“You are,” I said gently. “And it’s okay. I just... I miss you. The real you.”
He stopped walking, turning to face me. His eyes, sharp and bright even in the dim light, pinned me in place. “The real me is gone, Gael. You killed him when you turned me.”
The words were a knife to my chest, but I nodded. “Maybe. But I like to think he’s still in there somewhere. That’s the part of you I’m fighting for.”
His jaw worked, and for a moment, I thought he might say something cutting, but then he sighed. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Not on you,” I said without hesitation.
Something flickered in his expression, an emotion I couldn’t quite place, but he didn’t respond.
Instead, he started walking again, and I followed, giving him the space he needed.
The town square was quieter than usual, the faint sound of a guitar drifting from a nearby cantina.
We found an outdoor café lit by strings of soft yellow lights, and Asher surprised me by sitting across from me at one of the small tables.
“You’re actually staying,” I teased lightly, trying to ease the tension.
“Don’t push your luck,” he muttered, but there was no bite to his words.
We ordered drinks, more for appearances than anything else, and I watched as he toyed with the glass in front of him, his fingers tracing the rim absently.
“Do you ever think about what life would’ve been like if none of this had happened?” he asked suddenly, his voice low.
“All the time,” I admitted. “But it doesn’t change where we are now.”
He nodded slowly, his gaze distant. “I think... I think I could’ve been happy. If things had been different.”
“You still can be,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes met mine, and for a moment, the walls he kept so carefully constructed seemed to crack. “I don’t know how,” he said honestly.
“I’ll help you figure it out,” I promised.
He didn’t respond, but he didn’t look away either. And in that silence, I saw the smallest glimmer of hope.
By the time we made it back to the cabin, the moon was high in the sky, casting a pale glow over the trees.
Asher lingered on the porch, his hand resting on the railing as he looked out over the valley.
“Gael?” he said after a long pause.
“Yeah?” I stepped up beside him, careful not to crowd him.
He turned to face me, his expression open in a way I hadn’t seen in weeks.
“I’m still angry. I don’t know when, or if that’ll change. But... I’m glad you’re here,” Asher said.
The knot in my chest loosened, and I nodded. “I’m not going anywhere.”
For the first time in what felt like forever, he smiled. A real, genuine smile. It was small, but it was there, and it felt like the first step toward something better.
“Good,” he said simply, turning back to the view.
I stayed beside him, the silence between us no longer heavy but comforting.
It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t easy, but for the first time, it felt like we were moving forward. Together.
