I don’t look back until I reach the edge of the trees. When I do, he’s still standing there, watching me. Making sure I actually leave.
The walk back into town feels longer, like it shifted when I wasn’t looking. My heart tugs me back toward the woods, back toward Asher, where it tells me I belong. My mind argues, saying whatever they’re involved in, whatever I had just stepped into…I’m not as far outside of it as I should be.
That thought never leaves me. It follows me home, lingers while I sit through lunch with my parents. It trails behind me as I unpack a box I don’t remember packing. The thought presses at the edges of everything, so persistent it starts to become annoying. It refuses to be ignored, no matter how many times I try to distract myself.
Asher. His name settles differen
