Beginning to feel foolish, I finally scribble Every moment meant everything. I don’t bother signing my name the way I did on the last note I left him. I don’t think Jace will have any doubts about who is gifting him a car worth a hundred thousand dollars. I place the envelope back on the supple leather seat, then shut and lock the car door.

I walk up the brick pathway and ring the doorbell.

The same guy who talked to me in the dining hall after the party opens the door. I groan internally. I was hoping Anderson would be the one to answer.

Jace’s housemate simply stares at me.

“I’m Vivienne,” I state.

“I know.” His tone is flat.

“And you are…” I prompt.

“Kenny,” he answers. “That car your doing?”

“It’s a gift for Jace.”

Kenny scoffs. “The weekend getaway wasn’t enough?”

I look at him in surprise, well aware Jace told his teammates he had a family obligation this past weekend.

Kenny notices my confusion. “Please, no one on the team bought that story for a second.”

“Can you just give these to Jace when he gets back, please? I have to get going or I’ll be late for my first class.”

I hold the keys out, but Kenny doesn’t take them.

“I’ve known Jace since middle school. We grew up two towns apart and went to all the same football camps. He’s never missed practice for a girl. Never.”

“Jace can make his own decisions. I didn’t force him to do anything he didn’t decide to do,” I contend.

Kenny studies me. “It seems like you actually care about Jace, so let me give you some advice. Despite what might have happened this weekend, football is the most important thing to Jace. Money is tight for Jace’s family. He’s got a real chance to play professionally, and if he does, it’ll make a huge difference for not only his future. People don’t make it to the pros by missing practice the week before playoffs for a vacation. Jace may have decided to go, but the only reason he went is because you asked him to.”

His words play on a loop over and over again through my head. He went because you asked him to. He went because you asked him to. He went because you asked him to.

I was so focused on the possible repercussions our getaway could cause me that I never even considered the consequences they could have for Jace.

I wonder what Kenny will think when I permanently disappear from Jace’s life in just a couple of weeks. Based on the scowl he’s wearing, my absence will be welcome. Despite the uncomfortable sensation of being glared at, I’m glad Jace has friends who are protective. Who care about his success and his future.

“I have to go. Just give him these, please.” I hold the keys out again. This time, Kenny takes them.

I rush back down the brick path, cursing when I climb in the car and see the time on the dashboard. Quickly, I shift the car into reverse and zoom down the empty street, grateful Jace lives so close to campus. I follow the signs to Bryant Hall, pulling into one of the last available spots in the lot. Grabbing my bag off the seat, I take off toward the building’s entrance, pressing the lock button on the car key over my shoulder as I do.