Since Josh had virtually no social life and communicated with people only via technology and only when absolutely necessary, she tried to open up his life a bit. He wasn’t agoraphobic . . . he just worked a ton, and was on the shy side. Socially awkward, rather than socially anxious. He hated loud noises, like fireworks or roaring motorcycles, which made him agitated, saying the sound hurt his brain. In groups, he had a time frame before he would shut down like a phone that abruptly lost its charge—a half hour at first, then an hour as she wooed him out more and more. But he also said he had fun, once he relaxed a little. He told her he was on the spectrum and wasn’t great at picking up cues all the time. “So if I’m being a jerk, please tell me,” he said one night, in bed, post-nooky.

“Ditto,” she said, smoothing back his hair. His earnestness . . . it got her right in the heart. “For the record, you were wonderful this past hour.”

She took him hiking, surprised that he could outpace her when, to the best of her knowledge, his only form of exercise was walking from kitchen to desk to bedroom. Then again, her asthma was worse at different times of the year. But if she got out of breath, he’d stop and look at her with those dark, dark eyes lit with that gleam of light, and she’d feel so seen, so protected and loved, that maybe it wasn’t the asthma. Maybe it was just love stealing her breath.

Love at second sight. Even though he’d insulted her way back when she was a twitty freshman, she had to give him points for being right. She had been shallow. She had been measuring her worth in cuteness, good cheer and popularity.

She didn’t anymore. Her father’s death, her mom’s change in personality, the birth of Sebastian, her involvement in things like the community center, her desire to do well at her job . . . she’d grown up.

She wanted to be worthy of a person like Joshua Park.

Three days after they had run into each other at the Hope Center, when she had boldly taken fate by the horns and asked him out, Lauren was in a committed relationship. Just like that. There was no conversation or discussion—they just were. They talked every day. Texted more than that. Saw each other a few times a week, then nearly every day. She woke up smiling because of him, and even though she was generally a happy person, she now understood what had been missing in her life.

Him.

His deep, calm voice caused a physical reaction that made her insides tremble and thrill. When she saw him, she was propelled into his arms by nothing short of pure joy and a truckload of endorphins.