“Don’t. Don’t,” I beg.
“I fancy you,” he says, and he pushes his hair away from his eyes, the way he used to do when working on a boat. For a second I see him there, in the watery light of the workshop. He is building something. He is the happiest when he’s building something.
“I fancy you,” I manage.
I watch him go. I notice his every detail: his slow gait, the lines of his neck, the late-May tinge to his skin. He is Wil Hines, no one else. He is not his father, and he is not just the boy who killed him. He is the boy who loved his mother enough to save her. He is the boy who loved me enough to forgive my thousands of sins. And I will love him through this. I watch him swim out far past the breaker until he’s a dot and then the horizon swallows him and he is nothing at all. I will stay on the shore. Anchored here, always. Waiting for him to come back to me.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
WRITING a novel is always a team endeavor, and that has proven to be particularly true in this case. Thank you first to the most incredible editorial duo out there: Lanie Davis and Hayley Wagreich. You have poured your hearts and souls and superbrains into this project, and I am enormously thankful for your hard work. You have been thoughtful readers and critics, tireless cheerleaders, and on-call therapists. I could not have told this story without you. The dream team at Alloy Entertainment has been there not only from the start of this book, but also from the beginning of my career, and I am so very grateful for their continued support. Sara Shandler, Josh Bank, and Les Morgenstein: thank you. There are so many wonderful souls at Harper who have helped to bring this project to life. Jen Klonsky: thank you for believing in this project. Thank you for so graciously giving Wil and Bridge the time they needed to tell their story. Thank you for your sharp editorial eye and for your humor along the way. Working with you on these past two projects has been delicious. And finally, a heartfelt thank you to the publicity and marketing masterminds at Harper: Elizabeth Ward, Julie Yeater, Sabrina Abballe, Gina Rizzo, Patty Rosati, Molly Motch, and Stephanie Macy.
To my agent, Rebecca Friedman: thank you for reading every version of this book along the way, for offering thoughtful feedback and for being there to talk it all through. You are a treasure. And last, but most certainly not least, thank you to my family. David, thank you for taking such good care of me, always. Thank you for loving (and feeding) me through this and every project, writing and otherwise. To my parents and Molly and John: thank you for your love and support. To lush, wild, beautiful Florida: thank you providing the perfect space for this story, and for being home.