The evening had grown heavy with the soft glow of the lights and the low hum of voices drifting from the living room, but Asher and I had long since made our decision. We were done pretending. Done weaving through polite smiles and half-hearted conversations with his family. It was late, yes, but the world beyond his room could wait. Tonight was for us.
“Trinity.” Asher murmured, his voice low, almost a growl of concern, as he looped his arm through mine while we slipped past the last of the gathering. “Are you… sure you’re okay? I mean…” His words faltered, unspoken fears lingering in the spaces between. He didn’t need to finish. I knew. He feared what my brother might have done. The unthinkable, the thing I’d tried to bury in the deepest corners of my mind.
I squeezed his hand, my othe
