My chest tightens. “I’m sorry if I can’t believe you.” I practically spit the words to combat the wretched hope burrowing in my core.

“I don’t blame you.” The corners of his mouth turn down. “But I’ll do whatever it takes to prove you can trust me.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible,” I whisper.

“Impossible is my specialty.” His mouth twitches, and his hands run down my arms, scooting me closer to him. “Honestly, when I first met you, I expected you to be a pain.”

I raise my eyebrows, unable to squelch the glimmer of annoyance he always inspires in me—which is somehow reassuring—and sniffle. “Thanks.”

He bites his lower lip. “All I knew was you were some sexy Influencer chick that had guys falling at her feet.”

My stomach drops.

“I figured the last thing you needed was some guy following you around like a lost puppy,” he continues. “And I’ve also never considered myself ‘some guy.’”

“You’re definitely not ‘some guy,’” I say, pressing my lips together, suppressing the outrageous urge to giggle.

“I wasn’t lying when I said my parents made me hang out with you.” He wrinkles his nose. “They did, at first. But I didn’t know how to get close to you without coming off as some weird stalker.”

“And that’s why you picked me as your partner?” Disappointment thuds in my chest.

His eyes widen. “No. Not at all. By then I’d realized you weren’t some big-shot Influencer. You were cute and quirky and funny and brave, and you kept me on my toes. I liked you. But that was dangerous because I’m not allowed to like you.”

Heat surges up my spine, and I nod. “Keystone Code.”

“Exactly.” He frowns. “I wanted you close, but I also had to keep my distance.”

An ache grows deep in my belly, a burning desire for everything to be possible, to be free of the past and barreling toward a bright future. I know it in my bones. I want my new life to be true. Rayelle and Sophia and Stewart and…Garrett. I want to believe him. I remember what Allard told me my first day at Keystone…about forgiveness changing my understanding of the past so it no longer limits my future. I can’t change the past, but I can change how I react to it. Death is a beginning. That night was the beginning of my life…

An involuntary smile plays on my lips, and I bury the grief. Enough. Inhaling, I breathe in my future. “Thank you for telling me all of this. In some ways it’s nice to know someone else understands where I’m coming from.”

“I understand you more than you know,” he says. “Do you remember I told you you’re the only person at Keystone who is any competition for me?”

My heart skips. “Yes…”