Taylor wondered how far that offer of help extended. Would they be willing to complete all her assignments and take the tests for her? Because that’s what she needed from them.

Stop! If you’re going to do this, you’re going to do it on your own.

Once she decided to do something, she rolled up her sleeves and got things done. A bootstrapper, through and through.

But was this the right move for her?

“I’m still not sure this is something I even want to do,” Taylor said. “I’m thinking about it, that’s all.”

“Maybe you should do more than just think about it,” London said. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but a degree will open a lot of doors for you. You could find something even better than that homeschooling job.”

Taylor knew exactly what she was missing out on because she lacked a college degree. Just days after the homeschooling job had fallen through, she’d been offered her dream job—the kind of position that would elevate Taylor’d Conditioning in a way some stupid viral video never could.

But it, too, had been snatched away.

The server arrived with their bill, and even though London insisted on paying for the fajitas she would be taking home with her, Taylor’s stomach still performed a triple backflip when she added her credit card to the leather check holder. This was her emergency credit card. Dining out at a restaurant she couldn’t afford did not count as an emergency.

No amount of mental gymnastics could justify her irresponsible spending.

Night had completely fallen by the time they made it to the parking lot. London gestured to Taylor’s car. “Will you be okay navigating the twists and turns down this hill in that thing?”

“Hey! Nessie is not a thing,” Taylor said, patting the hood of the thirteen-year-old Nissan Sentra she’d inherited from her brother. Her finger caught on a rust patch, but she’d be damned if she showed any sign of pain.

“Why don’t you drive ahead of me so that I can keep an eye on you? Just to be safe,” Samiah said. She held up a phone. “Give me about five minutes to return Daniel’s call.”

Taylor knew any argument would be futile when it came to these two. She had to admit, it was nice to know they were looking out for her.

Her hands started to tremble as she slipped behind the wheel of her car, the enormity of what she’d done tonight crashing down on her. Now that she’d shared her intentions about earning her degree, she could no longer come up with a reason not to do it.

Taylor dropped her head on the steering wheel.

“What did you do?” she groaned.