Morgan crossed the room and rushed into his strong arms. Ethic. Her Ethic. She loved no one like she loved him. How she had put him at risk she didn’t even know. She had been so stupid. Her jealousy of Alani and the attention Ethic gave her had made Morgan slip and share a secret no one should have ever known. But Bash knew, and now he was using it to hold her hostage. Morgan squeezed Ethic so tightly as they stood there. She wanted to tell him. Wanted to ask for help because he had the power to free her, but to get his help, she’d have to admit to the ways she had exposed him. She would have to look him in the eyes and tell him she had betrayed him. She wasn’t that girl anymore. The jealous, selfish girl who didn’t want him to find love. She loved Alani now. They were her family. Nothing had changed after he’d married Alani. In fact, things had gotten better. She’d gained a confidante in Alani. Their family had grown and was continuing to grow, and they included Mo every step of the way. Now Ethic was at risk because she had been stupid.

“I’m so sorry if I ever hurt you, Ethic,” she said.

Ethic pulled back to stare in her eyes. Morgan diverted her gaze because he could pull the truth out of the most skilled liar, and she wasn’t even that great at mistruths.

“You never have, Mo. You’ve been the light in a lot of dark days, and that hasn’t always been fair to you. I gave you my very best, and I’m glad it was enough to get you here,” he said.

“It was everything,” she said, smiling as she laughed a little while he cleared her tears. The forehead kiss he delivered felt glorious. Nobody loved like Ethic.

“You think Alani can fix this for me? It’s kind of long,” Mo said, glancing down and pulling at the fabric of her graduation gown.

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to, Mo,” Ethic said. Mo removed her cap, and Ethic took it from her hands. She smiled with half her heart as she watched him take in the decorations she had covered the top with. A collage of pictures. Her family. Raven. Her father. Her mother. Ethic. Eazy. Bella. The twins and …

“You put Alani on here,” he said. Not much surprised Ethic, but this gesture certainly did. Mo’s history with Alani was rocky. It had been a challenge for Mo to even accept her, so the move was unexpected.

“I was wrong about her,” Morgan said. “I wasn’t easy on her, and she never gave up on me or this family. I’m really glad to have her.” Mo paused. “I’m glad you have her.”