My eyes widen in surprise, feeling terrified that she’s for sure going to go to the board. “I couldn’t let you lose your job over me,” I start to explain, but my throat closes up.

“Aspen, stop.” He wipes the tears under my eyes. “I’ve been falling for you since the moment I first laid eyes on you. When I first saw your paintings, I knew I needed to know who that girl was.” He brushes his finger across my cheek, and I shiver. “But more importantly, I knew you were going to change my life.”

I close my eyes and smile, pulling in a deep breath as he continues.

“I should’ve fought for you. I should’ve known better, but I let my own insecurities make me think less of you. I thought by letting you go that easily, I’d be sparing my own feelings. But it didn’t. It only made me realize what an ass I was because I should’ve been more confident in our relationship. I knew you better than that and for that, I’m sorry. God, Aspen. I’m so damn sorry.”

My breath hitches at his words. He sounds so vulnerable, but his words are genuine and strong.

“I’ll fight. I’ll fight for you. For us. And this time, I won’t let you walk away from me. When I saw you at the hospital, I shouldn’t have let you walk away. You deserved for me to fight harder even if you were the one ripping my heart out.”

The corners of his lips tilt up in a sly grin.

“I’ve waited for someone like you to come into my life, and I’m not just going to let you get away. I admit I was scared. But with you, all that doubt and uncertainty vanishes. Every day without you has felt empty and pointless.”

And just like that, the world around us fades away, because here at this moment, it’s only him and me. No one else matters.

“How can I love when I’m afraid to fall…” I repeat the words of the song that he titled the piece from as the tears continue falling down my cheeks. I know my eyes are bloodshot and my makeup is smeared, but I don’t care.

“But watching you stand alone, all my doubt suddenly goes away somehow,” he continues the song, his eyes staying fixed on mine. He brushes a finger, wiping my cheeks.

“I’m sorry I had to hurt you. The impact of not having you in my life really opened my eyes to what heartbreak was, and now that I know, I never want to feel that way again.”

“I promise you, Aspen. You’ll never have to. Because this is it. I want you, and I don’t care who all knows.”

“But how?” I choke out. “How can we be together?”

His deep dimples reappear, giving me all the reassurance I need. “I’m not working at the college anymore. I won’t be your professor, and we won’t be breaking any rules.”

I shake my head. “I can’t let you quit your job for me. Not when you have Natalia to take care of. I can’t be that selfish.”

He pulls me closer, his lips brushing softly against mine. “It’s too late. I took another job offer. A much better one, in fact.”

My brows rise. “You did? Where?”

“You’re looking at it.”

“Here?” I gasp.

“Aunt Mel is retiring next year, and Mr. Cross asked who she’d recommend taking over her position. She mentioned me before I even told her about you. Once I did, she made it official. So I’ll do a year of training, working under Aunt Mel until she officially retires.”

“Oh my God!” I squeal, nearly laughing and crying at the same time as I tightly hug him. “You’re going to work here?” I ask, pulling back.

“That’s right, Ms. Evans.”

“Great, you went from being my professor to being my boss.” I snort. “I’m pretty sure there’s a work policy on dating employees or something.”

“Well…I won’t officially be your boss until next year, which means we have the whole year until we have to start breaking the rules.”

I laugh, wrapping my arms around him. “You sure do love pushing the limits, Professor Hampton.” I press my mouth to his, pulling his lower lip in between my teeth and sliding my tongue inside.

“And you sure love the consequences.”

“Only when they double as benefits.” I wink.

He laughs, tightening his hold on me. His features turn serious as he grips my chin with his fingers. “Falling in love with you has been the best experience of my life. I hope you know that. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. I love you, Aspen.”

The smile drops from my face as I soak in his words. My heart rate speeds up as the tears surface, my body humming at how those words affect me.

“Falling in love with you has been the hardest experience of my life, but it was worth every moment to hear you say those words.”

The corners of his lips tilt up in a satisfied smile, his dimples appearing just enough so you can see the creases in his cheeks. He brushes a thumb over my chin and pulls me to him, his mouth covering mine in a slow, soft kiss.

My body takes over, eager to taste and feel him again.

And it’s everything and more.

“I love you, Morgan,” I whisper against his lips. “More than I ever thought was possible to love someone else.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

ASPEN

For six years, my life has revolved around one thing—pain. I’ve let it take over my life, fueling the guilt and anxiety for everything I lost. Although I will always love my sister and the years we shared, I can’t let it control my life any longer.

Letting go will be a constant struggle, but with Morgan by my side, I have no doubt I’ll be able to better control my anxiety. The strength I get from his support gives me confidence that I can overcome the things I’ve struggled with for so long.

I’m not sure if it was finally knowing the truth of what happened and why, or if it’s because of meeting Morgan—perhaps a combination of both—but my life is full of hope instead of constant guilt. Finally, the weight has lifted, and I’m starting to see a future full of possibilities and happiness. He’s peeled back layers I never even knew existed. He’s managed to dig his way right into my heart, the very thing I’d sworn off years ago.

Natalia and I started painting together. I bought her an easel and her own painting and drawing supplies so she can work whenever she wants. Morgan signed her up for some art workshops for kids her age at The Art Shoppe. When she isn’t burying herself with drawing, she has her face stuck in a book. She tells me about every piece she creates and even let Ms. Jones put a couple of her pieces up in the gallery after several plea attempts.

My favorite ones are the drawings of her mother. She can’t remember much about her, but she draws what she does remember. She tells me stories about her and her dad, the fun things he’d take her to, and all the pictures he’d take of them together.

I can see a lot of Ryan in Morgan and think about how much it must hurt Natalia to see the resemblance. But for her age, she’s handling it quite well. In fact, she’s starting to act like a typical eleven-year-old, laughing more easily and slowly opening up about her feelings. We’ve been able to bond over teasing Morgan about his lack of cooking skills. I’ve been trying to teach him and show him some of my techniques. He’s getting better—in that the smoke detector goes through fewer batteries than before.

Morgan and I take turns sleeping over at each other’s places. If Natalia spends the night at a friend’s or Morgan’s parent’s house, he stays with me. Otherwise, I stay over there and make sure they stay fed.

Music plays softly as I work in my studio. Different shades of purple and red paint cover my jeans and hands. The blend of warm and cool colors is the perfect mix for the abstract I’m currently working on.

The paintbrush strokes effortlessly along his jawline and cheekbones. His green eyes are bright in the mix, showing his softer and gentler side. Light purple and deep red cover the rest of him, representing the very meaning of this whole piece.