Yours to Keep (Honeybrook Hollow #6)

Prologue

Cara,

I don’t know if writing this makes things easier or harder. I just know I didn’t want to leave without saying something, and I’ve never been very good at saying the right things out loud.

I keep thinking about those afternoons in the library. You pretending not to notice when I lost track of time. Me pretending I didn’t care that you always knew what I meant before I finished a sentence. I don’t think I ever told you how much that mattered to me.

I’m doing what I said I would. I’m leaving. It feels strange to write that down, like it makes it more real than I’m ready for. Everyone keeps asking if I’m excited. I am, I guess. Mostly, I’m steady. That feels like the right word.

I wanted you to know that I never took your kindness lightly. Or your patience. Or the way you listened like I was worth the effort. You were never just helping me get through a class. You were… important.

I don’t know what comes next. I don’t know who I’ll be when I come back. I just know that knowing you has already shaped me more than most people ever will.

Take care of yourself. Keep reading. Keep noticing things the way you do. The world needs people who pay attention.

Thank you—for everything.

—Jasper