“He's going to hurt you," Al said, looking at Pierce. "I can take care of you, teach you to survive. Be there for you, even if you do hate me."
I shivered. "I don't want him," I said, and Al turned away, seeming smaller somehow.”

“I sighed. "And what am I to you, Al?"

"My maid," he said brightly. "Shall we do this?”

“I don't want you to rescue me you said, go home you said.”

“You hit me the instant I saw you." he said, gruffly. "I couldn't look away. I wanted you immediately. Excessively. Almost violently.”

“I don't care what you do to me, but I don't want you to hurt me. I've had enough hurt already in my life. More than enough. Now I want to be happy.”

“I don't like this," he said. I don't like knowing you can't forgive me, Claire. Please, I said I was sorry, what do you want me to do? Beg? I will. I'll get on my knees right here if you want.”

“Can you trust me, he said. Not will you. Can you.
Can I trust him?
What do I have to lose?”

“I thought you'd like it," he said, seeming hurt. "You look very pretty.”

“"You love God, don't you?" Nicholson asked, with a little excess of quietness. "Isn't that your forte, so to speak? From what I heard on that tape and from what Al Babcock —" "Yes, sure, I love Him. But I don't love Him sentimentally. He never said anybody had to love Him sentimentally," Teddy said. "If I were God, I certainly wouldn't want people to love me sentimentally. It's too unreliable."”

“I never cared,” he said. “I wanted you anyway. I always wanted you.”