I laughed, but it sounded a lot like a sob. “As if.”

Sitting gingerly on the edge of the bed, I reached out and took David’s hand, pulling him closer to me. As soon as he did, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in tight for a hug. He wasn’t shaking now, and I buried my face in the crook of his neck, breathing him in. I knew this was definitely not something we were supposed to do anymore—we were in boyfriend/ girlfriend territory for sure with this kind of hug—but it felt so nice, and I’d missed it so much that I couldn’t make myself stop. Not when every time I closed my eyes, I still saw him as the Oracle, not the boy.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out, and I let my hands drift up and down his back.

“Sorry for what? You didn’t do anything wrong tonight. We knew it might go like this, and—”

But he shook his head and pulled back. “No. I don’t mean for tonight. I mean, I am sorry for that. I know it was scary. But I’m sorry for all of it.” His hands came up to cup my face, fingers cold against my skin, but I leaned into him, resting my forehead against his.

“I’m sorry I told you we should take a break. I liked you for such a long time,” David continued, making me huff out a laugh even as I reached up to curl my fingers around his.

“Even when I was beating you in spelling bees?”

David closed his eyes, a smile lifting his lips. “Especially then,” he told me, his hand cupping the back of my neck. “And I feel like I finally got everything I ever wanted, and I screwed it up.”

“You didn’t,” I promised him. “I mean, it’s not like any relationship between the two of us was going to run smoothly. Making the shift from mortal enemy to boyfie was bound to be difficult.”

He huffed out a laugh, opening his eyes. “I told you not to call me—” he started.

I kissed him.

It was stupid, probably. I never wanted to admit that Alexander was right, but if David couldn’t be saved and he would eventually be that glowing, powerful creature all the time, I’d only get my heart broken.

But maybe it was too late for that, anyway.

“Pres,” David said softly when we parted. “Is this, like, the absolute worst time in the world to tell you I love you?”

I wasn’t sure if it was a laugh or a sob welling up in my throat, but I nodded. “Pretty much, yeah.”

“We suck at timing, don’t we?”

“We do.”

And then David smiled. “Good thing we’re so good at kissing.”