It Will Come Back

Too Close for Comfort

“Ash, you’re back! I haven’t seen you in a couple of days!” I say, grinning as I swing open the front door and step aside to let him in.

“Yeah, work’s been stacked lately,” Ash replies, brushing past me and into the house.

“Your therapist work?” I tease, shutting the door behind him.

He shrugs noncommittally. “Something like that,” he says, his voice carrying an ominous edge that I pretend not to notice.

“What have you been up to while I’ve been gone? Miss me?” he asks, his lips quirking into that infuriatingly smug grin.

I cross my arms defensively, leaning against the doorframe. “Nah. I don’t miss guys.”

Ash raises an eyebrow, stepping closer. “You’re lying.”

“And how would you know?” I snap, narrowing my eyes at him.

He smirks, leaning slightly forward. “Because I can just tell.”

“Oh my god, why the hell is everyone acting so crazy lately? I mean, crazier than normal!” I throw my hands up in frustration as he bursts into laughter.

“Chill, Lux. I’m just messing with you. But seriously, why are you so on edge? It’s been, what, a couple of days? And now your guard’s higher than ever. How’s anyone supposed to get close to you?”

I glare at him, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Who says I want anyone to get close to me?”

That shuts him up. The room falls into an awkward silence so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Finally, I break the tension. “Is that what you’re doing? Trying to figure me out? Why? What’s your deal, Ash?”

He shrugs like I’ve just asked him what he wants for dinner. “I like you. I wanted to hang out with you.”

“Hang out?” I repeat, incredulous. “You think saying that so casually isn’t annoying?” I mimic his tone, rolling my eyes dramatically.

Ash’s smirk vanishes, and he steps closer again, the teasing edge in his voice replaced by something sharper. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem,” I snap, “is that I don’t know the first thing about you, and yet, you’ve been showing up here for over a month! Who does that?”

“Not everything is your business, Lux. Not everything has to be tainted by the truth.” His voice is lower now, almost a growl.

I squint at him, a suspicion creeping into my thoughts. “Okay, real talk. Are you a vampire? Because I’ve watched a lot of shows and movies about this kind of situation, and trust me, it never ends well.”

A flicker of a smile plays at his lips. “You watch too much TV,” he mutters, shaking his head.

“Yeah, and you’re dodging the question. So, vampire or not?” I press, crossing my arms again.

Ash reaches out, his hand brushing against my cheek so gently it makes my breath hitch.

“Why are you so interested in me?” I mumble, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably. “You’d have way more fun hanging out with Yasmin.” I grin, throwing my stepsister under the bus.

“I doubt that,” he says with a soft chuckle.

Then he mutters something under his breath, too low for me to catch.

“Excuse me?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” he says quickly. “It’s just… when I first met you, you said you didn’t like people getting close to you. But that’s changed.”

I snort, trying to mask the weird flutter in my chest. “Yeah, well, you act like a martian. You’re kinda cool, I guess,” I say, avoiding his gaze. My fingers feel clammy, so I shove them into my hoodie pockets.

“So,” I say, changing the subject, “what do you actually do at work?”

Ash steps back, giving me space to breathe. “Had to listen to some guy rant about his mommy issues,” he says, smirking like it’s a joke.

And then it hits me.

Mommy issues.

Mommy.

Jake.

My stomach flips. “What was the guy’s name?” I ask, trying to sound casual as I pop a potato chip into my mouth.

Ash’s eyes narrow. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason. Just curious,” I say with a shrug.

“I think it was Blake,” he says after a moment.

I let out a sigh of relief. Not Jake. Thank god.

“You gonna tell me why you’re acting so weird?” Ash asks, tilting his head.

I glare at him. “Weird? I’m the weird one? You’re the one who keeps showing up uninvited!”

“Fine. You want me to leave? I’ll leave.” He snaps the words, turning on his heel and heading for the door.

“Wait, Ash, please.” I rush after him, grabbing his arm. “I didn’t mean—”

He stops suddenly, turning around so quickly I nearly run into him. His face is closer than I expect, and I freeze, my breath catching in my throat.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble, my voice barely above a whisper.

His hand moves to my jawline, his fingers brushing my skin as his ocean-blue eyes lock onto mine.

For a second, I think he’s going to lean in. My heart races, and then—

He pulls back, stepping away abruptly.

“I’m getting too close,” he mutters, his voice more to himself than to me. “This is dangerous. Goodbye, Lux.”

Before I can say anything, before I can stop him, he’s gone.