Ashna stood, her face leached of color. “I have to go.” She opened the door and let herself into the elevator lobby.

He followed her. “What’s going on, Ash?”

She came to him then and grabbed his face. “I’m sorry. For everything.”

What the hell was that supposed to mean? “Tell me what I said. Tell me what to do. I know what I did was unforgivable, but please don’t leave me again.”

“It wasn’t unforgivable.” She bit her lip and looked at him in a way that made his heart burst with love and gratitude. “It wasn’t your fault.” The fierceness he’d missed shone in her eyes. “It wasn’t mine either.” She dropped a kiss on his lips. “I’m not leaving you. I promise. I just need to go right now, okay?”

“Let me take you home.”

“No, I need to do this myself. It’s something I should have done a long time ago.”

He had no idea what she meant, but she had that look again, a look that reinforced her words. She wasn’t leaving him, just leaving. Please let that be the truth. “At least let George take you home.”

That of all things made her smile. “This is the birthplace of rideshares, Rico. You’re not summoning George to drive me home, but will you please give him a raise?” She pressed a finger into the elevator button.

“Actually, you’re wrong,” he said. “Rideshares originated in Africa—Zimbabwe, it was crowdsourcing of carpools . . .” He trailed off, but it made her go up on her toes and kiss him again, hard and fierce.

He wrapped his arms around her and returned her kiss, gathered up her essence. But when she pulled away he let her go. Whatever helped her believe they’d make it, he would do.

“I love you, Ash,” he whispered into her lips before stepping away.

“I love you too,” she said simply, hands still on his face. “But that’s never been our problem.”

The elevator opened with a ding and she got in.

“I’m not leaving, Ashna. No matter what happens, I’m never leaving you again,” he said before the mirrored doors cut them off, because that much he had to say.

Chapter Thirty-Three

All through the ride home, Ashna felt oddly strong.

The way Rico looked at her filled her heart. All the things they’d said to each other filled her heart. They’d held nothing back, and she was still standing. Hope flooded her like she’d sprung a backward leak.

Something precious lay within her reach, but she couldn’t have it if she stayed the person she’d been. The only way to not be that person was to face the secrets she’d run from for so long. If Mom had been with Baba that day, what did that mean?