I laugh. "Sure you are."
“Zara." His hand settles against my waist. "I'm serious. You’re amazing."
The excitement growing inside me feels almost ridiculous now that I’ve finally spoken it aloud, but it won’t stop growing, and suddenly I can't stop talking. Because now that I've said it aloud, I can see it all:
The garage. The clubhouse. Dad’s office. Helping Locke with Knox's bullshit. Working on the bikes when I’m not.
Being useful, being busy. Being close to my family, close to Locke. Close to the life I'm building instead of the one I lost. Every possibility open to me. Every imagined future close enough to grasp.
And somewhere in the middle of explaining all of it, I realize that Locke has gone quiet, and he’s watching me like a hawk.
I stop talking. “What?”
His gaze meets mine.
