Silence falls over us and for a few seconds, I don’t move.
I stay just inside the doorway with one hand resting against the frame. The warmth of the house is at my back, and the cool night air brushing against my skin where it spills through the open door.
Asher hasn’t stepped away. He hasn’t tried to close the distance either. He’s just standing there, watching me with that same, steady focus, like he’s already decided he’ll meet me wherever I choose to stand.
And suddenly, standing halfway between inside and out feels like hesitation. Like I line I don’t actually want to keep.
I let out a slow breath, then step forward, crossing the threshold fully this time. The wood of the porch is cool beneath my feet, grounding in a way the house wasn’t. I pull the door closed behind me without
