I would say that’s smart, but everything Layla does is smart. “And the Academy?”

He shakes his head.

I look at Ash for a long moment. I owe him so much, more than so much. “Thank you for being here, Ash, thank you for all of it, for…I don’t know how to tell you what it means to me.” I stop, because it’s not actually what I want to say.

But before I can continue, Ash replies, “Thank you for trusting me.”

“No. No,” I say to stop him so I can come up with the words to express how I feel. The last time we had a conversation like this I got tongue-tied and wound up saying nothing. I can’t let that happen again.

Ash looks amused. “No, you do not accept my thank-you?”

“You’re not supposed to be thanking me….” I wave my hand at him. “I’m the one doing the thanking.”

His amusement reaches his eyes. “No thank-yous. Got it. I’ll add it to the list of unkissable offenses.”

I give him a look, and he raises his hands in surrender.

I take a breath, trying to keep my flustered feeling from interfering with my honesty. “You told me once that you truly cared for me,” I say, slowly refocusing. “When most people say that, they’re talking about their emotions, about some fluttery feeling. But you showed me, and not just because you took unparalleled risks, but because you kept me grounded and made me laugh even in my darkest moments. And what I wanted to tell you is that I truly care for you, too.”

“That’s a good thing, November, because I’m certain that I’m in love with you,” he says. “And it would be awful at this point to find out that you were indifferent.”

I laugh, my cheeks getting warm. “I say the most emotional thing I’ve ever said to a guy and somehow you manage to one-up me,” I reply, grinning at him and secretly wishing he’d say it again.

He gives me a mischievous look. “Then I’ll strive to one-up you in love for as long as you let me. I can’t imagine that anyone will ever love someone more than I love you. So please, give it a try. But be prepared to lose.”

I laugh again. “I’ll take that challenge.”

He leans close, pressing his lips into mine. And in this moment, even though I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, I know that my dad is safe and that Ash loves me, and that everything is going to be okay.

Acknowledgments