LEILA'S POV
Gale's statement hung in the air between us like something tangible. I wondered how I was supposed to get out of this now that I had been put on the spot. For a moment, a part of me invited me to picture my life with Gale in it. It definitely would be one of ease, one where I would have a shot at controlling my own life. If I hadn't felt something so strong for someone before, I would have said yes to Gale. But having once experienced that feeling, every other feeling paled by comparison.
I was beginning to think that I perhaps shouldn't have hung out with Gale quite so often. Though I was always careful to keep our interactions on a purely friendly footing, it still might have given Gale the impression that I was into him.
"I'm sorry, but no," I said. "I- I'm not ready fo
