Approaching headlights startle us back to reality, the car zooming past our hidden road. We sit back in our seats, breathing like we’ve just run up the mountain. “No more,” Levi huffs. “Stop distracting me.”
I laugh at him, and he pushes on the accelerator, a little hard, a little excited, which makes me laugh harder. With the mountain road winding ahead and his hand over mine on the console, I have the loveliest thought: Us, driving on forever and ever (him in his blue suit and me in my gold dress), heading straight into the sun, where I imagine the whole world is lit up in glory, and we are at the heart of it all.
The End
Acknowledgements
I’ll be surprised if I can do the thankfulness in my heart any justice on this page, but I’ll try my best.
Mama and Papa, thank you for not looking at me like I was crazy the day I told you I wanted to quit school and write full time. I’m here because of that decision, and having you on my team has made it possible. I owe you big. Emmy, Haven, and Timmy – I love you dorks so much. E&H, thanks for lending your personalities to Astrid and Millicent. The book is brighter because of them.
Carlyn, my Parabatai. Thank you for always being the first to hear an idea, the first to read snippets, and the first to get a document with the manuscript in your inbox. Thank you for loving all these crazy ideas I have and pushing me to be a better writer. I love you.
Cassie – I could never ever repay you for the hours you spent walking me through all my spastic freak-outs over this book and all the others. For giving me a million good ideas and listening to me rant about a billion more (good, bad, and ugly). Thank you for being the Ryodan to my Barrons.
Lauz – I don’t know what I’d do without you. Why is the pond so big? I miss you painfully much. Thank you for everything you do for me. I’m so glad you found me, Bebby France.
Thank you to the two ladies who edited TCP as we uncovered its final form: Nicolette and Rebecca. You are both queens.
I’m ridiculously blown away by all the hard work that every single one of my 30 beta readers went through to help me get to where I am now. Some of them even read it two and three times to help me get it exactly where I needed it. You were the first people to say, “Hey, you’ve got something good here.” You were the first to cry to me about sad things. The first to tell me what to fix, the first to fight over Levi. The first to say you connected with Bee. Thank you specifically to Marisa, Ellen, Hannah, Amelia, Mika, and Liz for all giving me advice that wildly changed this book for the better.
Thank you to my fellow 2017 debuts who have taken me under their wings and loved on me through thick and thin. I’m so blessed to be in this year with you.
I owe the biggest thanks to all the reviewers who stepped up and said, “Sierra, we’re going to make this book happen.” You did this. You did so much for me and this book and I’m so blessed by you all. Thank you to all of the Glitter Bombs – you seriously took on that name and blew me away with your incredible devotion to spreading the word about this quiet little book baby. I can’t name every reviewer, but I do need to name a few (just kidding, a lot) specifically: Jess, Mithila, Nichol, Olivia, Destiny, Pragati, Whitney, Claire, Raneem, Mollie, Helena, Becky, Allison, Andrew, Christy, Danielle, Kathleen, Erika, Shannon, Aly, Kelly, Ivey, Ruzaika, Farhina, Aurora, Mo, Merith, Mariam, Angel, Stephanie, Krysti, Bethany, Charlie, and Katie. Among many, many others.
Thank you to every person who donated to help me cover publishing costs. Your generosity blows my mind daily. I’m also so thankful to everyone who preordered and purchased TCP, and to every library or librarian who made TCP a part of your collection. You all make it possible for me to write more books.
And thank you to my Creator, without whom I would not be here, and neither would this book. Thank You for loving me.