AT FIRST, SHE THINKS it’s some sick joke, but the determination in his eyes and the certainty in his voice tell her otherwise. He means it. All she ever wanted was for him to say that he loved her and wanted to stay with her. Every time she argued with him, it was a desperate way to get him to admit it because even if she knew it deep in her heart, she still needed to hear it from him. She wanted that when they were teenagers, and now, five years later, things have changed. She has changed. And even if she can’t deny that his presence still makes her weak at the knees, she can fight her feelings and overcome the power he has over her.
Replaying Asher’s words in her head, Pearl decides to take the high road and be the bigger person. “That day at the park, I asked you to stay, and you said
