I sit in my living room with my laptop on my knees and try to write a CV for the first time in my life. Apart from my Cambridge degree and my time at Harvard, I have nothing to put down under “experience” or “skills.” I wish being a master prankster counted.

I’m relieved when there’s a knock at my door so I have an excuse to pull the laptop shut and push it far away.

I go to the door and smile when I see it’s Melissa.

I welcome her in with a kiss. “Hey, babe. What a nice surprise. Everything okay?”

Looking at her more closely, I can tell there’s something wrong. She looks stricken like she’s just heard some bad news. I immediately usher her over to the sofa, and we sit down.

“Is it Connor? Is there news on the case?”

Melissa looks up at me with wide, round eyes. They’re full of disbelief, admiration, and something soft and tender. “Why didn’t you tell me where you got that money?”

“What have you heard?”

She sets her handbag down on the floor and fixes me in her incredulous gaze. “People heard you arguing with your father.”

I bow my head. “I didn’t want you to know.”

“They say he’s told you not to come home. Is that true?”

I pull her toward me and wrap my arm around her. “It doesn’t matter.”

She pulls away from me, pressing her palms against my chest so she can hold me at arm’s length. “Of course, it matters. Why would you do that Henry? You told me it was money you had to spare.”

“And it’s true. I didn’t need a Rolex or BMW.”

“But—”

“No buts, Lissy. Being with you has made me realize there’s an awful lot I don’t need and only one thing I do.”

“What about your family?” Her expression is filled with guilt and remorse.

I don’t feel a shred of doubt. “It’s one thing if they won’t accept me as I am; it’s another if they won’t accept you. This was my choice, and I have no regrets.”

Melissa bows her head and starts to cry. Her tears roll down her cheeks and fall onto the knees of her jeans. She wipes them away from her face one after the other. “I’ve cost you everything.”

I reach out and stroke back her hair, tucking it behind her ear so I can see her face. Even when she’s crying, she’s beautiful. Everything about her is sincere and real. She wears her heart on her sleeve so she can more easily share it.

“The money doesn’t mean anything to me. My father’s mad now, but he’ll come around when I’m doing well for myself in the future. When I’ve proved him wrong, this will all be water under the bridge. You’ll see.”

“You didn’t have to do all this. No matter what happened with Connor, I would have always been yours. I never wanted to take anything from you.”

“And that’s why it was so easy to give.” I lean forward and take her face in my hands, lowering her head so I can kiss her hair. “You’ve taught me about self-respect and humility. I don’t want to live off my father’s fortunes anymore. I don’t want to get by on hanging onto his tailcoat. Getting rid of that money was the best thing I could have ever done. Now I don’t have an unfair head start. I can be my own man and take pride in what I accomplish. I wanted you to have it, Lissy. You deserve it, and I don’t. That’s all there is to it.”

She looks up at me with adoration. “Of course, you deserve it. After all you’ve done for me, you deserve the world. I wish I could repay you. I wish there was some way I could show you how much you mean to me.”

“I already know.”

Melissa bites down on her lip, looking up at me from under her long eyelashes, which are still wet with tears. “What will you do?”

“I have enough money to last me to the end of this academic year. When the lease ends on my apartment, I’m going to move into shared accommodations—something cheaper. To get through next year, I’ll apply for loans, scholarships and whatever else is out there to get me through. My grades aren’t bad; I might be eligible for some of them. And the rest of it—well, I’ll get a job like everyone else.”

Melissa blinks and more tears fall. “You had such a wonderful life and a road that was paved for you. You had all the time in the world to study, everything you needed to be comfortable, and you’ve given it all up for me. I’ll never forgive myself.”

Her distress is so sincerely adorable, I smile, then kiss her lips. “There’s nothing to forgive. This was my choice.”

“If I had never come into your life, you’d be on your way to heading back to England to a good life and a proud family.”

“If I had been happy in that life, I wouldn’t have been so determined to keep throwing away opportunities.” I hold her hands in earnest. “Here, with you, these opportunities have meaning. I want to do better. You work hard, you love selflessly, and, honestly, I don’t know what the hell you’re doing with a selfish, reckless idiot like me.

“I don’t want to be that guy anymore. When I’m with you, I want to work harder and be more selfless. I want to be worthy of the love you give me so openly. You make me a better man, Lissy. I love you.”

She throws herself into my arms, burying her face in my neck and squeezing me tightly. “I love you, too, Henry. More than anything.”