“Miss Harper,” Ethan said warmly, his periwinkle blue eyes sparkling with pure happiness.
That was something Sophie had taken for granted about Ethan until this moment. His eyes were always sparkling with happiness, which meant that regardless of what he went through, he was happy. That could be crazy, but it also could be something to strive for. Ethan always had a knack for seeing the good in people, for looking for the silver lining in all things grey. Perhaps, it was why he was able to live so long—centuries and centuries and centuries—and only look to be in his mid-thirties. His hair wasn’t even greying all that much.
Currently, he wore a typical suit. It wasn’t as pressed as Depogare’s usually was, but it fit his frame and didn’t possess too many noticeable wrinkles. It was blue, with brown slacks, and since spring was fast approaching the academy, he did not wear a blazer or an overcoat. Though the coldness was still bitter, more and more sunlight peeked through each day, and it was actually starting to warm up now. As much as Sophie wanted to break out her shorts and flip flops, she would miss the cold.
As cheesy as it sounded, the cold transformed her into the person she was today. She felt new, reborn, waiting for the spring so she could spread her wings and fly. Before all of this, before Will, Ethan, Jane, and everyone else, she had been on her own just trying to survive. Somehow, in her head she interpreted that to mean she was independent. But she wasn’t. She was stubborn and defensive and pushed people away.
That changed. Independence didn’t mean being alone, it meant choosing to create space for one’s self among the crowd. It meant being happy with just herself. And before AckPec, she was not happy alone. Perhaps she thought she had been, but that was because she didn’t have much of a choice otherwise. Now, she did. Now, she liked who she was. This young woman she had turned into was bold and beautiful, strong and sexy, good and graceful. She was an independent thinker and a creative doer. She had changed so much.
Yet, there were somethings that would probably always remain the same: like the color of her hair, the fact that she hated running or jogging, and her attraction to Will, no matter how badly he pissed her off.
“I wanted to talk to you about your job offer,” Sophie said. She took a deep breath, smiling as she did so. This would be one of the first decisions she had made as an adult. This was a big deal. “I want it. I’d be honored, if you’ll still have me, of course. I know it’s been a while.”
“Excellent!” Ethan exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “Of course we still want you. I’ll start the paperwork right away and—”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Sophie held up her hand and hoped she wasn’t coming off as rude. “I’m not finished.”
When Sophie reached Will’s flat, she had a thick packet of paper she needed to fill out by the end of the week so Ethan could get started on putting her in the system and setting up her new job. She would get to it later this evening, but for now, she wanted to talk to Will.
“Baby?” she called, walking to the bedroom.
“Yeah?”
Sophie wasn’t surprised to find Will sitting in bed, reading some of his comic books. She had to refrain from rolling her eyes. Now that the year was coming to a close, he could spend more of his time in quiet activities rather than entertaining a bunch of first years. Comic books were one of his guilty pleasures, and Sophie couldn’t help but playfully tease him about it every time she saw him reading them.
“I told Ethan.”
Will’s grin was nothing short of wolfish. He placed his comic book on his nightstand, strode over to her, and picked her up and spun her around. She squealed in delight.
“So it’s official, then?” he asked. “You’re going to be my intern?”
She looked down at him with a warning look in her eyes. “I’ll be Ethan’s intern assigned to all things Ignis,” she told him. “I’ll assist you with training physicals as well as conduct research with Ethan about physicals. I get a salary, medical benefits, and my own room.”
“Your own room?” Will asked. “You know you can just move in with me, right?”
“Number one, I didn’t want to assume anything,” she told him. “Number two, we’ve been together for six months. I’m not sure that constitutes as an appropriate amount of time before we can move in together. And finally, I kind of still want my own room. What if we have another big fight?”
“Okay, do you mind if I tear each one of your points down?” he asked. He didn’t wait for Sophie to respond before continuing. “Number one … Okay, well, that’s logical. I appreciate that one.” Sophie smiled triumphantly, but it did not deter him in the slightest. “Number two, you know better than to put much credence into what other people say about what makes a healthy relationship. A perfect relationship is what we make it, not for anyone else. Finally, your last reason is bullshit.”
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“You heard me.” He looked down at her with those hazel eyes, and the flecks of green seemed to shine brighter when he was focused on a specific topic. “We’re going to fight, kid. There’s no way around it. We both have tempers. We both react right away, without stopping to think about it. It’s going to happen. As long as we treat each other with respect through it all, we’ll be able to handle whatever it is we’re having issues with.
“The thing is, you can’t just run away when things get hard. That’s what your parents did to you, and that’s bullshit, too. And I’m sorry you had to go through it. But I promise you, when things get hard for you and me, and I promise you that they will, I’m not going to run away. I’m going to be right here with you. Maybe I’ll be sleeping on the couch, but I won’t leave you. Understand?”
Sophie beamed at him and took a seat at the edge of the bed so she could wrap her arms around his shoulders. “Thanks, Will,” she murmured into his shoulders. “I really needed to hear that.” She paused, sitting back so she could look at him. “There’s something else, though.”
Will said nothing, but he gave her a look that insisted she go on.
“I’ve realized,” Sophie began, making sure to keep her eyes locked with his, “that I haven’t seen much of the world. I’ve seen lots of California, but not much else. And I want to see more. I want to travel the world.”
“Okay,” Will said, and she could tell he wasn’t sure where this was going.
Sophie smiled at his attempt at patience. “So,” she continued. “This summer, I’m going to backpack throughout Europe. I’ve already talked to Jane, and she’s all for it. We already have our flights booked and have already looked into hostels. We have it all mapped out. It’s going to be the best girls’ trip ever. I’m so excited.”
Will looked like he was genuinely trying to be happy for her, but even he couldn’t mask the sadness so clearly etched out onto his face.
“What?” Sophie asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, kid,” he said, and even his voice sounded different. “I’m happy for you.”
“Will, be honest,” she insisted. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ll miss you is all,” Will said, shrugging his shoulders and looking away. “I’m not trying to guilt you out of going. I would never do that. But I’ll miss you.”
Sophie felt herself grin. She knew Will didn’t say things like that for just anyone.
“I’ll miss you more,” she told him, and she meant it. “You know I love you, right?”
“’Course, kid,” Will said, but she could tell he looked a little flustered. “I love you right back.”
“I’m being serious, Will,” she told him. The words started pouring out of her, and she didn’t know where they came from. “You changed my life. You and Ethan came to some remote place in Tahoe and found me after I thought I killed someone. You took me to AckPec and gave me a home. Do you realize just how much that meant to me? How appreciative I am for that?” She didn’t wait for him to reply. “I can’t even begin to repay you. You gave me a home. Because I’m here, I’ve met friends
I’ll probably have for my entire life. I know what it means to trust someone, to respect someone, to love someone. You are my family, Will. As is Ethan and Jane and Brielle. And you have no idea what that means to me.”
Will smiled despite himself, and before he could stop himself, he pulled her into a passionate kiss. He took a step forward, pushing her to take a step back until her back hit the wall and he towered over her.
“Kid, I’m crazy about you,” he told her against her throat. Sophie leaned her head back so he had more access to her throat. “I’ve felt that way since the first time I saw you. You’re mine and I’m yours, and that’s it. Done deal. You’re stuck with me now.”
Sophie laughed, feeling her insides turn to caramel. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she told him.
Afterward, Sophie stared up at the ceiling, her heart full, her mind content. Her fingers were interlocked with Will’s, regardless of his snoring. She would miss him when she left. Even though she would travel the world, her heart would stay here with him. This was her home now. Will was her home. She was beyond blessed. If anyone had told her a year ago she’d have a home, best friends, and a boyfriend, she would have laughed. Then she would have cried because the thought had been unbelievable to her at that point in her life.
But that changed.
It had taken her an entire school year to gain the confidence currently flowing through her veins. She had gone through more than what most teenage girls went through during high school, and that was saying something. But she knew that everything she had experienced, everything she had gone through, made her stronger and helped shape who she was. Which was a good thing because the more she found out about who she was, the more she liked it. Self-respect was elusive and hard to find, but she had acquired it.
That, more than anything else, was the most important thing that had happened to her. She fell in with Will, yes. But she fell in love with herself, and that was the best relationship she could ever hope to have.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I want to thank my daughter, Kylee. She is my inspiration, the reason I write. She’s all the dreams I’ve dreamed and didn’t remember, and she’s everything I ever wanted.
Secondly, my husband Frank for his undying love, patience, and his never-ending support. You’ve always had my back, always been in my corner through thick and thin. You have no idea how grateful I am for you in my life.
Jacob and Josh, I want you to realize with passion, hard work, and persistence, you can do anything you want—and make a living from it.
As always, thank you Big U for my blessings.
Thank you to Suzanna Lynn for this amazing beautiful eye-catching cover
Melanie for your edits, but especially for your positive comments about what worked and what you liked
Finally, my readers. I spent so much time creating these characters. I wasn’t entirely sure how they’d be taken, especially with the off-kilter relationships. But you welcomed them with open arms. Your emails squeeing over ships, yelling at me for cliffhangers, just with any message regarding the series have been amazing and sweet, and I’m so blessed to know you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This book is dedicated to YOU.
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