Around us, everyone started talking excitedly, already offering congratulations, but Dad held up his hand, commanding the room effortlessly. “And since my little princess will most likely be back East come the end of the school year, her mom and I wanted to make sure that her final few months with us are carried out in style.”

He pulled something from his pocket—a small box that fit in the palm of his hand. Swallowing the lump clogging my throat, I slowly reached for the tiny gift and carefully pulled off the top. Inside was a key fob with the Tesla insignia on it.

“And don’t worry, Ryan. We made sure it was safe enough, even by your standards.” Most of the crowd burst out laughing, knowing just how overprotective Ryan could get when it came to my safety. I forced a smile when Dad looked down at me expectantly. “When you move to New York, we’ll have it delivered to you if you want. But I know the boy won’t let you drive it much, so you can keep it here to have when you visit.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” I was finally able to get out through my tight throat. “This is perfect.”

I hugged him and then Mom, who was still beaming with pride over the huge acceptance envelopes.

“It’s in the parking lot now,” Mom said with a laugh. “Reid had to keep it hidden at one of the construction sites all week.”

I shot a mock glare at Max, Elias, and Lyric. “So that’s why they wanted me inside, to keep me from seeing Reid driving the car over?”

“Guilty,” she confirmed, still laughing as I got winks from the three guys. “You should take Ryan for a quick drive in it. Show him how safe it is before he loses his mind.” Her laughter faded as she glanced over my shoulder, and I knew she was looking at him. “Why is he all the way over there? Did I miss something while I was busy? Are you two fighting?”

“Of course not,” I assured her, stepping back. “I was just about to go talk to him and thank him for coming.”

“Thank him for…” Her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You haven’t talked to him all day, have you?” I shrugged. “But you’re not fighting?”

“It’s nothing, Mom.” I stepped away from her. “See, I’m going to talk to him right now.”

“Nova.” She caught my hand. “Did he even know about you graduating early? Because the look on his face when your dad made the announcement—”

“No,” I admitted. “I haven’t found the time to tell him about my early graduation or that I might be going to college in New York in the fall.”

“Might?” She kept repeating my words like a parrot. “What is this ‘might’? You got into all three of your top choice schools. Dad and I are just waiting for you to decide which one you want before we send them a check.”