I laughed again, then asked her if she’d gotten any of my notes. I’d left several obvious ones behind—or had Anna leave them behind—so she should have found some of them by now. Maybe the one on Griffin’s bass. Or the one with the money for the neighbors. Maybe even the one I’d tucked in the glovebox of the Chevelle. There were actually quite a few she could have found already.

Kiera admitted that she had found some, and it made me happier than I’d thought it would to hear that. She thought of me today. Did she think of me at midnight? I’d paused what I’d been doing and thought of her, mentally going over the letter I’d left for her, so we could share that moment together…if she’d gotten it. After another moment of chitchat about the notes, the curiosity was killing me, and I had to know if Kate had upheld her promise to me. “Did Kate give you hers?”

I cringed as I asked her that. Kiera liked romance books, so I knew she liked a little steamy talk, but maybe I’d gone too far. Although, in my humble opinion, it was classy steamy talk. I never once used the word cock. But, as sexy as it was, it had turned out really romantic too. It was actually a little sappy which was probably the real reason why I was cringing. But it was all true, and I wanted her to know what she did to me, what I felt for her. There is no one else for me, but you.

I could practically hear her blush when she answered me. “Um, yes, she did.”

Her not immediately elaborating was killing me. “And…did you like it?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

Relief coursed through me, and I started gushing as the tension released. “Good…because I meant every word. What you do to me, the way you affect me…I know you don’t think you’re anything special, and I think you sometimes feel like you’re not attractive enough for me, but you are. My body burns for you…I can’t deny that…I never could.” You’re everything I could ever want. How can you not see that?

Kiera’s voice was equally relieved when she spoke. “It’s the same for me, Kellan…all of it. How you affect me, how much I love you…all of it.”

She didn’t argue with me, didn’t try to convince me I could do better—I loved that. If Kiera knew how much I loved her, and fully accepted it, then maybe she wouldn’t replace me. Maybe I’d get to keep her. Something warm and satisfying started expanding throughout my chest, throughout my head, throughout my body…even my cramped legs felt it. Hope. That was what it was.