“I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I’m the one who left. My point is that I was cold and my leg hurt and these kids were laughing at me out the window. And then I thought, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ Because if I was trying to make a point about how I could do it all on my own, I was doing a shit job at it.”

“Wanting to be self-sufficient isn’t a bad goal. I get that desire. I do.” Jasper was so earnest, I very nearly had to kiss him again, but I wasn’t done yet.

“Thanks. But what I realized in that moment was that I was acting exactly like my dad would have. Angry. Storming off alone. Insisting on no help.”

“Oh, Milo.”

“But maybe there’s a better way. Maybe I don’t have to do it entirely on my own.” I exhaled hard, because this was tricky, the balance between being needy and being resourceful, between being a loner and being independent, and between being stubborn and being smart. Even now I wasn’t sure I had it right.

“You don’t have to do it all. But I don’t think you’re in the wrong for wanting to. And I was trying to take over a bit. I get why you needed me to back off.” Jasper’s expression was as earnest as I had seen it as he held my gaze. “You’re not your dad. You’re never going to be your dad. You’re a way better person and always have been.”

“Maybe not always.” Unable to keep looking at him, I studied my scuffed shoe.

“No, I mean it.” Jasper tilted my chin up with his fingers. “Unlike him, you’ve owned up to your mistakes.”

“I’m trying.” I met his determined gaze, wanting to convey how much it meant that he believed in me.

“You’re doing a good job.”

“Thanks.” That did it. I had to give him another kiss, this one more lingering. “And maybe it’s okay to admit when I need help.”

“And when you don’t. It needs to be your plan.”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“So tell me what the plan is and how I can help. I want to help.” Jasper squeezed my arm.

“I figured I’d wait until morning, then take the car to my dad’s friend, the one storing Bruno’s car, find out what a fair price would be, hope I don’t get screwed—”

“Is this the part where I can offer help?” Jasper was practically bouncing next to me, a sure sign that he’d had a big idea.

“You can offer to help.”

“I might not be a car guy, but I am an expert at pricing rare items and at research. I can make sure you’re getting a good deal. If you want, I mean.”