Let It Be Me by Becky Wade (top young adult novels .TXT) 📕

decision. Not all good things make sense or can be quantified.”

Her years with Dylan had taught her the absolute truth of that.

Sebastian closed the space between them and took her face in his hands. “You’ve shown how brave you are. Be brave with me.”

She might be opening herself up to deep heartache if she let this continue. “Ah . . .” Lord! What should I do? Show me. Tell me.

No clear answer came.

Sebastian’s talk of protecting her dreams had gone to her head, because it was so astonishingly, shockingly wonderful to have someone on her side, supporting what she valued. “The thing is,” she whispered, “I don’t need a man in my life. I have math.” One of her fingertips disobeyed orders and traced the shape of his lower lip.

“I don’t want you to need me. I want you to choose me.”

“I abhor romance.” She slid her fingers into the thick, silky strands of his hair.

“I know.”

He took her mouth in a kiss—thorough, urgent, filled with pent-up feelings—and her resistance fell like a building leveled by dynamite.

Drugging minutes passed. He lifted his head a few inches. “Am I your boyfriend now?”

“No.”

“Yes I am.” He regarded her challengingly. “I am now, Leah.”

“We’re not together.”

“Yes we are. We’ve had a fight, and I’ve driven across Georgia to make up with you, and now we’re together. Agreed?”

She hesitated. “I’m undecided and in need of convincing.” A smile stole across her mouth.

More kisses filled her kitchen with golden heat and wonder.

“Are we together?” His voice had turned raspy.

She answered with “Undecided” the next four times he asked that question, until she was gasping and he was watching her with eyes that made a million promises.

“Yes,” she finally said. She defied any woman, given the temptation of Sebastian Grant, to answer differently.

Her misgivings remained.

It’s just that, at this awe-laced moment, the joy he offered was greater.

Leah lay wide-awake in bed until well after one that morning. Marveling. Melting. Worrying.

Sebastian had stayed for two hours, which was far longer than was wise, considering the length of his drive home and how early the two of them had to be at work. But a wide strain of rebelliousness ran through Sebastian. He wasn’t one to make the sensible choice if the sensible choice wasn’t what he wanted.

The text she’d asked him to send when he reached home finally arrived.

I’m at my apartment.

Sweet dreams.

Good night, girlfriend.

I wholeheartedly dislike girlfriend as an endearment.

Fine. Good night, princess.

Princess is worse than girlfriend. I advise you to stick with professor. Professor, I like.

In that case, good night, Professor.

She set her phone to silent, placed it on its dock, and relaxed against her pillows. “What are you up to?” she asked God.

Since Sebastian had asked her out on their first date, she’d been praying for and about him daily.

It comforted her when God provided her with clarity, like He’d done so many times before, regarding the path He wanted her to take.

In this case, He hadn’t provided clarity, which left her with circling doubts.

She couldn’t fathom why God had brought Sebastian into her life or His objective for the two of them.

“Are you paying attention?” Her words vanished into the darkness. If I’m veering off track by dating him, please, please let me know and steer me back on course.

Sebastian’s world was right again.

He couldn’t have cared less about the sleep he’d sacrificed last night driving to Misty River and back. He didn’t even feel tired. He’d succeeded at fixing things with Leah, and today, that was all that mattered.

He’d been granted a week of vacation that would start in two and a half weeks. Soon he’d have uninterrupted days in Misty River with her.

While waiting in line for lunch, a text arrived from Natasha to Genevieve, him, and Ben.

I just found out that Luke has a parole hearing today. I’m praying they let him out.

Sebastian grunted skeptically. Luke had been uncooperative with his attorneys when he’d gone to trial seven years ago, and he hadn’t made a good impression the last time he’d come up for parole.

Genevieve immediately responded.

I’ll be praying over it, too.

Then from Ben:

Same here.

Sebastian kept his response neutral.

Thanks for letting us know.

His stance on Luke was complex. Sympathy and resentment. Indebtedness and bitterness.

That evening Natasha sent a follow-up text.

Luke has been released, thank the Lord.

God continued to withhold clarity from Leah regarding Sebastian. But what she did receive—every day, day after day—was the heady delight of dating him.

They talked and laughed on the phone each night and texted each other between calls. On Thursday, they reached the one-year anniversary of the day they’d met. They celebrated by simultaneously watching the first The Fast and the Furious movie—a film in which cars were wrecked in even more spectacular fashion than Sebastian had wrecked his.

He flew to Misty River the minute he got off work on Friday. Dylan had an away game, so the two of them cooked dinner at her place.

They spent Saturday and Sunday fishing on a remote stretch of river and hiking trails carpeted with crimson and yellow leaves.

He flew back to Atlanta, and their texts and nightly phone calls immediately resumed.

He returned the following weekend, which passed just as gloriously. They drove to the lake and rented a boat for the afternoon. When darkness fell, they moved to a lakeside firepit. Holding hands, they watched orange flames crackle against a backdrop of moon-silver water.

They enjoyed Sunday lunch at Whiskey’s restaurant with Dylan and Mr. and Mrs. Coleman. Sebastian’s ease with her brother wooed her far better than flowers or chocolates.

When it came time for Sebastian to return to Atlanta, Leah noted that saying good-bye to him was steadily becoming more difficult.

They picked back up where they’d left off with texts and calls.

Am I veering off track by dating him? she continued to ask God. Please tell me if I am.

But an answer did not come.

On Thanksgiving morning, the day before Sebastian was due to arrive for his vacation in Misty River, Leah