When they were gone, Kayla turned to face Carl. He put his arms around her and drew her close, pressing his forehead against hers. She clung to him, relishing in the security his arms offered. “This doesn’t change the way I feel about you, Carl. I’m just doing this to save my ass.”
“I know.” His voice was hoarse as though the words pained him.
“I told you before that I never told Pretz I loved him,” she admitted, touching Carl’s face with her fingertips. She wished she could stay in his arms forever. “I don’t want to make the same mistake again.”
“What are you saying?”
Her eyes softened as she looked up at him. It was time to let go of the past and consciously reach toward a future. No matter what happened, she wanted that future to be with Carl. He’d been her anchor, grounding her whe
