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“When you’re ready to take the big leap, you will.”

“How do you know?”

I stood and opened one of my playlists on my phone, turning it up as “I’m with You” by Vance Joy started. “Because I watched you at the theater when you talked to those technicians. You’re tougher than you give yourself credit for.”

“It’s so frustrating. All I want is for people to respect me for me and not because I’m a Crowley, you know? I want my own parents to see that.” She held up her wrist. “Dad just thinks he can buy respect with watches or cars or whatever.”

“Respect has nothing to do with money. Or it shouldn’t.” I opened my hand for her to take. “Not with my family.”

“I like that about your family.” Eliza smiled and took my hand as I helped her to her feet. I spun her out and brought her back before we began dancing in a slow circle.

Buying respect with fancy watches and cars? She was right. Definitely backward. But would she expect that someday from me?

I frowned at the broken digital watch on my wrist as a hard truth settled into my shoulders.

What could I really stand to give her that she didn’t already have?

She laid her head against my chest. “I didn’t know you could dance.”

“Your brother wasn’t the only one who took cotillion. Mom wanted me to look presentable when we went to Dad’s military balls.” I twirled her out to where she wasn’t protected by the awning. She squealed as the thunder rumbled and the rain touched her skin.

I laughed and tried to pull her back, but she yanked my arm, bringing me into the storm with her.

For the rest of the song, we spun around outside. Every part of me was soaked through, and I would’ve stayed out there with her forever if she’d let me.

But when lightning flashed a bit too close for comfort, we hurried back under the awning. Tendrils of Eliza’s long hair stuck to her cheeks, but her eyes and smile had never looked brighter.

Damn, this girl was beautiful.

“When did I tell you about Robbie’s cotillion classes?” she asked.

“First grade.” I gently lifted her hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. “You used to waltz around by yourself outside the post office.”

“That’s right. They had—”

“The best parking lot for dancing.” I smiled. “Yeah, you told me that too.”

“You remember all that?”

I gently wove my fingers through hers. “I remember everything.”

We started dancing again but stayed quiet for a long moment. The thunder and lightning had stopped, but the rain poured on.

“You know what’s the absolute worst? Thinking of exactly what you should’ve said twenty minutes after you should’ve said it.” She stopped dancing but still had her arms around me. “Sorry. I ramble when I’m nervous. I’m totally ruining this first date, aren’t I?”

Something like bubbles floated through my chest. “Is that what this is? A date?”

“Oh, I mean, it doesn’t have to be. Not if you don’t want it to—”

“I want it.” I kissed her, and everything inside of me relaxed. Kissing Eliza Crowley felt like coming home. “And never apologize for being honest. I always want you to be honest with me.”

Even if it hurts me in the end, which it probably will, because this already feels too good to be true.

She ran a hand across my jaw, making me shiver. “Reed?”

“Yeah?”

“I honestly want you to kiss me again.”