In a sudden moment of clarity, I thought if I could have shown my younger self any glimpse into the future it would have been this one; I would have wiped her tears away, kissed her on the forehead, and told her Look how much better it’ll get. You’ll find people you won’t have to hide from, and you’ll fall in love. With her, and with yourself too. Just hold on a little longer.

She probably would have never believed it then, just like I wouldn’t have believed it if anyone had told me on my first day here that the girl sitting in the windowsill with a cigarette between her fingers and thunderstorm eyes would end up becoming this to me.

Now, I leaned in, every touch as natural as breathing, and pressed my lips to the dimple in her cheek, just because a few months ago I wouldn’t have known it was there and because I could.

“About time.”

The End

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I started writing this book when I had just turned sixteen, barely just out to my parents and still very much struggling with my sexuality. Had someone told little closeted me then that roughly four years later this silly little story I was working on every day after school would end up as an unapologetically queer novel people could buy in bookstores, I would have never believed them.

Since its beginning—a rough, rough beginning—on Wattpad, this book has been touched by so many incredible people without whom this story wouldn’t be what it is now.

I want to thank the amazing team at Wattpad for taking a chance on this story: Ryan LaPlante, who stumbled upon the first draft and somehow saw potential in it. The Wattpad Stars team, especially Irina Pintea and Emma Szalai, who helped me so much on my writing journey. Carmen Ho, who had to wade through the massive manuscript it was at the time it entered the Paid Program, and somehow still showed it so much love.

The Wattpad Books team: Robyn Cole, who witnessed me making a fool on the phone when I was offered this publishing deal; I-Yana Tucker, my wonderful talent manager, who got up early to get on calls with me on the other side of the world and replied to all my panicked emails at lightning speed, making this whole process way less scary with her supportive older sister energy; Jada Parada-Hemmings, who worked hard to make me seem like a real author; Hannah Drennan, who designed the absolute cover of my dreams; Rebecca Sands, whose amazing first notes pushed the first draft from a Wattpad story to something that actually felt like a real novel; Jen Hale, who’s my personal hero simply because of her talent for catching al those pesky little errors and inconsistencies all while leaving the funniest, sweetest in-line comments; and last but not least Deanna McFadden, my incredible editor who was so gentle with me throughout the most draining editing stages and who taught me lessons about writing that I’ll always treasure.