--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I stay back, because if i get close I'll…" description: "\"“I stay back, because if i get close I'll have to roll him over and look in his eyes, and what if they're empty like Alina's were ? Then I'll know he's..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/karen-marie-moning-189_too-far_i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll_1812954.jpg" --- # I stay back, because if i get close I'll have to roll him… ![“I stay back, because if i get close I'll have to roll him over and look in his eyes, and what if they're empty like Alina's were ? Then I'll know he's gone, like I knew she was gone, too far beyond my reach to ever hear my voice again, to hear me say, I'm sorry, Alina. I wish I'd called more…” quote by Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/karen-marie-moning-189_too-far_i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll_1812954.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/karen-marie-moning-189_too-far_i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll_1812954.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/karen-marie-moning-189_too-far_i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll_1812954.jpg) > ““I stay back, because if i get close I'll have to roll him over and look in his eyes, and what if they're empty like Alina's were ? Then I'll know he's gone, like I knew she was gone, too far beyond my reach to ever hear my voice again, to hear me say, I'm sorry, Alina. I wish I'd called more often; I wish I'd heard the truth beneath our vapid sister talk; I wish I'd come to Dublin and fought beside you, or raged at you, because you were acting from fear, too, Alina, not hope at all, or you would have trusted me to help you. Or maybe just apologize, Barrons, for being too young to have my priorities reffined, like you, because I haven't suffered whatever the hell it is you suffered, and then shove you up against a wall and kiss you until you can't breathe, do what I wanted to do the first day I saw you there in your bloody damned bookstore. Disturb you like you disturbed me, make you see me, make you want me-pink me!-shatter your self-control, bring you crashing to your knees in front of me, even though I told myself I'd never want a man like you, that you were too old, too carnal, more animal than man, with one foot in the swamp and no desire to come all the way out, when the truth was that I was terrified by what you made me feel.”” [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A narrator wrestles with guilt, longing, and fear of intimacy, imagining violent fantasies while yearning for redemption. **In simple terms:** Struggle with love, guilt, and fear. Key Takeaway Confront feelings, seek honest connection. Themes guilt desire fear redemption fantasy Mood tormented conflicted intense Type literary emotional psychological When to use this quote - confessional monologue - inner dialogue - emotional breakdown Key Concepts psychology trauma attachment power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What does the narrator truly desire? - How does fear shape their relationships? A Different Perspective The violent fantasies may mask deeper vulnerability and self‑destruction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alina Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alina-wish-2130727/) [Fear Alina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-alina-2130725/) [First Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-day/) [Like Alina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-alina-909560/) [Sister Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sister-talk-1542971/) [Sorry Alina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorry-alina-2130726/) [Too far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-far/) ## Related quotes > [“There are no others like us, Alina,” he whispered. “And there never will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/there-are-no-others-like-us-alina-he-whispered-and-there-never-will-be/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [It's nice to have a sister with whom you can talk about your work and what happens in the industry. I value that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-s-nice-to-have-a-sister-with-whom-you-can-talk-about-your-work-and/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [She's my baby sister - I could talk about her till I'm blue in the face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-delevingne/she-s-my-baby-sister-i-could-talk-about-her-till-i-m-blue-in-the-face/) [Poppy Delevingne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-delevingne/) > [I really hate having to use the term 'sorority sister' when I talk to people who know nothing about D9 orgs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-really-hate-having-to-use-the-term-sorority-sister-when-i-talk-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Growing up with a sister, someone I talk to all the time, helps me appreciate women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-abrams/growing-up-with-a-sister-someone-i-talk-to-all-the-time-helps-me/) [Dan Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-abrams/) > [It's the first day of spring. 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Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [This goes out to someone that was Once the most important person in my life I didn't realize it at the time I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aviation/this-goes-out-to-someone-that-was-once-the-most-important-person-in/) [Aviation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aviation/) ## More by Karen Marie Moning > [“I can either be a victim—or a winner. Fuck victimhood. I don’t wear it well; it clashes with my wardrobe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-can-either-be-a-victim-or-a-winner-fuck-victimhood-i-don-t-wear-it/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Some things are sacred. Until you act like they're not. 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"Try holding onto that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/our-sex-is-fierce-we-will-both-be-bruised-i-want-it-to-always-be-like/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Keep hoping to see the light in her eyes. Even knowing it'll mean she's saying good-bye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/keep-hoping-to-see-the-light-in-her-eyes-even-knowing-it-ll-mean-she/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Strength wasn‘t about being able to do everything alone. Strength was knowing when to ask for help and not being too proud to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/strength-wasn-t-about-being-able-to-do-everything-alone-strength-was/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“He swapped the fistful of my shirt for one in my hair, and ground his mouth against mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/he-swapped-the-fistful-of-my-shirt-for-one-in-my-hair-and-ground-his/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [He’s so beautiful,” she said wistfully. “He’s like an angel.” “Yep,” I agreed flatly. “The one that fell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/he-s-so-beautiful-she-said-wistfully-he-s-like-an-angel-yep-i-agreed/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [And when he did that, my hands curled into fists because I thought about touching his face like maybe I could catch joy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/and-when-he-did-that-my-hands-curled-into-fists-because-i-thought/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“Flattered as I am that you count me among the beautiful people, Barrons, allow me to point out that I’m still alive. I encountered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/flattered-as-i-am-that-you-count-me-among-the-beautiful-people/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) [Explore all 940 Karen Marie Moning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) ## More Too far quotes > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [People do want to know the personal things. 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I wish I'd called more often; I wish I'd heard the truth beneath our vapid sister talk; I wish I'd come to Dublin and fought beside you, or raged at you, because you were acting from fear, too, Alina, not hope at all, or you would have trusted me to help you. Or maybe just apologize, Barrons, for being too young to have my priorities reffined, like you, because I haven't suffered whatever the hell it is you suffered, and then shove you up against a wall and kiss you until you can't breathe, do what I wanted to do the first day I saw you there in your bloody damned bookstore. Disturb you like you disturbed me, make you see me, make you want me-pink me!-shatter your self-control, bring you crashing to your knees in front of me, even though I told myself I'd never want a man like you, that you were too old, too carnal, more animal than man, with one foot in the swamp and no desire to come all the way out, when the truth was that I was terrified by what you made me feel.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karen Marie Moning" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll-have-to-roll-him-over-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Too far" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll-have-to-roll-him-over-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/karen-marie-moning-189_too-far_i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll_1812954.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/karen-marie-moning-189_too-far_i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll_1812954.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/karen-marie-moning-189_too-far_i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll_1812954.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I stay back, because if i get close I'll have to roll him over and look in his eyes, and what if they're…” — Karen Marie Moning", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Karen Marie Moning", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I stay back, because if i...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll-have-to-roll-him-over-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-stay-back-because-if-i-get-close-i-ll-have-to-roll-him-over-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```