I move over to the bed and take her hand, pulling her down to sit with me. I keep her hand in mine and rub my thumbs over her knuckles for a few seconds before I look her in the eyes. “I think you’re really brave,” I tell her, causing her to look down. I place my fingers under her chin and lift her gaze up so she has to look at me. “What you did back there, telling the truth and apologizing, that takes a lot of guts, and it’s something not a lot of adults can do. I’m really proud of you.”

“Thank you,” she says quietly.

“Which means I need to do the same.” I continue to stroke her hand. “I’m sorry for not answering the question back there properly. I don’t want to hurt you, and I don’t want to be in a position where I might hurt you, because you deserve to find the right person to make you happy, not bring you tears. Do I think I can be that person? I do,” I say with a nod. “But there is something I need to take care of first, and before I commit to you, I need to deal with that.”

“I understand completely.”

“But I need you to know something before you leave this cabin, okay?”

She nods.

“I need you to know that this is not goodbye. That when you get back to the city, I will most likely be at your doorstep, wanting to see you. Wanting to hang out. Just wanting to talk. I’ve grown accustomed to having you around, and I can’t just go without talking. How do you feel about that?”

“I feel the same.”

“You do?” I ask, surprised.

“Yes. I do.”

“Okay…good. That’s⁠—”

“But I’m also hesitant,” she adds.

“And I get that, and I know that earning your trust is something I’ll have to work on.”

“I trust you, Wilder.”

“Trust in what I can provide,” I say, wanting to clarify. “I know you’ve been through a lot. If there’s one thing I don’t want you to ever experience again, it’s that feeling of insignificance. I’m in awe of you, and I know with certainty that I want to be a better man…for you. You deserve to be worshipped, so I’m going to prove that I can be the man who can do that. I’m going to prove that and more to you.”

“Wilder, you don’t have to prove⁠—”

“I do,” I say, feeling that answer all the way down to my toes. “I do.” I bring her hand up to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “Okay?”

She nods. “Okay.”