Page 58

“Yeah, baby?”

“I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier. About making things work after we leave.” She rolled onto her side to face me. “I want that. I really do. But I need you to understand something.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t choose Louisville just because you live there.”

I held her gaze.

“I know.”

“I mean it. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am, and going back to school is a big decision. I need to choose the program that’s right for me.”

“Of course you do.”

She studied me. “You’re really okay with that?”

“Heather, I told you earlier that I’d make long-distance work if I had to. I meant it.”

She let out a slow breath. “I know. I just… I don’t want you to think I’m rejecting the idea of living near you.”

“I don’t.”

“Because Louisville actually has a lot going for it.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

She smiled. “There’s this place called the AMIST hub. It’s an aerospace manufacturing and innovation center, and they’re doing some really interesting work there. Advanced materials, new manufacturing technologies, all kinds of things I’d love to learn more about.”

I listened as she started talking faster, her enthusiasm building. She told me about the research opportunities and how the work being done there could complement what she wanted to study. I didn’t understand every technical detail.

Hell, I probably understood about half of it.

But I loved watching her talk about something she was passionate about. Her eyes lit up. Her hands moved as she explained things.

I could listen to this woman talk about aerospace engineering for hours.

“So,” she said finally, “Louisville is definitely an option. A really good one, actually. But I still need to think about it.”

I brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Then think about it.”

She blinked. “That’s it?”

“What else would I say?”

“I don’t know. Maybe try to convince me to move there?”

I chuckled. “Starlight, I want you in Louisville. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But I want you happy more than I want you close.”

Her expression softened.

“And if the best program for you is somewhere else, then that’s where you should go.”

She stared at me for a moment. “You really mean that.”

“Every word.” I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You’ve got dreams, Heather. Big ones. And I’m not going to be the asshole who gets in the way.”

She smiled. “You’re getting pretty good at this boyfriend thing.”