this is how it feels when you fall.
These letters are so embarrassing. I'll have to burn them before you get home.
Maxon — Kiera Cass

I didn't realize you thought I was so flawed." I stood, turning away.
"Eadlyn, that's not what I'm saying."
"It is. That's fine." I made my way to the door. The accusation filled me with so much rage I could
barely stand it.
"Eadlyn, darling, we want you to be the best queen you can be, that's all," she pleaded.
"I will," I answered, one foot in the hallway. "And I certainly don't need a boy to show me how to
do that. — Kiera Cass

Thank you," he whispered. "At least I can know for certain that, for one brief moment of our time together, you and I felt the same thing. — Kiera Cass

If it would make you happy, I could let the staff know you prefer the garden. Then you can come out here at night without being manhandled by the guard. I would prefer if you had one nearby, though. — Kiera Cass

For a small period of time, she was the only one who understood what I was feeling. She made me feel less isolated in my sadness. — Kiera Cass

And for you to be my wife is all I want in the world. I love you. I was afraid to admit it for a long time, but I know it now. — Kiera Cass

I sniffed as a few tears escaped, lifting my hands to wipe them away. It was then that I caught the only clues I'd been given by whoever had left me here.
On one wrist someone had written You are Kahlen. The other said He is Akinli.
I flipped my hands over and searched up and down my arms, hoping there was more.
"Look," I begged, holding out my arms.
"Pretty handwriting," Ben commented.
Julie hit him, but in a way that seemed playful. "Seriously?"
"That's all you have?" Akinli asked.
"Apparently. So, all I know is who I am and who you are." I looked into his eyes, the glowing blue, and sensed that was all that mattered. — Kiera Cass

Lord help the female population if Kellan and I have a boy one day. — S.C. Stephens

[But] I have come across anything so painfully beautiful as that kiss. I wish it was something I could save and share with the world so I could tell the universe: this is what it's like; this is how it feels when you fall. — Kiera Cass

I hope one of those books is a primer on etiquette. You seriously need a refresher."
"You're not queen yet, Eadlyn. Take it down a notch." He walked away, and I was furious with
myself for not getting the last word. — Kiera Cass

This was why love was a terrible idea: it made you weak. And there was no one in the world as powerful as me — Kiera Cass

You said that to get things right one of us would have to take a leap of faith. I think I've discovered the canyon that must be leaped, and I hope to find you waiting for me on the other side. — Kiera Cass

- Just that. Your family must be very different from mine.
- I'd say so. - I laughed. - For one, no one wears their tiaras to breakfast.
- Maxon smiled. - More of a dinner thing at the Singer house?"
- "Of course. — Kiera Cass

Whatever happened, I'd met my person, the one my soul connected to. — Kiera Cass

Kriss put a hand on Elise's. "Almost all the girls who went home are already engaged to wonderful men. To be a part of the Selection at all makes you a prize. And you made it to the top four of the Elite at the very least. Trust me, Elise, guys will be lined up around the block for you." Elise smiled. "I don't need a line. I just need one. — Kiera Cass

You should pick one, Kiera. Pick one, and release the other. You can't keep them both. -Jenny — S.C. Stephens

Criticism was heavy these days, and that one scrap of praise was like water in the desert. — Kiera Cass

Come throw your heart into the waves
Your soul is lost, and still it saves
Drink me in and come undone
Trade a thousand lives for one
Come away, drink it in
Drink and sink and let it end
Drink and sink and let it end
You are no more, you are no less
For all must die, all must rest
Bring your body unto me
Let your graveyard be the sea
Come away and drink it in
Drink and sink and let it end
Drink and sink and let it end — Kiera Cass

You are Eadlyn Schreave. You are the next person in line to run this country, and you will be the
first girl to do it on your own. No one," I said, "is as powerful as you. — Kiera Cass

I'm Eadlyn Schreave and no one in the world is as powerful as me. — Kiera Cass

I vote for a comedy," I said as we went down the stairs, Maxon leading the way. "I vote for action." "Well, you just said I was worth it, so I think I'm going to win this one. — Kiera Cass

Live your life. Be happy as you can be, let go of the things that don't matter, and fight. — Kiera Cass

One rebellious penny that must have been sticky stayed glued to the bottom. — Kiera Cass

Well, the one thing I've thought about is having dad give me away. You know when he takes your hand and he puts it in the hand of the person you marry? That's the only part I've ever wanted. — Kiera Cass

Maxon managed to pull me even closer. "I was saving this one. I've put in time with all the other girls, so my obligations are over. Now I can enjoy the rest of the evening with you. — Kiera Cass

Break the stupid rule, Eadlyn. Marry the man you love. If he's good enough for you to approve of, then I certainly do. And if the people don't, that can be their problem. Because who are you?"
"I'm Eadlyn Schreave, and no one in the world is as powerful as me," I blurted without thought.
He nodded. "Damn right you are. — Kiera Cass

saying - "

Lady Brice's next words were lost because, without any warning, Grandma flung the door open.

"You really need to ask permission first," a guard warned her in a hushed tone.

She kept walking toward me. "Well, my girl, it's time for me to head out."

"So soon?" I asked, embracing her.

"I can never stay too long. Your mother is recovering from a heart attack, and she still has the audacity to order me around. I know she's the queen," she conceded, raising her hands in the air in surrender, "but I'm her mother, and that trumps queen any day."

I laughed. "I'll remember that for down the road."

"You do that," she said, rubbing my cheek. "And if you don't mind, get yourself a husband as soon as you can. I'm not getting any younger, and I'd like to see at least one great-grandchild before I'm dead." She stared at my stomach and shook her finger. "Don't let me down."

"Ooooookay, Grandma. — Kiera Cass

My day isn't complete until I'm deep inside you. Your body wrapped around mine is the only way I feel whole. But don't think it's just sex and a physical response to you that I'm feeling. It's not ... it's so much more. You've opened me in a way that leaves me bleeding, vulnerable. Being with you, making love to you, it only solidifies what I feel for you. I know that I've become one of those spouting, love-sick idiots, but what it all boils down to is three words that don't mean nearly enough ... I love you. Letter from Kellan to Kiera. — S.C. Stephens

It felt like a wonderful secret that I could revisit in the middle of one of Silvia's boring lessons or another long day in the Women's Room. — Kiera Cass

We've got to stop being afraid of the change. — Kiera Cass

I was wondering If I was going to get a dance at all," I commented, trying to sound playful.

Maxon managed to pull me even closer. "I was saving this one. I've put in time with all the other girls, so my obligations are over. Now I can enjoy the rest of my evening with you. — Kiera Cass

I was wondering," he began, murmuring the words into my cheek as I rolled over. "Seeing as it's my birthday, do you think we could get away with spending the entire day in bed?"
I smiled and forced my sleepy eyes open. "And who will run the country?"
"No one. Let it fall to pieces. So long as I have my America in my arms. — Kiera Cass

I looked away. That wasn't something I could promise. I weighed Maxon and Aspen in my heart over and over, and neither of them ever had a true edge. Except, maybe, when I was alone with one of them. Because, at that moment, I was tempted to promise Maxon that I would be there for him in the end. — Kiera Cass

Your name will be in a history book one day, and some bored ten-year-old will memorize it for a test and then forget all about you. You have a job, just like everyone in the world. Stop acting like it makes you more or less than anyone else. — Kiera Cass

But if it was always a point of speculation, where one person insisted it was a certain way and another denied it, how would anyone ever hold on to the truth? — Kiera Cass

They slow dance when it rains. I have no idea why, but every
time the sky turns gray, you'll find them together." I smiled. "I remember
once Dad barged into the Women's Room, which is completely
improper. You're supposed to be invited in. But it was raining,
and he wasn't going to wait to sweep her away. And one time
he dipped her in the hallway, and she just laughed and laughed.
She was still wearing her hair down then, and I'll never forget how
it looked like a waterfall of red. It's like no matter what happens,
they can find themselves again there. — Kiera Cass

Almost all the girls who went home are already engaged to wonderful men. To be a part of the Selection at all makes you a prize. And you made it to the top four of the Elite at the very least. Trust me, Elise, guys will be lined up around the block for you."
Elise smiled. "I don't need a line. I just need one."
"Well, I need a line," Celeste said, making us all chuckle, even Elise.
"I'd like a handful," Kriss said. "A line does sound overwhelming." They looked at me.
"One."
"You're nuts," Celeste decided. — Kiera Cass

And we had to. Because . . . because . . . For as long as it took to get to this moment, when it came it was fast. I loved Maxon. For the first time, I could feel it solidly. I wasn't keeping the feeling at a distance, holding on to Aspen and all the what-ifs that went along with him. I wasn't walking into Maxon's affections while keeping one foot out the door in case he let me down. I simply let it come. I loved him. — Kiera Cass

So I have absolutely no privacy anymore? None? Because the four of you had to check scores with each other?" His frustration was clear.
"You know, for someone concerned with honesty, you ought to be grateful."
He stopped and stared. "I beg your pardon?"
"Everything is out in the open now. We all have a pretty good idea of where we stand, and I, for one, am thankful."
He rolled his eyes. "Thankful?" "If you had told me that Celeste and I were at about the same point with you physically, I would never have tried to come on to you like I did last night. Do you know how humiliated I was?" He scoffed and started pacing again. "Please, America, you've said and done so many foolish things, I'm surprised you can even be embarrassed anymore. — Kiera Cass

Blakely, isn't it?"
"Ye-" His voice squeaked and he started again. "Yes, Your Highness."
"When we met, you couldn't stop staring at my breasts." His face went pale, as if he seriously thought he was so subtle no one would notice. "Make sure you get an equally satisfactory look at my backside as you leave. — Kiera Cass

This girl? Imagine that she depends on you. She needs you to cherish her and make her feel like the Selection didn't even happen. Like if you were dropped on your own out in the middle of the country to wander around door to door, she was always the one you would have picked. - America — Kiera Cass

In the life cycle of an intense emotion, if it isn't acted upon, it eventually peaks and then decreases. But as Dr. Linehan explains, people with BPD have a different physiological experience with this process because of three key biological vulnerabilities (1993a): First, we're highly sensitive to emotional stimuli (meaning we experience social dynamics, the environment, and our own inner states with an acuteness similar to having exposed nerve endings). Second, we respond more intensely and much more quickly, than other people. And third, we don't 'come down' from our emotions for a long time. One the nerves have been touched, the sensations keep peaking. Shock waves of emotion that might pass through others in minutes keep cresting in us for hours, sometimes days. — Kiera Van Gelder

You were the one who changed us when you left me in the tree house; and you keep thinking that if you push hard enough, you can make everything go back to before that moment. It doesn't work that way. Give me a chance to choose you. — Kiera Cass

It's like you get three lives. One with no idea how to live it, one with more power than anyone could imagine, and one with a true sense of self and the ability to pursue anything you want. — Kiera Cass

I admired the thought of a common boy feeling brave enough to face the challenge of becoming prince. But no one was going to tie me down before I was ready, and I was going to make sure those poor suckers knew what they were signing up for. — Kiera Cass

Trust me, Mer, any man who passes up the chance to be with you is the stupid one."
"You tried to pass me up," I reminded him.
"That's how I know," he replied with a smile. — Kiera Cass

And there we were, in the background of it all, holding on to one another. The Perfectionist, the Sweetheart, the Diva ... and me. — Kiera Cass

Sometimes it's what you want to do, not what you have to do. — Kiera Cass

Ean seems like the 'not here to make friends' type, but I don't think anyone could go through this without getting close to someone. It's too hard. As difficult as it is for me, I know it's just as bad for you all."

"We definitely get the better end of the deal though," he said, winking at my reflection.

I tilted my head. "I don't know about that. The more I think about it, the sadder I get about having to send all but one of you away. I'll miss having you here."

"Have you considered a harem?" he said, deadpan.

I bent over in laughter and was rewarded with a pin stabbing my waist. "Ow!"

"Sorry! I shouldn't joke when there are needles around. — Kiera Cass

What about you, America?" Kriss asked.
The only one who really caught my eye was Aspen, and after feeling that ache for him, this felt kind of stupid. I dodged the question.
"I don't know. They're all kind of nice."
"Kind of nice?" Celeste echoed. "You have to be kidding! These are some of the best-looking guys I've ever seen."
"It's only a bunch of boys without their shirts on," I countered. "Yeah, why don't you enjoy it for a minute before it's just the three of us you have to look at," she said snippily.
"Whatever. Maxon looks just as good without his shirt on as any of those guys. — Kiera Cass

If there's one thing I've learned from being in the Selection, it's that some girls have a frightening killer instinct. Don't let the ball gowns fool you, she finished with a smile. — Kiera Cass

Maxon, you were the one who said you wanted to stop arguing. So stop giving me reasons to argue with you! — Kiera Cass

But ... maybe I could find something. Maybe there would be one person who'd still want to kiss me when I had a runny nose or would rub my shoulders after a long day of meetings. Maybe I could find someone who didn't seem so scary, who made letting him past the wall seem natural. But all that still could be asking for too much. — Kiera Cass

Of all the lies you've told me, that's the one I resent the most. — Kiera Cass

America, my love, you are sunlight falling through trees. You are laughter that breaks through sadness. You are the breeze on a too-war day. You are clarity in the midst of confusion.
You are not the world, but you are everything that makes the world good. Without you, my life would still exist, but that's all it would manage to do.
You said that to get things right one of us would have to take a leap of faith. I think I've discovered the canyon that must be leaped, and I hope to find you waiting for me on the other side.
I love you, America.
Yours forever,
Maxon — Kiera Cass

It took only one charged second to hear the heart that I'd had so little faith in. — Kiera Cass

My mother is in a bed with tubes down her throat, my twin is now on a different continent, and my father is holding himself together by a thread."

Stopping across from him, I continued. "I have two younger brothers to keep calm in the wake of all this, a country to run, and six boys downstairs waiting for me to offer one of them my hand." Coddly swallowed, and I felt only the tiniest bit of guilt for the satisfaction it brought me. "So, yes, I am emotional right now. Anyone in my position with a soul would be. And you, sir, are an idiot. How dare you try to force my hand on something so monumental on the grounds of something so small? For all intents and purposes, I am queen, and you will not coerce me into anything. — Kiera Cass

I wanted everything from and everything for him, because I wanted every piece of him. — Kiera Cass

The Best people all have some sort of scar- America Singer, The One — Kiera Cass

If there are no pop stars churning out those mind-numbing songs, then there are no musicians in the booths backing them up, no clerks running back and forth with tapes, no shop owners selling the music. Taking out one person at the top destroys thousands at the bottom. — Kiera Cass

Fight," I said to no one in particular. Then remembering where I was, I turned to the camera. "Fight. The rebels are bullies. They're trying to scare you into doing what they want. And what if you do? What kind of future do you think they'll offer you? These people, these tyrants, aren't going to suddenly stop being violent. If you give them power, they're going to be a thousand times worse. So fight. However you can, fight. — Kiera Cass

For those of us with BPD, entering into a shared experience means passing through the ring of fire that leaves us feeling even more burned - and in this case branded with a label no one would ever choose to wear. — Kiera Van Gelder

It wasn't all that long ago that he'd stood where I did, that my mom's face was one of many in his
world. And yet, despite all the impediments and all the time that had passed, they were still deeply in
love.
It was obvious in everything, from their shared room to the way they fretted over each other to the
way they seemed to be incapable of not flirting with each other even after being married so long. — Kiera Cass

I've been so foolish," I said, my breath catching. I'd fought hard against the tears, but I couldn't anymore. "I kept letting the crown scare me out of wanting you. I told myself that you didn't really matter to me. I kept thinking that you had lied to me or tricked me, that you didn't trust me or care about me enough. I let myself believe that I wasn't important to you." I stared at his handsome face. "One look at your back says you'd do damn near anything for me. And I threw it away. I just threw it away. . . . — Kiera Cass

I'm tired of fighting with you, America," he said quietly. I looked up and saw the sincerity in Maxon's eyes as he continued. "I like that we disagree - it's one of my favorite things about you, actually - but I don't want to argue anymore. Sometimes I have a bit of my father's temper. I fight it, but it's there. And you!" he said with a laugh. "When you're upset, you're a force! — Kiera Cass

One of the things that I've learned from the Selection so far is that moving forward means joining your life before coming to the palace with the future that lies in front of you. I'm hoping to make another step in joining those two worlds today. — Kiera Cass

I wanted to make a good first impression with these girls - and a good second impression with one - and apparently I was convinced this all hung on picking out the right tie. I sighed. These girls were already turning me into a puddle of stupid. — Kiera Cass

It's a funny thing that to be a product of a fairytale romance. It's another thing to think you might find one yourself. You can read the stories and watch the movies, you can think you know how it all unfolds. But the truth is love is as much fate as it is planning, as a beauty as it is a disaster. — Kiera Cass

I'd heard my mom talk about your first love being the one that sticks with you — Kiera Cass

It was dark, so I couldn't make out much of her face, but she had brilliant red hair, like honey and roses and the sun altogether. — Kiera Cass

Maxon has to pick you," Lucy cried. "You're the only one — Kiera Cass

It seems to me that we value individuality, but only to a point. When what sets one person apart from another is beyond our understanding or becomes too much to handle, we dismiss the quirk and the soul that accompanies it to give ourselves the greatest comfort. What does that accomplish? — Kiera Cass

None of us is an Amberly, are we?" "I like shocking people too much," Celeste said with a smile.
"And I'd rather hide than do half the things she has to." Elise ducked her head.
"I'm too wild." I shrugged my shoulders, embracing my faults. "I'll never have her confidence," Kriss mourned.
"So there. We're all messed up. But Maxon has to pick one of us, so there's no point worrying anymore. — Kiera Cass

America Singer, one day you will fall asleep in my arms every night. And you'll wake up to my kisses every morning. — Kiera Cass