“New family seems settled in.” I gestured at his old house where two kids were riding scooters in the driveway. It was early evening still and the night air had lost almost all of its winter bite. Spring wasn’t far off now.

“Yeah, they do.” He stared for a long moment before driving on. He turned toward our old school. “I’m going to tell Bruno everything. Everything. He deserves the truth and he deserves to hear it from me.”

“He does,” I agreed as he passed the school, heading for a narrow park where we’d learned to ride bikes together. I waited until he’d pulled into the nearly empty parking lot before adding, “I’m proud of you.”

“I’m proud of me too.” His bashful smile made me melt.

“Did you bring me here to seduce me? Because I’m good with that plan.”

“I spent three hours detailing this car. You’re tempting, though.” He gave me a fast kiss that was all too light.

“No butt prints, got it.” I grinned at him.

“Goof.”

I didn’t tell him that he loved that about me because the emotion was already there in his eyes, waiting for me to say it back. And even now the words felt too big for my mouth. Bigger than maybe my brain and my heart could hold. I felt them, but speaking them was scary, an admission of how very much I was trusting Milo, how much I stood to lose, and how much I wanted that forever with him. Instead, I kissed him again, this time getting the lingering kiss I craved, and hoped he knew what I couldn’t yet say.

“I never taught you to drive a stick,” he said mournfully as we broke apart. “And now I can’t risk the clutch—”

“It’s okay.” I silenced him with another kiss. “There will be other cars.”

“Yeah. There will.” He met my gaze, eyes glowing in the evening light. We’d get more chances. More adventures. “I’m ready now. Ready for whatever happens with Bruno.”

“You are. You’re inspiring.” I stroked his prickly jaw. I was super into his scruff, and the fact that he’d been too busy cleaning the car to shave was a nice bonus.

“Me? An inspiration? Nah.” Grinning sheepishly, he shook his head.

“You are. I didn’t think I was ready to move on after college. Didn’t think I wanted what came next. But now I do. And a lot of it is because of you. Especially this last week or so, watching you be brave.”

“If I’m brave, it’s because you’ve shown me the way. And you believed in me, even when I didn’t entirely believe in me.”